# US 12,222,357 B2 · Automatic analyzer

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- Number: US 12,222,357 B2
- Document ID: US12222357B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/594,779
- Filed: 2020-02-25
- Published: 2022-07-07
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-16
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Tsukasa Suenari; Takenori Okusa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222357B2

## CPC

- G01N 35/025: {having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes}
- G01N 35/04: Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)}
- G01N 35/1002: {Reagent dispensers}
- G01N 35/109: {with two horizontal degrees of freedom}
- G01N 2035/0406: {Individual bottles or tubes}
- G01N 2035/0422: {carried on a linear conveyor}
- G01N 2035/0439: {Rotary sample carriers, i.e. carousels}
- G01N 2035/0491: {Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control}
- 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

Provided is an automatic analyzer in which a linear movement unit and a rotational movement unit that access to a same location can be arranged in a same plane. The automatic analyzer includes a linear movement unit configured to access to an access point by a linear movement, a rotational movement unit configured to access to the access point by a rotational movement, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the linear movement unit and the rotational movement unit so that the linear movement unit and the rotational movement unit do not interfere with each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automatic analyzer, comprising:
a linear movement unit configured to access to an access point by a linear movement;
a rotational movement unit configured to access to the access point by a rotational movement; and a control unit configured to control an operation of the linear movement unit and the rotational movement unit so that the linear movement unit and the rotational movement unit do not interfere with each other, wherein the control unit is configured to set a movement speed of the rotational movement unit to be larger than a movement speed of the linear movement unit, and wherein the control unit is configured to return the linear movement unit to a first origin, and return the rotational movement unit to a second origin different from the first origin, and the linear movement unit is configured to linearly move only in a direction of a straight line connecting the first origin and the access point.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the movement speed of the linear movement unit is a speed at which the linear movement unit returns to the first origin, and
the movement speed of the rotational movement unit is a speed in a circumferential direction at which a tip end portion of the rotational movement unit returns to the second origin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein
the linear movement unit has a shape that is inclined backward in a direction returning to the first origin, and the rotational movement unit is provided frontward than the linear movement unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the linear movement unit has a shape with an opening space in a movement direction within a rotational movement range of the rotational movement unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 4, wherein when the control unit is configured to detect an abnormal operation of the linear movement unit or the rotational movement unit, the control unit is configured to return the rotational movement unit to an origin, and then returns the linear movement unit to an origin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the linear movement unit is a reaction vessel transport unit that transports a reaction vessel containing reaction liquid,
the rotational movement unit is a preprocessing probe that performs preprocessing on the reaction liquid, and
the access point is a preprocessing position where the reaction vessel transport unit transports the reaction vessel and the preprocessing probe performs the preprocessing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the control unit is configured to, when a position where the linear movement unit or the rotational movement unit is stopped is not recognizable, return the linear movement unit to the first origin and return the rotational movement unit to the second origin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
a rotation angle of the rotational movement unit when rotationally moving between the access point and the second origin is less than 90 degrees.