Abstract: In medical analysis devices and automatic specimen examination systems, the specimen conveyance mechanism is constituted by a plurality of belt lines. During installation or maintenance of the specimen conveyance mechanism, it is necessary to confirm the existence of steps at the joints of these belt lines and the parallelism of the conveyance line. According to the present invention, it is possible to lighten the burden of this work with a test tube type or conveyance holder type inspection device provided with a sensor and battery for operation. Also, even when an operator cannot visually confirm the conveyance line from outside, it is possible to confirm the state of the conveyance line.

Abstract: A device for unstopping a stopped specimen vessel that contains a liquid specimen such as blood is equipped with a mechanism which sucks and captures particles floating around the opening of the specimen vessel and prevents contamination of the specimen. The unstopping device grips a vessel and the stopper of the opening of the vessel, and removes the stopper from the opening of the vessel by changing the relative distance between the vessel-gripping mechanism and the unstopping mechanism. The unstopping device is equipped with: suction holes for sucking therethrough the gas which is present around the opening and contains liquid or solid particles; a pipeline which is connected to the suction holes and through which the sucked gas and particles are led downstream; a suction device connected to the pipeline; and a spirally flexed pipeline part disposed between the pipeline and the suction device.

Abstract: In medical analysis devices and automatic specimen examination systems, the specimen conveyance mechanism is constituted by a plurality of belt lines. During installation or maintenance of the specimen conveyance mechanism, it is necessary to confirm the existence of steps at the joints of these belt lines and the parallelism of the conveyance line. According to the present invention, it is possible to lighten the burden of this work with a test tube type or conveyance holder type inspection device provided with a sensor and battery for operation. Also, even when an operator cannot visually confirm the conveyance line from outside, it is possible to confirm the state of the conveyance line.

Abstract: A device for unstopping a stopped specimen vessel that contains a liquid specimen such as blood is equipped with a mechanism which sucks and captures particles floating around the opening of the specimen vessel and prevents contamination of the specimen. The unstopping device grips a vessel and the stopper of the opening of the vessel, and removes the stopper from the opening of the vessel by changing the relative distance between the vessel-gripping mechanism and the unstopping mechanism. The unstopping device is equipped with: suction holes for sucking therethrough the gas which is present around the opening and contains liquid or solid particles; a pipeline which is connected to the suction holes and through which the sucked gas and particles are led downstream; a suction device connected to the pipeline; and a spirally flexed pipeline part disposed between the pipeline and the suction device.

Abstract: A chemical analyzer supplies a sample and a reagent into a reaction container provided with an opening mixes a fluid which is to be measured and contains the sample and reagent supplied into the reaction container, measures a property of the fluid in the reaction container, and controls the drive for the mixer. The mixer has a vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down. The control unit controls the vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down in the fluid to be measured in the reaction container so as to cause upward and downward flow of the fluid which is to be measured and is positioned below the mixing tool.

Abstract: A liquid transfer device electrically controls liquid position. The surface of the liquid transfer device is provided with unevenness in order to solve a problem of having a large number of electrodes for controlling voltage. The number of electrodes for controlling voltage can be halved by the utilization of a restoring force of the liquid to a spherical shape by surface tension, in addition to an electrical force.

Abstract: In a device for transporting liquid, liquid to be transported is enclosed by an oil droplet, which is fractionated with air, for manipulation. Moreover, as a method for supplying liquids wherein a plurality of liquids are enclosed by an oil droplet sequentially and treated, liquid enclosed by an oil droplet is formed by associating one oil with one liquid in a liquid introducing section. According to the present invention, even in the case where a plurality of liquids are manipulated, it is possible to manipulate stably without affecting other liquids. Moreover, it is possible to treat as a liquid enclosed by an oil droplet successively in the device for transporting liquid, thereby allowing the invention to be applied to a system for analyzing easily.

Abstract: Conventional liquid transport substrates having a fluid channel formed along an array of electrodes have a problem in which throughput decreases, depending on driving conditions. In order to avoid two-way passage in a fluid channel from the inlet to a measuring section and a fluid channel from the measuring section to the outlet, the measuring section is located in the middle of the fluid channel connecting the inlet and the outlet, so that manipulation from the inlet to the outlet takes place in one direction on the substrate. Even when analyzing a large number of sample droplets, by transport of the droplets substantially in one direction, it is possible to complete measurement in a short time.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid transfer device which controls electrically liquid position. The surface of the liquid transfer device is provided with unevenness in order to solve a problem of having a large number of electrodes for controlling voltage. The number of electrodes for controlling voltage can be halved by utilization of restoring force of liquid to a spherical shape by surface tension, in addition to electrical force.

Abstract: The adverse effect on measurement accuracy brought about by the transmission of light beams through portions of a liquid sample with different concentrations, i.e., a concentration distribution in the vertical direction of a container, is prevented by using semiconductor light sources of two different types with different wavelengths. The semiconductor light sources (2, 4) of two different types are housed in the same package (5) such that a detector (9) can capture the light beams emitted by the light sources after their optical axes have intersected with one another. The multiple light beams can be thus caused to pass through portions with substantially the same concentration and therefore can be detected without being influenced by the difference in concentration of the sample in the container.

Abstract: A chemical analyzer supplies a sample and a reagent into a reaction container provided with an opening, mixes a fluid which is to be measured and contains the sample and reagent supplied into the reaction container, measures a property of the fluid in the reaction container, and controls the drive for the mixer. The mixer has a vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down. The control unit controls the vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down in the fluid to be measured in the reaction container so as to cause upward and downward flow of the fluid which is to be measured and is positioned below the mixing tool.

Abstract: In a device for transporting liquid, liquid to be transported is enclosed by an oil droplet, which is fractionated with air, for manipulation. Moreover, as a method for supplying liquids wherein a plurality of liquids are enclosed by an oil droplet sequentially and treated, liquid enclosed by an oil droplet is formed by associating one oil with one liquid in a liquid introducing section. According to the present invention, even in the case where a plurality of liquids are manipulated, it is possible to manipulate stably without affecting other liquids. Moreover, it is possible to treat as a liquid enclosed by an oil droplet successively in the device for transporting liquid, thereby allowing the invention to be applied to a system for analyzing easily.

Abstract: There are provided a chemical analysis apparatus and an analysis device in which predetermined quantities of a sample and a reagent are presicely pipetted, then are subjected to various processes, and are tested by a test device. Thus, the chemical analysis apparatus comprises the analysis device, an oil supply portion, a sample pipetting portion and a reagent pipetting portion. The analysis device comprises an upper board provided with a common electrode, and a lower board provided with a drive electrode including a train of a plurality of electrodes. Oil is filled in a space defined between the two boards, and liquid drops of the sample, the reagent and the like are formed in the oil.

Abstract: Conventional liquid transport substrates having a fluid channel formed along an array of electrodes have a problem in which throughput decreases, depending on driving conditions. In order to avoid two-way passage in a fluid channel from the inlet to a measuring section and a fluid channel from the measuring section to the outlet, the measuring section is located in the middle of the fluid channel connecting the inlet and the outlet, so that manipulation from the inlet to the outlet takes place in one direction on the substrate. Even when analyzing a large number of sample droplets, by transport of the droplets substantially in one direction, it is possible to complete measurement in a short time.

Abstract: A chemical analysis apparatus is equipped with analysis sections having openings, means for supplying samples or reagents from the openings, means for combining and mixing samples with reagents to obtain droplets as liquids to be measured, and means for measuring the physical properties of the liquids to be measured during reaction or after completion of reaction. Furthermore, plate members are provided facing each other in analysis sections and a plurality of electrodes are provided on the plate member faces that face each other. Voltage is applied from the plurality of electrodes to the droplets of the samples and the reagents.

Abstract: The adverse effect on measurement accuracy brought about by the transmission of light beams through portions of a liquid sample with different concentrations, i.e., a concentration distribution in the vertical direction of a container, is prevented by using semiconductor light sources of two different types with different wavelengths. The semiconductor light sources (2, 4) of two different types are housed in the same package (5) such that a detector (9) can capture the light beams emitted by the light sources after their optical axes have intersected with one another. The multiple light beams can be thus caused to pass through portions with substantially the same concentration and therefore can be detected without being influenced by the difference in concentration of the sample in the container.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical analysis apparatus which can inhibit a solution drop from being scattered and has a high pipetting accuracy.

Abstract: A water quality meter is composed of a plurality of water quality monitoring meters including analyzing units for analyzing water samples introduced from a water distribution pipe, each analyzing unit analyzing the water samples and a measuring cell, and a liquid introducing unit integrated with the analyzing units, which is composed of a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding various types of liquid including the water sample into the analyzing unit are formed. Furthermore, the cells and the plurality of three-dimensional fluid flow paths formed in the single member are fabricated by a micro-fabrication technique using photo-curing resin.

Abstract: A water quality meter is composed of a plurality of analyzing units for analyzing water samples introduced from a water distribution pipe, each analyzing unit including a reagent mixing cell and a measuring cell, and a liquid introducing unit integrated with the analyzing units, which is composed of a single member in which a plurality of fluid flows paths for feeding various types of liquid including the water sample into the analyzing unit are formed. Furthermore, the cells and the plurality of three-dimensional fluid flow paths formed in the single member are fabricated by a micro-fabrication technique using photo-curing resin. In one embodiment, a photometer is situated in the flow path in at least one analyzing unit for measuring absorbency of the liquid. In another embodiment, a pair of electrodes, for measuring electric conductivity or pH, is disposed in a measurement flow path in at least one of the analyzing units.

Abstract: A water quality meter is composed of a plurality of analyzing units for analyzing water samples introduced from a water distribution pipe, each analyzing unit including a reagent mixing cell and a measuring cell, and a liquid introducing unit integrated with the analyzing units, which is composed of a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding various types of liquid including the water sample into the analyzing unit are formed. Furthermore, the cells and the plurality of three-dimensional fluid flow paths formed in the single member are fabricated by a micro-fabrication technique using photo-curing resin.