# US 12,222,360 B2 · Automatic analyzer with nozzle connected to flow cell detector and a nozzle cleaning tank

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- Number: US 12,222,360 B2
- Document ID: US12222360B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/603,725
- Filed: 2020-02-26
- Published: 2022-06-23
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-15
- Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshihiro Kabe; Takenori Okusa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222360B2

## CPC

- G01N 35/1004: {Cleaning sample transfer devices}
- G01N 35/00712: {Automatic status testing, e.g. at start-up or periodic}
- G01N 35/025: {having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes}
- G01N 35/08: using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
- G01N 35/1095: {for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers (for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00)}
- G01N 2035/0437: {Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels}
- 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

An automatic analyzer includes a flow cell detector, a nozzle that is connected to the flow cell detector by a flow path and aspirates or discharges liquid, a reservoir that is provided with a table and a table driving mechanism that rotates or moves the table up and down, and a cleaning tank that is disposed on the table. A position of the nozzle is fixed, and a cleaning water discharge port discharges cleaning water used for cleaning the nozzle at an angle φ with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the nozzle. An upper part of a side wall of the cleaning tank is continuous with an upper discharge unit at a side facing a discharge outlet provided in the reservoir and a spatula-shaped part projects outward of the cleaning tank at a side facing the upper discharge unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automatic analyzer, comprising:
a flow cell detector;
a nozzle that is connected to the flow cell detector by a flow path and aspirates or discharges liquid;
a reservoir that is provided with a table and a table driving mechanism that rotates the table or moves the table up and down; and
a cleaning tank that is disposed on the table, wherein
a position of the nozzle is fixed, and a cleaning water discharge port that discharges cleaning water used for cleaning the nozzle is fixed such that the cleaning water can be discharged at an angle φ with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the nozzle, and
an upper part of a side wall of the cleaning tank is continuous with an upper discharge unit at a side facing a discharge outlet provided in the reservoir and a spatula-shaped part that projects outward the cleaning tank at a side facing the upper discharge unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the spatula-shaped part includes an inclined part at an angle θ with respect to the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the nozzle, and
the angle φ>the angle θ.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein
the spatula-shaped part includes a U-shaped or V-shaped groove in which the inclined part serves as a bottom of the groove.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 2, wherein
the reservoir includes a reaction vessel holding unit, and
in a case where a range of contacting with reaction liquid is set as a range at a height h1 from a lower end of the nozzle when the nozzle aspirates the reaction liquid from a reaction vessel that is placed in the reaction vessel holding unit, and a height h3 is set as a height from the lower end of the nozzle to an intersection point between the nozzle and an extension line of the inclined part of the spatula-shaped part when the reservoir is in a nozzle cleaning position where the nozzle is cleaned by being inserted into the cleaning tank, the height h3>the height h1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
a lower part of the side wall of the cleaning tank is provided with a lower discharge unit at the side facing the discharge outlet provided in the reservoir, and a bottom surface of the cleaning tank that is continuous with the lower discharge unit is inclined to the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the nozzle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 5, wherein
a volume of the cleaning water discharged from the cleaning water discharge port per unit time is a volume of cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank that overflows from the upper discharge unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the spatula-shaped part of the cleaning tank is positioned vertically below the cleaning water discharge port when the reservoir is in a nozzle cleaning position where the nozzle is cleaned by being inserted into the cleaning tank.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 7, wherein
the reservoir includes a reaction vessel holding unit, and
in a case where a range of contacting with reaction liquid is set as a range at a height h1 from a lower end of the nozzle when the nozzle aspirates the reaction liquid from a reaction vessel that is placed in the reaction vessel holding unit, and an overflow surface of the cleaning tank is at a height h4 from the lower end of the nozzle when the reservoir is in the nozzle cleaning position, the height h4>the height h1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, wherein
the reservoir includes a reaction vessel holding unit, and
in a case where a range of contacting with reaction liquid is set as a range at a height h1 from a lower end of the nozzle when the nozzle aspirates the reaction liquid from a reaction vessel that is placed in the reaction vessel holding unit, and a height h2 is set as a height from the lower end of the nozzle to an intersection point between the nozzle and an imaginary line that extends from the cleaning water discharge port at the angle φ with respect to the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the nozzle, the height h2>the height h1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising:
a liquid container disposed on the table, wherein
a supply port that supplies liquid to the liquid container is fixed, and the reservoir moves the liquid container to match the supply port.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 10, wherein
an upper part of a side wall of the liquid container is continuous with a discharge unit at a side facing the discharge outlet provided in the reservoir.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 11, wherein
discharged liquid that overflows from the upper discharge unit of the cleaning tank or the discharge unit of the liquid container is discharged from a flow path that is continuous with the discharge outlet, and the flow path is provided along a central axis of the table driving mechanism.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The automatic analyzer according to claim 12, wherein
the discharge outlet of the reservoir includes a cylindrical member that faces the upper discharge unit of the cleaning tank and the discharge unit of the liquid container.