Abstract: A plurality of reaction containers each being charged with an agitation ball made of a magnetic material are circularly arranged on a reaction disk so as to be supplied with a reagent and a sample. The reaction disk is driven reciprocatingly at a small amplitude for a predetermined time so as to cause the reaction containers to be vibrated arcuately each time a new reaction container is supplied with the reagent. As a result of the vibration of the reaction containers, the agitation balls in the respective reaction containers vigorously move to agitate the reaction solutions in the respective reaction containers. A photometric device is disposed so as to apply a light to the reaction container thereby to allow a fluorescent or absorbance photometric measurement. In the reaction container brought to the photometric measuring position, the agitation ball is attracted to the wall of the reaction container so as to be kept away from the path of light in the photometric device.

Abstract: A constant-temperature air type automatic analysis apparatus includes: a reaction table for rotating a row of reaction containers; a batch injecting device for supplying a sample and a reagent into the reaction containers; a photometric device for measuring a reaction within the reaction containers; a constant-temperature air device for keeping the reaction containers warm, the constant-temperature air device having an annular constant-temperature air chamber which is formed in such a manner as to surround the row of reaction containers; a heat block disposed within the annular constant-temperature air chamber; and a preliminary temperature raising device for heating the reaction containers. The preliminary temperature raising device has an air circulation passage, a blowing device for blowing a constant-temperature air against the reaction containers in a region between a injection position of the batch injecting device and a measuring position of the photometric device.

Abstract: A diagnostic instrument and method indexes plural, sequentially actuated reaction vessels, stepwise to several processing positions. Several positions effecting wash have wash probes that are gauged together. Sample and/or reagent are not added to a number of vessels leading and trailing sample containing vessels. The processing of the sample is controlled according to different time-templates and the first use of the wash probes occurs in the same cycle for different sets of analytical tests.

Abstract: An automatic analyzing system has a sample table for supporting a plurality of sample vessels and a reagent table for supporting a plurality of reagent vessels. The sample table and the reagent table are fixed to a common drive shaft. The system further has a rotatable reaction table for supporting a plurality of reaction vessels. The reaction table is arranged in a side-by-side relation to the sample table and the reagent table. The system further has a single pipetting device disposed between the reaction table and the stack of the sample table and the reagent table for a swinging motion therebetween so as to suck samples and reagents from the sample vessels and the reagent vessels and to deliver the same to the reaction vessels. The pipetting device is operated in such a manner as to transfer all the samples to the reaction vessels followed by the supply of the reagents to these reaction vessels.