Abstract: To provide an automated analyzer capable of shortening analysis time. The automated analyzer includes a vessel which contains a mixed solution of a specimen and a reagent; and a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer before the second operation, in which the control unit performs the first operation and the third operation in parallel. Alternatively, the automated analyzer includes a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer after the first operation, in which the control unit performs the second operation and the third operation in parallel.

Abstract: In the case of adopting a configuration in which reagent bottles are radially disposed on a reagent disk and a reagent dispensing mechanism is rotated to access the reagent bottles, one reagent bottle includes a plurality of suction ports in which suction positions are different from each other, resulting in prolonging a step of dispensing a reagent. The invention is directed to an automatic analyzer including: a reagent disk that accommodates a plurality of reagent bottles including a plurality of suction ports and conveys the reagent bottles to a desired position by rotating in a circumferential direction around a central axis; and a reagent dispensing mechanism that rotates around a rotational axis and sucks a reagent of the reagent bottle placed at a predetermined position on the reagent disk. The reagent bottle is accommodated in the reagent disk such that the central axis of the reagent bottle and a diameter of the reagent disk form a predetermined inclination.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer which accurately detects a liquid volume of a reagent irrespective of a shape of a reagent container is provided. The invention is directed to an automatic analyzer including: a reagent container that contains a reagent; an emission unit that is provided outside the reagent container and emits light so as to pass inside the reagent container; a light receiving unit that is provided outside the reagent container and receives the light emitted from the emission unit; and a determination unit that, based on the light received by the light receiving unit, detects a liquid level inside the reagent container, and determines whether a liquid volume in the reagent container becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value from the liquid level. A wavelength of the light is determined based on a material of the reagent container and a type of the reagent.

Abstract: It is necessary to dispose a plurality of units which have different target temperatures on an apparatus in a more integrated state in order to improve analysis performance and processing capacity per unit space of the apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to mitigate influence of temperature exerted between units. It is possible to reduce the temperature influence exerted between the units and thus efficiently control temperature by properly disposing the units in the apparatus, based on the relationship between a use environment temperature of the apparatus and a target temperature of each unit and temperature accuracy required for the unit.

Abstract: When an automatic analysis apparatus has a mechanism that performs an operation of an arcuate trajectory to access a plurality of positions arranged on a straight line, an arc and a straight line cannot coincide with each other. Thus position adjustment is required to minimize the deviation between the arc and the straight line. An automatic analysis apparatus according to the invention includes a reagent disk which accommodates a plurality of reagent bottles in each of which a plurality of suction ports are arranged along a center line, and which rotates around a central axis to transport a reagent bottle to a desired position; and a reagent dispensing mechanism which rotates around a rotation axis to suck a reagent from the reagent bottle at a predetermined suction position on the reagent disk, in which the reagent disk is provided with, at least one mounting position of the reagent bottle on the reagent disk, first and second marks sandwiching the mounting position of the reagent bottle.

Abstract: To provide a high-throughput automatic analysis apparatus at a lower cost. The automatic analysis apparatus includes an incubator which accommodates a plurality of reaction vessels; a specimen dispensing mechanism which dispenses a specimen into each of the plurality of reaction vessels; a mounting unit which mounts a dispensing tip on the specimen dispensing mechanism; a suction unit which sucks a specimen from a specimen vessel containing the specimen by means of the specimen dispensing mechanism having the dispensing mounted thereon; a discharging unit which is provided in the incubator and discharges the specimen from the specimen dispensing mechanism to the reaction vessel; a disposal unit which discards the dispensing tip; a sensor which detects whether the dispensing tip is mounted to the specimen dispensing mechanism; and a control unit which controls the specimen dispensing mechanism.

Abstract: There is provided an automatic analysis device that can appropriately sort and discard expendable items. The automatic analysis device includes a common transport mechanism that transports a plurality of types of expendable items by common mechanism, a plurality of transport paths that is provided separately from the common transport mechanism, a type determination portion that determines the type of expendable item being transported by the common transport mechanism. The automatic analysis device controls to select one of a plurality of transport paths according to a determination result of the type determination portion and to transport the expendable items transported from the common transport mechanism via the selected transport path.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to realize an automatic analyzer capable of suppressing an increase in cost without greatly changing the configuration even when the configuration of an inspection system is changed, and reducing burden of an operator. A pin to be fitted into a hole formed in a specimen container conveying unit is formed on a specimen container conveying unit mounting surface at a position below a specimen suction position, and it is possible to make relative positions between components of a specimen dispensing unit and the specimen container conveying unit at the time of a specimen dispensing operation, as well as driving conditions when moving each axis of the specimen dispensing unit identical even when the types of the specimen container conveying unit are different, and it is possible to ensure stability of the same specimen dispensing operation before and after changing the specimen container conveying unit.

Abstract: An automated analyzer includes a reagent container holder (2) including an openable and closable opening (23) and including a plurality of reagent container holding slots capable of holding reagent containers at internal predetermined positions, and loading assisting means (24) for executing a loading process of conveying the reagent container (3) from outside of the reagent container holder (2) into the reagent container holder (2) via the opening (23) to load the reagent container (3) into the reagent container holding slot (26) and a taking-out process of conveying the reagent container (3) from the reagent container holding slot (26) to outside of the reagent container holder (2) via the opening (23). The loading assisting means (24) is further provided with placing means (33) for the reagent container (3), and an operation handle (34) to be operated for driving the loading assisting means (24).

Abstract: An automatic analysis device which can be accessed from a front surface of the device to a rear surface side of the device when a user accesses the automatic analysis device and reduce the risk of damage to rod-shaped member due to contact. A reagent suction position, a reagent discharge position, a reagent dispensing nozzle cleaning portion, and a reagent dispensing mechanism retraction portion from which the reagent dispensing mechanism is retracted are disposed on a trajectory of an arm of the reagent dispensing mechanism. A nozzle guide accommodation portion accommodates a nozzle guide of a reagent dispensing mechanism and the reagent dispensing nozzle. The reagent dispensing mechanism retraction portion is a cylindrical member protruding downward from an upper surface cover of the automatic analysis device and prevent direct contact with the reagent dispensing nozzle by positioning the reagent dispensing nozzle in the nozzle accommodation portion.

Abstract: An automated analyzer includes a container installation portion in which a container, such as a reagent container, has a protrusion and an openable and closable lid. A lid opening and closing mechanism opens and closes the lid and includes an arm portion having an arm and a horizontal driving portion which moves the arm in a first horizontal direction. The arm includes a protrusion contacting portion that includes a first surface having an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees when the horizontal surface is set as 0 degrees. The lid opening and closing mechanism portion opens the lid by moving the arm in the first horizontal direction, contacting the lid protrusion on the first surface of the protrusion contacting portion, and then moving the lid protrusion along a shape of the first surface in a vertical direction, until the lid is opened.

Abstract: Temperature uniformity of a reaction liquid in a plurality of reaction containers of an automatic analysis device is maintained by a heat block. A strip-shaped heater heats the heat block, and is wound and attached on an outer circumference of the heat block so that both end regions of the strip-shaped heater are adjacent to each other. The strip-shaped heater includes a heat generating resistor that is heated by applying an electric current, an insulating film sandwiching the heat generating resistor, and first and second electrical feed lines that are attached to both end portions of the heat generating resistor and supply power to the heat generating resistor. The width of the heat generating resistor in both end regions of the strip-shaped heater is formed to be narrower than the width of the heat generating resistor in the other region thereof.

Abstract: An automated analyzer capable of continuously performing supply of consumables is realized while continuing measurement is performed, by a simple and small amount of mechanism. An automated analyzer includes a unit that executes processing necessary for sample analysis; a consumable supply unit that supplies consumables necessary for the sample analysis to the unit; and a control device that controls operations of the unit and the consumable supply unit, in which the consumable supply unit includes a consumable container holding portion that holds a consumable storage container in which consumables is aligned and accommodated, a preliminary storage portion that temporarily holds the consumables taken out from the consumable storage container, and a transport mechanism that transports the consumables to the unit, and in which the control device transports and stores at least a portion of the consumables taken out from the consumable storage container in the preliminary storage portion.

Abstract: The mixing of reagents with each other in the reagent storage flow paths of an automatic analyzer is suppressed before and after exchange of the reagents, which are capable of being replenished without stopping analysis. An exchangeable reagent container that accommodates a reagent is connected to a reagent storage flow path that stores a portion of the reagent. The reagent storage flow path has first and second flow paths in which the second flow path is branched from the first flow path. A reagent syringe applies a negative or a positive pressure to the first and second flow paths; and a valve controls the flow path through which the reagent is sent. As a result, the reagent supplied to a measurement portion at a predetermined timing is switched from the reagent container to the reagent storage flow path wherein the reagent can be supplied without stopping analysis.

Abstract: Provided is an automatic analyzer having a rapid start-up of a heat block while precisely controlling a temperature of a reaction solution. In the automatic analyzer equipped with a reaction-vessel-holding part, a heat block having a heat source to heat the reaction vessel, and a cooling system having a low temperature region and a high temperature region, an outer peripheral part of or below the reaction-vessel-holding part is defined as a heat transfer space, there are provided a heat transfer passage connecting the heat transfer space and the high temperature region, a heat medium circulating through the high temperature region, the heat transfer passage, and the heat transfer space, and a flow rate control means configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium in the heat transfer passage, and a temperature detection means is provided on a downstream side of the high temperature region.

Abstract: The automated analyzer equalizes the temperature inside a reagent container storage apparatus. The automated analyzer is provided with a reagent container storage apparatus that cools a reagent container, the reagent container storage apparatus being provided with: a reagent storage chamber for storing the reagent container, the reagent storage chamber having at least one of the bottom surface and the side surface thereof cooled by a first cooling source; and a transfer member which is arranged to cover the reagent container stored in the reagent storage chamber, and which is thermally connected to the reagent storage chamber.

Abstract: To provide an automated analyzer adapted for accommodating a larger number of reagent cassettes to meet calls for increases in analytical throughput and in the number of analytical items, and thus using the accommodated reagent cassettes more efficiently. An automated analyzer body 100 includes a main reagent buffer 4 for storing a plurality of reagent cassettes each containing a reagent used for analysis and a subsidiary reagent buffer 12. A reagent cassette transfer 11 transfers the reagent cassettes from the main reagent buffer to the subsidiary reagent buffer, and vice versa. A control unit 200 operates so that when a reagent cassette that is not set in the main reagent buffer is to be used for an assigned analysis, the reagent cassette for the assigned analysis is transferred from the subsidiary reagent buffer to the main reagent buffer.

Abstract: Chemical analysis apparatus for inserting a sample serving as an analyzable substance and a reagent into a reaction container and agitating by irradiating sound waves to the reaction container, the chemical analysis apparatus including: a piezoelectric element generating sound waves; and a driver for driving the piezoelectric element, and including: a wave form producing device for producing an oscillation waveform having a fundamental frequency of the sound waves to be irradiated; an auxiliary waveform producing device for producing an oscillation wave form having a frequency lower than that of the oscillation waveform; a multiplying circuit creating a multiplied waveform between the waveform and the wave form; and, a power amplifier for power-amplifying the multiplied waveform, wherein it is intermittently irradiated with the sound wave in the reaction container, and further, the wave form producing device has a function capable of frequency-modulation with a prescribed frequency width.

Abstract: To provide an automated analyzer adapted for accommodating a larger number of reagent cassettes to meet calls for increases in analytical throughput and in the number of analytical items, and thus using the accommodated reagent cassettes more efficiently. An automated analyzer body 100 includes a main reagent buffer 4 for storing a plurality of reagent cassettes each containing a reagent used for analysis and a subsidiary reagent buffer 12. A reagent cassette transfer 11 transfers the reagent cassettes from the main reagent buffer to the subsidiary reagent buffer, and vice versa. A control unit 200 operates so that when a reagent cassette that is not set in the main reagent buffer is to be used for an assigned analysis, the reagent cassette for the assigned analysis is transferred from the subsidiary reagent buffer to the main reagent buffer.

Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer in which a reaction solution is stirred by air ejected from an air ejection hole placed above a reaction container. The reaction region can be washed and cleaned sufficiently without causing damage, such as exfoliation of a coating reagent. A reaction container disk 161 is provided with a pore 240 and a pressure detector 241 connected with the pore. Before and after the stirring operation, the ejection hole (nozzle) 170 ejecting air is moved and the output value of the pressure detector is compared with a previously measured normal value. With a discharge pipe 1101 and a suction pipe 1102 inserted to the opening of the reaction container 1140 to be close to both ends of the opening and the side wall of the container, the reaction region 1150 at the bottom of the container is washed by continuous discharge and suction of cleaning fluid.