# US 12,216,134 B2 · Automatic analyzer and method thereof

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- Number: US 12,216,134 B2
- Document ID: US12216134B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/267,148
- Filed: 2019-07-03
- Published: 2022-01-13
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Takaaki Hagiwara; Teruhiro Yamano; Kazunori Yamazawa; Taku Sakazume
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216134B2

## CPC

- G01N 35/0095: {introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]}
- G01N 2035/00356: {Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)}
- G01N 2035/0094: {optimisation; experiment design}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

In a case where plural measurement items that require different incubation times are simultaneously measured in an automatic analyzer, deterioration of the turnaround time of the measurement is minimized. The automatic analyzer receives a request of a sample, obtains a ratio of a short measurement item among examination items of the received analysis request, and a determines an empty cycle based on the ratio of the short measurement item and the number of schedules. When an empty cycle is necessary, the empty cycle is scheduled in a schedule of a sample that is requested to be measured first, for example, an empty cycle in a short measurement for making an incubator empty. As a result, this position can be used for a measurement of a short measurement item such that the wait time of the start of the measurement can be short.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automatic analyzer comprising:
an incubator that includes a plurality of holding portions holding a plurality of reaction containers, which contain a reaction of a mixed solution of a sample and a reagent;
a receiving unit configured to receive analysis information relating to a measurement item of the sample;
a transport unit configured to transport each of the reaction containers to the holding portion;
an analyzing unit configured to perform analysis by operating a measurement sequence of a series of operations according to a predetermined reaction time of each of the reaction containers containing the mixed solution to which a predetermined reagent is added at a predetermined timing based on the analysis information; and
a central processing unit (CPU) configured to:
create an analysis schedule to be performed by the analyzing unit based on the analysis information,
for a plurality of different measurement items, determine whether each measurement sequence of the measurement items is a short measurement item or a standard measurement item, the short measurement item being a measurement item that requires a short period of time for a reaction, and the standard measurement item being a measurement item that requires a standard period of time for a reaction, and
determine whether to add an empty cycle into the analysis schedule, and upon determining to add the empty cycle, add the empty cycle before the measurement sequence of the short measurement item,
wherein the empty cycle is a cycle of the automatic analyzer in which no operations of either the short measurement item or the standard measurement item are performed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1,
wherein the CPU is configured to:
analyze, in a case where a new measurement request is received, the measurement request, calculate a ratio of the short measurement item and the standard measurement item, and update a setting of an empty cycle of the analysis schedule based on the calculated ratio, and
create the analysis schedule according to the calculated ratio.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 2,
wherein the ratio is a proportion of the short measurement item with respect to the standard measurement item.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 3, further comprising:
a display unit that displays a GUI screen,
wherein the proportion is settable using the GUI screen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 3, further comprising:
a display unit that displays a GUI screen,
wherein a condition regarding whether or not a setting of the empty cycle is prioritized is selectable using the GUI screen.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 3, further comprising:
a display unit that displays a GUI screen,
wherein the presence or absence of a schedule of the empty cycle is settable depending on the different measurement items using the GUI screen.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1,
wherein the analyzing unit includes a plurality of detecting units that perform analysis by operating the measurement sequence, and
wherein an analysis schedule of different measurement sequences for the respective detecting units is created.