Automatic analysis apparatus

An apparatus for carrying out automatic analysis of a specimen carried in a transparent reaction vessel, said apparatus comprising:

• a transfer path along which reaction vessels are transferred one by one in a linear manner, said path having therealong and in the recited order a specimen discharging position, at least one reagent discharging position, a series of successive optical measuring positions, and a reaction vessel disposal position;
• a reaction vessel transfer device for successively transferring reaction vessels along said transfer path for bringing successive reaction vessels to each position one at a time;
• a specimen discharging device at said specimen discharging position for discharging a predetermined amount of a specimen to be analyzed into a reaction vessel at said specimen discharging position;
• at least one reagent discharging device at said at least one reagent discharge position for discharging a predetermined amount of a reagent at said reagent discharging position;
• a stirring device along said transfer path between said at least one reagent discharge position and the first of said series of optical measuring positions for supplying gas for stirring the liquid in each reaction vessel;
• an optical measuring device for passing a beam of light through the liquid in each reaction vessel, said optical measuring device including a light source and a photoelectric element disposed on opposite sides of said transfer path in face-to-face opposed relation to each other, and a filtering device in the path of the light beam from said light source for permitting the passage of light having a specific wavelength corresponding to the specimen being analyzed, said optical measuring device being movable along said transfer path past said succession of optical measuring positions in the direction of movement of each reaction vessel along said transfer path for directing the beam of light through each reaction vessel at said optical measuring positions;
• an optical measuring device transfer means connected to said optical measuring device for moving said optical measuring device along said transfer path;
• said reagent discharging device including reagent containing vessels for containing reagent to be dispensed;
• a control device connected to said optical measuring device and comprising means for analyzing the data obtained by said optical measuring device and means for optically measuring the volume of reagent contained in each reagent containing vessel and determining the number of amounts of reagent which can be dispensed from such reagent containing vessel and a display means for displaying the number, and
• a disposal device at said reaction vessel disposal position for discarding, without cleaning, each reaction vessel the optical measurements of which are finished.

An apparatus for carrying out automatic analysis of a specimen carried in a transparent reaction vessel, said apparatus comprising:

• a transfer path along which reaction vessels are transferred one by one in a linear manner, said path having therealong and in the recited order a specimen discharging position, at least one reagent discharging position, a series of successive optical measuring positions, and a reaction vessel disposal position;
• a reaction vessel transfer device for successively transferring reaction vessels along said transfer path for bringing successive reaction vessels to each position one at a time;
• a specimen discharging device at said specimen discharging position for discharging a predetermined amount of a specimen to be analyzed into a reaction vessel at said specimen discharging position;
• at least one reagent discharging device at said at least one reagent discharge position for discharging a predetermined amount of a reagent at said reagent discharging position;
• a stirring device along said transfer path between said at least one reagent discharge position and the first of said series of optical measuring positions for supplying gas for stirring the liquid in each reaction vessel, said stirring device having a tube through which the gas is supplied, means for inserting the free end of said tube into a reaction vessel and then withdrawing it, means for cutting off the length of tube which has been inserted into a reaction vessel, and means for feeding the tube in the direction toward its free end for replacing the cut off length;
• an optical measuring device for passing a beam of light through the liquid in each reaction vessel, said optical measuring device including a light source and a photoelectric element disposed on opposite sides of said transfer path in face-to-face opposed relation to each other, and a filtering device in the path of the light beam from said light source for permitting the passage of light having a specific wavelength corresponding to the specimen being analyzed, said optical measuring device being movable along said transfer path past said succession of optical measuring positions in the direction of movement of each reaction vessel along said transfer path for directing the beam of light through each reaction vessel at said optical measuring positions;
• an optical measuring device transfer means connected to said optical measuring device for moving said optical measuring device along said transfer path;
• a control device connected to said optical measuring device and comprising means for analyzing the data obtained by said optical measuring device;
• and
• a disposal device at said reaction vessel disposal position for discarding, without cleaning, each reaction vessel the optical measurements of which are finished.