Automatic analyzing apparatus

An automatic analyzing apparatus used for carrying out, in a predetermined order, a plurality of analytic processes including dispensation processes for dispensing selected reagents to reaction tubs each containing a specimen according to predetermined test parameters, and unreacted component removal processes for removing unreacted components from reaction mixtures in said reaction tubs after lapse of predetermined reaction periods following said dispensation processes, and subsequently carrying out photometry of the reaction mixture in said reaction tubs to analyze characteristics of said specimens, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of cartridges each comprising at least one specimen tub for holding a specimen and a plurality of reaction tubs;
• a cartridge standby area for accommodating said plurality of cartridges;
• a first transport mechanism for successively transporting said cartridges from said cartridge standby area to a specimen dispensing position;
• a specimen dispensing device for distributing said specimen in said specimen tub of each cartridge to each of said reaction tubs in said cartridge;
• a plurality of analytical devices for carrying out analytic processes in a pre-determined order wherein said analytical devices comprise a plurality of dispensing devices, for carrying out said dispensation processes to dispense said selected reagents into said reaction tubs of said cartridges wherein each of said dispensing devices dispenses said reagents to all of the reaction tubs of each cartridge in parallel, and unreacted component removing devices, for carrying out said unreacted component removal processes to remove said unreacted components from said reaction tubs wherein each of said unreacted component removing devices removes said unreacted components from all of said reaction tubs of each cartridge in parallel;
• an optical device for carrying out photometry of reaction mixtures formed in each of said reaction tubs of said cartridges after said analytic processes are carried out, wherein said optical device comprises multiple optical structures for carrying out photometry in parallel in all of said plurality of reaction tubs in each cartridge;
• a plurality of analytic process transport mechanisms drivable independently of one another for successively transporting said cartridges according to said predetermined order of analytic processes between said specimen dispensing device and a first one of said analytical devices, between the respective analytical devices and between one of said analytical devices and said optical device, wherein said specimen dispensing device, said analytical devices and said optical device are all arranged in a three-dimensional space;
• and
• transport control means for controlling independent driving of said analytic process transport mechanisms and for controlling driving of each of said analytic process transport mechanisms to transport said cartridges between the specimen dispensing devices, the analytical devices and the optical device in a predetermined variable transport time;
• wherein each of the dispensing devices has a construction for dispensing a reagent to one of said reaction tubs of each cartridge, said construction comprising:
• a syringe;
• a cleaning buffer container;
• a reagent container;
• a dispensing nozzle;
• a first three-way valve with a common port, a normally closed port and a normally open port;
• a second three-way valve with a common port, a normally closed port and a normally open port;
• a first piping connecting said syringe with said common port of said first three-way valve;
• a second piping connecting said cleaning buffer container with said normally closed port of said first three-way valve;
• a third piping connecting said common port of said second three-way valve with said normally open port of said first three-way valve;
• a fourth piping connecting said reagent container with said normally closed port of said second three-way valve;
• a fifth piping connecting said dispensing nozzle with said normally open port of said second three-way valve;
• and
• dispensation control means operable, prior to reagent dispensation, for effecting controls to fill said fourth piping between said reagent container and said second three-way valve with a reagent sucked from said reagent container and filling said second and first piping including said syringe with a cleaning buffer sucked from said cleaning buffer container;
• when dispensing said reagent through said dispensing nozzle, for effecting controls to pull said syringe to suck air through said dispensing nozzle, to switch said second three-way valve from a position in which the common port and the normally open port thereof communicate with each other to a position in which the common port and the normally closed port thereof communicate with each other when the air has advanced a predetermined amount past the common port of said second three-way valve, to pull said syringe further to suck a predetermined quantity to be dispensed of the reagent toward the common port of said second three-way valve, thereafter to switch said second three-way valve to the position in which the common port and the normally open port thereof communicate with each other, and to push said syringe to dispense the reagent sucked toward the common port of said second three-way valve, through said dispensing nozzle to one of the reaction tubs of a cartridge transported by one of said analytic process transport mechanisms;
• and when cleaning said dispensing nozzle with said cleaning buffer, for effecting controls to push said syringe to drain said cleaning buffer from said fifth piping through said dispensing nozzle;
• wherein said dispensation control means is operable, when pulling said syringe to suck a predetermined quantity (.alpha.) to be dispensed of the reagent toward the common port of said second three-way valve during the control for dispensing said reagent through said dispensing nozzle, to cause said syringe to suck and additional quantity (.beta.+.tau.) of the reagent, wherein (.beta.) is a quantity of a leading part to be discarded, and (.tau.) is a quantity of a trailing part to be discarded, along with said predetermined quantity (.alpha.) toward the common port of said second three-way valve;
• to push said syringe by an amount to discard the reagent in the leading part quantity (.beta.) in a way to prohibit the same from entering said one of the reaction tubs prior to pushing said syringe to dispense the reagent in said predetermined quantity (.alpha.) sucked toward the common port of said second three-way valve, through said dispensing nozzle to said one of the reaction tubs;
• thereafter to push said syringe by an amount to dispense the reagent in said predetermined quantity (.alpha.) through said dispensing nozzle to said one of the reaction tubs;
• and subsequently to push said syringe by an amount to discard the reagent in the trailing part quantity (.tau.) in a way to prohibit the same from entering said one of the reaction tubs.

An automatic analyzing apparatus used for carrying out, in a predetermined order, a plurality of analytic processes including dispensation processes for dispensing selected reagents to reaction tubs each containing a specimen according to predetermined test parameters, and unreacted component removal processes for removing unreacted components from reaction mixtures in said reaction tubs after lapse of predetermined reaction periods following said dispensation processes, and subsequently carrying out photometry of the reaction mixture in said reaction tubs to analyze characteristics of said specimens, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of cartridges each comprising at least one specimen tub for holding a specimen and a plurality of reaction tubs;
• a cartridge standby area for accommodating said plurality of cartridges;
• a first transport mechanism for successively transporting said cartridges from said cartridge standby area to a specimen dispensing position;
• a specimen dispensing device for distributing said specimen in said specimen tub of each cartridge to each of said reaction tubs in said cartridge;
• a plurality of analytical devices for carrying out analytic processes in a pre-determined order wherein said analytical devices comprise a plurality of dispensing devices, for carrying out said dispensation processes to dispense said selected reagents into said reaction tubs of said cartridges wherein each of said dispensing devices dispenses said reagents to all of the reaction tubs of each cartridge in parallel, and unreacted component removing devices, for carrying out said unreacted component removal processes to remove said unreacted components from said reaction tubs wherein each of said unreacted component removing devices removes said unreacted components from all of said reaction tubs of each cartridge in parallel;
• an optical device for carrying out photometry of reaction mixtures formed in each of said reaction tubs of said cartridges after said analytic processes are carried out, wherein said optical device comprises multiple optical structures for carrying out photometry in parallel in all of said plurality of reaction tubs in each cartridge;
• a plurality of analytic process transport mechanisms drivable independently of one another for successively transporting said cartridges according to said predetermined order of analytic processes between said specimen dispensing device and a first one of said analytical devices, between the respective analytical devices and between one of said analytical devices and said optical device, wherein said specimen dispensing device, said analytical devices and said optical device are all arranged in a three-dimensional space;
• and
• transport control means for controlling independent driving of said analytic process transport mechanisms and for controlling driving of each of said analytical process transport mechanisms to transport said cartridges between the specimen dispensing devices, the analytical devices and the optical device in a predetermined variable transport time;
• wherein the optical device has a construction for carrying out photometry of a reaction mixture formed in one of said reaction tubs of each cartridge, comprising:
• reaction mixture takeout means having a flow cell, with first and second ends, for detaining a reaction mixture capable of emitting light, said flow cell being penetrable by light emitted from said reaction mixture;
• photodetecting means for detecting the light emitted from said reaction mixture detained in said flow cell and outputting information on a quantity of light;
• light shielding means for shutting off said flow cell and said photodetecting means from ambient light;
• a syringe;
• a nozzle;
• a first cleaning buffer container containing a cleaning buffer for cleaning said nozzle;
• a second cleaning buffer container containing a cleaning buffer for cleaning said flow cell;
• a first three-way valve with a common port, a normally closed port and a normally open port;
• a second three-way valve with a common port, a normally closed port and a normally open port;
• said syringe and said common port of said first three-way valve being connected to each other by piping;
• said first cleaning buffer container and said normally closed port of said first three-way valve being connected to each other by piping;
• a common port of said second three-way valve and said normally open port of said first three-way valve being connected to each other by piping;
• said second cleaning buffer container and said normally closed port of said second three-way valve being connected to each other by piping;
• said first end of said flow cell of said reaction mixture takeout means and said normally open port of said second three-way valve being connected to each other by piping;
• said second end of said flow cell and said nozzle being connected to each other by piping;
• and
• photometry control means operable, when carrying out photometry, for effecting controls to pull said syringe to suck said reaction mixture into said flow cell from said one of the reaction tubs of the cartridge transported by the analytic process transport mechanisms, to stop said syringe to allow said flow cell to detain said reaction mixture, to cause said photodetecting means to detect quantity of the light emitted from said reaction mixture, and thereafter to push said syringe to drain said reaction mixture through said nozzle;
• and when cleaning one of said flow cell and said nozzle, to switch one of the first and second three-way valves from a position in which the common port and the normally open port thereof communicate with each other to a position in which the common port and the normally closed port thereof communicate with each other, and to drain one of said cleaning buffers through one of said flow cell and said nozzle.