Automatic analyzer
AssigneeHitachi High-Tech Corporation
InventorsNoritaka Minami, Yoichiro Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic analyzer includes an installation plate on which a system reagent container is installed, a liquid aspiration unit that aspirates a reagent from the system reagent container, a support unit to which the liquid aspiration unit is coupled and which can be moved between a reagent container exchange position and a reagent aspiration position, and a lift mechanism that allows the support unit to perform a lift operation. The support unit of the liquid aspiration unit is raised to the reagent container exchange position by the lift mechanism when a first condition is satisfied, and the support unit of the liquid aspiration unit is lowered to the reagent aspiration position by the lift mechanism when a second condition is satisfied.
Claims5
An automatic analyzer comprising:
- an installation plate on which a plurality of system reagent containers is installed;
- a liquid aspiration unit configured to aspirate a reagent from each of the plurality of system reagent containers and dispense the reagent into a reaction container;
- a support unit to which the liquid aspiration unit is coupled and which is movable between a reagent container exchange position, which is a highest possible position to which the support unit is movable and at which the liquid aspiration unit is removable, and a reagent aspiration position, which is a position at which the reagent is aspiratable from each of the plurality of system reagent containers;
- a lift mechanism configured to lift the support unit upward to the reagent container exchange position and configured to lower the support unit to the reagent aspiration position;
- a control unit coupled to the lift mechanism, the support unit and the liquid aspiration unit, configured to control the lift mechanism so that the support unit is raised to the reagent container exchange position based on a determination that a residual liquid amount in the plurality of system reagent containers installed on the installation plate is equal to or smaller than a specified value and the support unit is lowered to the reagent aspiration position based on a determination that contents of the plurality of system reagent containers installed on the installation plate are normal, which is determined by at least one of reagent type, the residual liquid amount, and reagent expiration date, and are installed at predetermined positions, and configured to analyze a mixed solution of the reagent and a sample disposed in the reaction container;
- a lock mechanism configured to fit into a stopper, which includes a plurality of stop positions and is attached to the lift mechanism, to lock the lift mechanism so as prevent a lowering of the liquid aspiration unit based on a weight of the liquid aspiration unit acting on the support unit in a state in which power is not supplied to the automatic analyzer;
- and
- a lock release mechanism configured to release the lock mechanism from the plurality of stop positions of the stopper based on control by the control unit in a state in which power is supplied to the automatic analyzer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.