Patents by Inventor Hidenobu Komatsu
Hidenobu Komatsu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10040068Abstract: A reagent vessel holder for an analytical instrument is disclosed. The reagent vessel holder comprises at least one reagent vessel compartment for receiving a reagent vessel, wherein the reagent vessel compartment comprises a base and at least two lateral guiding elements, and at least one hollow needle for piercing the reagent vessel. The hollow needle is disposed on a front end of the reagent vessel compartment near the base and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the base. The lateral guiding elements are disposed so as to be adapted to slidably guide the reagent vessel in a direction substantially parallel to the direction, in which the hollow needle extends. The lateral guiding elements are adapted to receive the reagent vessel therebetween and are biased towards one another. Further, a reagent supply system for an analytical instrument and an analytical instrument comprising such a reagent vessel holder are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignees: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc., Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Stephan Sattler, Reinhold Kraemer, Hidenobu Komatsu, Toshio Suzuki
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Publication number: 20160263576Abstract: A reagent vessel holder for an analytical instrument is disclosed. The reagent vessel holder comprises at least one reagent vessel compartment for receiving a reagent vessel, wherein the reagent vessel compartment comprises a base and at least two lateral guiding elements, and at least one hollow needle for piercing the reagent vessel. The hollow needle is disposed on a front end of the reagent vessel compartment near the base and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the base. The lateral guiding elements are disposed so as to be adapted to slidably guide the reagent vessel in a direction substantially parallel to the direction, in which the hollow needle extends. The lateral guiding elements are adapted to receive the reagent vessel therebetween and are biased towards one another. Further, a reagent supply system for an analytical instrument and an analytical instrument comprising such a reagent vessel holder are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2016Publication date: September 15, 2016Inventors: Stephan Sattler, Reinhold Kraemer, Hidenobu Komatsu, Toshio Suzuki
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Patent number: 8997589Abstract: A rack buffer unit 8 serving as a sample-container switching unit is provided between a rack conveying module 4 and a rack conveying module 5 which convey racks 2 on which the sample containers 1 are mounted, and an urgent-sample loading module 7 installing a rack 2 on which a sample container 1 storing a sample desired to be preferentially analyzed is mounted is provided. The rack 2 which is in the process of sample dispensing and the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed are switched from each other by the rack buffer unit 8, and the sample container 1 mounted on the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed is moved to a sample dispensing position in a short period of time.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2010Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hidenobu Komatsu, Katsuhiro Kambara, Tetsuji Kawahara, Kentaro Wada
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Patent number: 8758685Abstract: An automatic analyzer is free from limitations on layout of various mechanisms, and thus causing no bottlenecks, for example, in a space-saving design of the automatic analyzer. This invention includes a coaxial planar duplex arrangement of two dilution disks each with annularly disposed dilution cells, and the dilution disks A and B operate independently of each other. Various mechanisms (parent-sample sampling mechanism, diluent delivery mechanism, diluent/sample mixing mechanism, and diluted-sample sampling mechanism) used in a dilution process can each access the two dilution disks. The dilution process for a parent sample, executed on the dilution disks A and B, can be continuously conducted by providing a fixed delay in operational timing between the two dilution disks.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2008Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hidenobu Komatsu, Tetsuya Fujisawa
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Publication number: 20130259745Abstract: The occurrence of splash of a sample or a reagent from a nozzle tip is prevented during shifting of a dispensing mechanism. An automatic analyzer includes a nozzle for sucking liquid to be dispensed; a pump for allowing suction of the liquid into the nozzle and generating pressure variations; a pipe line connecting the nozzle with the pump; and a shifting mechanism for shifting the nozzle in horizontal and vertical directions. In the automatic analyzer, the pipe line is at least partially composed of a flexible tube. The flexible tube has an upward or downward convex bending portion in the middle thereof. The convex bending portion changes in position and shifts along with the shifting mechanism at a nozzle side.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2011Publication date: October 3, 2013Inventors: Isao Yamazaki, Takamichi Mori, Hiroaki Ishizawa, Kazumi Kusano, Hidenobu Komatsu
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Patent number: 8278108Abstract: An automatic analyzer of the type equipped with a sample preprocessing function pretreats a desired sample in a pretreating unit before pipetting the sample into an analyzing unit for analysis. When all samples are carried to the analyzing unit via the pretreating unit, irrespective of whether the sample is to be pretreated, this causes loss in terms of both costs and installation space requirements. In the case where the preprocessing is required, a minimal quantity of the sample is also necessary in order to make the sample react to the preprocessing liquid. In addition, the possible presence of a residual sample left in the pretreating unit could affect analytical results. The automatic analyzer which includes an analyzing unit and a pretreating unit further includes a sample-pipetting mechanism constructed to have a function that allows the mechanism to access a plurality of pipetting positions without a sample sucking/discharging position being fixed.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2010Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kentaro Wada, Katsuhiro Kambara, Tetsuji Kawahara, Hidenobu Komatsu
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Publication number: 20110283779Abstract: An automatic analyzer of the type equipped with a sample preprocessing function pretreats a desired sample in a pretreating unit before pipetting the sample into an analyzing unit for analysis. When all samples are carried to the analyzing unit via the pretreating unit, irrespective of whether the sample is to be pretreated, this causes loss in terms of both costs and installation space requirements. In the case where the preprocessing is required, a minimal quantity of the sample is also necessary in order to make the sample react to the preprocessing liquid. In addition, the possible presence of a residual sample left in the pretreating unit could affect analytical results. The automatic analyzer which includes an analyzing unit and a pretreating unit further includes a sample-pipetting mechanism constructed to have a function that allows the mechanism to access a plurality of pipetting positions without a sample sucking/discharging position being fixed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2010Publication date: November 24, 2011Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Kentaro Wada, Katsuhiro Kambara, Tetsuji Kawahara, Hidenobu Komatsu
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Publication number: 20110271773Abstract: A rack buffer unit 8 serving as a sample-container switching unit is provided between a rack conveying module 4 and a rack conveying module 5 which convey racks 2 on which the sample containers 1 are mounted, and an urgent-sample loading module 7 installing a rack 2 on which a sample container 1 storing a sample desired to be preferentially analyzed is mounted is provided. The rack 2 which is in the process of sample dispensing and the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed are switched from each other by the rack buffer unit 8, and the sample container 1 mounted on the rack 2 desired to be preferentially analyzed is moved to a sample dispensing position in a short period of time.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2010Publication date: November 10, 2011Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Hidenobu Komatsu, Katsuhiro Kambara, Tetsuji Kawahara, Kentaro Wada
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Publication number: 20090068748Abstract: An automatic analyzer is free from limitations on layout of various mechanisms, and thus causing no bottlenecks, for example, in a space-saving design of the automatic analyzer. This invention includes a coaxial planar duplex arrangement of two dilution disks each with annularly disposed dilution cells, and the dilution disks A and B operate independently of each other. Various mechanisms (parent-sample sampling mechanism, diluent delivery mechanism, diluent/sample mixing mechanism, and diluted-sample sampling mechanism) used in a dilution process can each access the two dilution disks. The dilution process for a parent sample, executed on the dilution disks A and B, can be continuously conducted by providing a fixed delay in operational timing between the two dilution disks.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Inventors: Hidenobu KOMATSU, Tetsuya FUJISAWA
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Publication number: 20090041622Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic analyzer that includes one or more pipetting probes for pipetting reagents or samples to be examined, one or more pipetting-probe-transferring means for transferring the probes and one or more washing tubs installed on the transfer paths of the probes and having structure permitting the probes to pass therethrough. The washing tub has washing-water-discharging orifices for discharging washing water and air-jetting orifices for jetting out air.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2008Publication date: February 12, 2009Inventors: Kohshi MAEDA, Hidenobu KOMATSU, Kunihiko SOMA, Hiroaki ISHIZAWA, Shinichi FUKUZONO