Abstract: An automatic analyzer includes a cleaning mechanism performing cleaning to drying of a probe in a short time even with a wide cleaning range of the probe. The automatic analyzer includes: a cleaning tank into which a probe is insertable and which has a cleaning port provided with suction openings; a vacuum tank; a vacuum pump that causes the vacuum tank to enter a negative pressure state, compared to atmospheric pressure; a vacuum bin; a suction nozzle that connects the suction opening of the cleaning port and the vacuum bin; a vacuum nozzle that connects the vacuum tank and the vacuum bin; and a controller. The controller causes the vacuum tank which is in the negative pressure state and the cleaning port to be conducted via the vacuum bin in a period during which a cleaning solution, with which the probe is cleaned, is discharged through the cleaning port.

Abstract: Stable operation of an ultrasonic vibrator of an ultrasonic cleaner and scattering prevention of a washing liquid are provided. The ultrasonic cleaner includes a washing tank 206 in which a washing liquid is reserved; an ultrasonic vibrator 205; a vibration head 209 provided with a neck 304 extended from the ultrasonic vibrator to the washing tank and a tip end portion 210 having a cylindrical hole 211 whose longitudinal direction is oriented to a perpendicular direction; and a first cover 601 having an opening corresponding to the neck and the cylindrical hole, in which the first cover is arranged to a height in contact with a liquid surface of the washing liquid such that it covers the washing tank.

Abstract: To suppress precipitation of a cleaning solution to a vibration head of an ultrasonic cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaner includes: a cleaning tank which stores a cleaning solution; an ultrasonic transducer; and a vibration head which extends from the ultrasonic transducer toward the cleaning tank and of which a tip portion includes a cylindrical hole having a longitudinal direction aligned to a vertical direction, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is driven at a frequency at which the vibration head is vibrated resonantly, and wherein the vibration head is provided with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating film 502 which has an interface between an area 223 corresponding to a vibration antinode and area corresponding to a vibration node during the resonant vibration of the vibration head, and covers the area 222 corresponding to the vibration node.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a test method capable of efficiently performing a step of evaluating a surface state of a dispensing probe provided in a dispensing apparatus. In the test method according to the present invention, a first solution in which a coloring matter is dissolved is dispensed to a first container in advance by a first dispensing probe, a second solution in which a coloring matter is not dissolved is dispensed to a second container in advance by the first dispensing probe and then the first solution and the second solution are respectively sucked and discharged by a second dispensing probe. After that, a surface state of the second dispensing probe is evaluated by acquiring an amount of the coloring matter collected by the second solution (see FIG. 2).

Abstract: The automatic analyzer includes a gear pump that supplies cleaning water to reagent probes and sample probes; a cleaning flow path that feeds the cleaning water discharged from the gear pump to the respective probes; a pressure sensor that measures pressure of the cleaning flow path; a return flow path that is disposed in parallel to the gear pump and connects a discharging port side of the gear pump and an aspirating port side thereof; a throttling unit that is disposed in the return flow path and adjusts a flow rate of the cleaning water flowing through the return flow path; and a control unit that changes an opening and closing degree of the throttling unit according to a measurement result of the pressure sensor. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to control driving of a pump used for cleaning a probe while having a low cost and a small mounting size.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolyte analyzing device that prevents contamination caused by contacting different reagents by a suction nozzle when reagent replacement is performed. The electrolyte analyzing device includes a nozzle support part 203 coupled to a suction nozzle 6 and movable between a reagent container replacement position and a reagent suction position; a locking mechanism 301 fitted with the nozzle support part 203 moved to the reagent container replacement position and fixes the nozzle support part 203 at the reagent container replacement position; and an unlocking mechanism 302 that releases fitting of the nozzle support part 203 and the locking mechanism 301 in a power-on state. When a reagent container 101 satisfies a predetermined condition, the unlocking mechanism 302 is controlled to release the fitting between the nozzle support part 203 and the locking mechanism 301, so that the nozzle support part 203 moves to the reagent suction position.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolyte analyzing device in which contamination caused by contacting different reagents with a suction nozzle is prevented when reagent replacement is performed by a user. The electrolyte analyzing device includes a reagent container setting unit 502 that sets a dilute solution bottle 101-1 which houses a dilute solution, an internal standard solution bottle 101-2 which houses an internal standard solution, and a reference electrode solution bottle 101-3 which houses a reference electrode solution. The reagent container setting unit includes a partition wall between the dilute solution bottle 101-1 and the internal standard solution bottle 101-2, and the reference electrode solution bottle 101-3 when the dilute solution bottle 101-1, the internal standard solution bottle 101-2, and the reference electrode solution bottle 101-3 are set.

Abstract: When the automatic analyzer is installed in an environment with a high altitude and different external atmospheric pressures, there is a problem that an amount of vacuum suction decreases due to a decrease in suction performance of a vacuum pump and it is difficult to perform vacuum suction of an analyzed reaction liquid. In view of the above, by newly providing a pressure adjustment mechanism within a flow path connecting a vacuum tank to vacuum pump, it possible to control the pressure difference between a pressure in the vacuum tank and an external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment. Additionally, by providing a hole in communication with the outside in the vacuum tank or a vacuum bin, it possible to control the pressure difference between the pressure in the vacuum tank and the external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment.

Abstract: The automatic analyzer includes a gear pump that supplies cleaning water to reagent probes and sample probes; a cleaning flow path that feeds the cleaning water discharged from the gear pump to the respective probes; a pressure sensor that measures pressure of the cleaning flow path; a return flow path that is disposed in parallel to the gear pump and connects a discharging port side of the gear pump and an aspirating port side thereof; a throttling unit that is disposed in the return flow path and adjusts a flow rate of the cleaning water flowing through the return flow path; and a control unit that changes an opening and closing degree of the throttling unit according to a measurement result of the pressure sensor. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to control driving of a pump used for cleaning a probe while having a low cost and a small mounting size.

Abstract: To suppress precipitation of a cleaning solution to a vibration head of an ultrasonic cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaner includes: a cleaning tank which stores a cleaning solution; an ultrasonic transducer; and a vibration head which extends from the ultrasonic transducer toward the cleaning tank and of which a tip portion includes a cylindrical hole having a longitudinal direction aligned to a vertical direction, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is driven at a frequency at which the vibration head is vibrated resonantly, and wherein the vibration head is provided with a hydrophobic or hydrophilic coating film 502 which has an interface between an area 223 corresponding to a vibration antinode and area corresponding to a vibration node during the resonant vibration of the vibration head, and covers the area 222 corresponding to the vibration node.

Abstract: A nozzle cleaner includes: a cleaning tank which stores a cleaning solution; a first conductive member that is disposed to be immersed into the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank when the nozzle is cleaned; an ultrasonic wave generating mechanism which is disposed so that at least a part of a second conductive member is immersed into the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank when the nozzle is cleaned and generates an ultrasonic vibration in the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank; a first voltage control unit which controls a potential applied to the first conductive member; and a second voltage control unit which controls a potential applied to the second conductive member, wherein the first voltage control unit applies a second potential V2 higher than a first potential V1 applied to the nozzle when the nozzle is cleaned to the first conductive member.

Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaner includes: a cleaning tank; an ultrasonic transducer; a vibration head which extends from the ultrasonic transducer toward the cleaning tank and of which a tip portion includes a cylindrical hole having a longitudinal direction aligned to a vertical direction; and an air layer or a metallic member that is provided in an area formed by projecting at least the vibration head in the vertical direction under the cleaning tank, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is driven at a frequency at which the vibration head is vibrated resonantly in a vibration mode accompanied by a deformation in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical hole and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein an area formed by projecting at least the vibration head in the vertical direction in a bottom portion of the cleaning tank is formed of a material mainly including resin.

Abstract: The automatic analyzer includes a storage unit storing the reaction containers of cleaning target by day unit in such a manner that all the reaction containers mounted on a reaction disk are to be cleaning target within a plurality of days, and a control unit exerts a control in such a manner that during an operation state after the sample of analysis object is dispensed to the reaction containers, a sample of analysis object in each of the reaction containers is analyzed, and not the sample but a detergent is dispensed to the reaction containers of cleaning target of an appointed day, the reaction containers of cleaning target of the appointed day being stored in the storage unit, to soak and wash the reaction containers for a certain time.

Abstract: An automatic analyzer includes a cleaning mechanism performing cleaning to drying of a probe in a short time even with a wide cleaning range of the probe. The automatic analyzer includes: a cleaning tank into which a probe is insertable and which has a cleaning port provided with suction openings; a vacuum tank; a vacuum pump that causes the vacuum tank to enter a negative pressure state, compared to atmospheric pressure; a vacuum bin; a suction nozzle that connects the suction opening of the cleaning port and the vacuum bin; a vacuum nozzle that connects the vacuum tank and the vacuum bin; and a controller. The controller causes the vacuum tank which is in the negative pressure state and the cleaning port to be conducted via the vacuum bin in a period during which a cleaning solution, with which the probe is cleaned, is discharged through the cleaning port.

Abstract: 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.