Photometric dispensing nozzle unit, photometric dispensing apparatus, and photometric dispensing method

A photometric dispensing apparatus comprising:

• one or more container groups each including a reaction container, and a liquid storing unit or a dispensing tip storing unit;
• one or more photometric dispensing nozzle units each including:
• a nozzle which performs suction/discharge of gas through a distal end opening and to which a dispensing tip is attached, a dispensing cylinder including a cylinder having a cavity therein and a plunger that slides in the cavity and having a gas suction/discharge port, and a suction/discharge flow path allowing the suction/discharge port to communicate with the distal end opening through the nozzle;
• a nozzle moving mechanism that is configured to move the nozzle relatively to the container groups;
• a suction/discharge driving unit that moves the plunger of the dispensing cylinder in a vertical direction and makes it possible for the dispensing tip attached to the nozzle to simultaneously suction liquid from the container groups and to simultaneously discharge liquid to the container groups;
• a light measuring device that converts at least received light into digital data;
• and
• a photometric dispensing control unit that controls a dispensing treatment or a photometric treatment for the nozzle moving mechanism, the suction/discharge driving unit, and the light measuring device, wherein the nozzle has a light guide end portion capable of receiving or irradiating light at a distal end of the nozzle, and a light guide path optically connected to the light guide end portion through the nozzle without through the dispensing cylinder, and the light measuring device is optically connected to the light guide path.

A photometric dispensing method comprising:

• a moving step of relatively moving nozzles of one or more photometric dispensing nozzle units including the nozzles which perform suction/discharge of gas to one or more container groups each including a reaction container and a liquid storing unit or a dispensing tip storing unit through a distal end opening, and to which dispensing tips are attached, a dispensing cylinder including a cylinder having a cavity therein and a plunger that slides in the cavity and having a gas suction/discharge port, and a suction/discharge flow path allowing the suction/discharge port to communicate with the distal end opening through the nozzles by the nozzle moving mechanism;
• an attachment step of attaching the dispensing tips to the nozzles by the nozzle moving mechanism;
• a suction/discharge step of simultaneously performing suction/discharge of liquid stored in the container groups to the dispensing tips by the suction/discharge driving unit;
• a removal step of removing the dispensing tips from the nozzles;
• and
• a light measuring step of performing measurement by connecting distal end portions of the nozzles to an opening of the reaction container directly or indirectly by the nozzle moving mechanism, and optically connecting a light measuring device with the reaction container through a light guide path optically connected to a light guide end portion formed in the nozzles through the nozzles without through the light guide end portion or the dispensing cylinder.