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Sample analyzer and reagent information obtaining method

  • US 10,062,955 B2
  • Filed: 03/24/2011
  • Issued: 08/28/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A sample analyzer that analyzes a sample by using a reagent contained in a reagent container, the sample analyzer comprising:

  • a first reagent container holder having a substantially circular shape and being arranged rotatably around a center point in a plan view and configured to hold at least two first-type reagent containers each containing a first-type reagent,wherein the first reagent container holder comprises a first rotation drive portion that is individually controlled to drive the first reagent container holder,wherein each of the at least two first-type reagent containers has on an outer side surface thereof, a first electronic tag carrying reagent information including type information recorded on the first electronic tags for identifying that the reagent information is of the first-type reagent, andwherein the first reagent container holder is configured to hold the first-type reagent containers in an alignment in which the first electronic tags are oriented outward with respect to the center point;

    a second reagent container holder having a substantially circular shape and being rotatably arranged on an outer circumference of the first reagent container holder around the center point and configured to hold at least two second-type reagent containers each containing a second-type reagent,wherein the second reagent container holder comprises a second rotation drive portion that is individually controlled to drive the second reagent container holder,wherein each of the at least two second-type reagent containers has on an outer side surface thereof, a second electronic tag carrying reagent information including type information recorded on the second electronic tags for identifying that the reagent information is of the second-type reagent, andwherein the second reagent container holder is configured to hold the second-type reagent containers in an alignment in which the second electronic tags are oriented inward with respect to the center point;

    an antenna arranged in a space between the first reagent container holder and the second reagent container holder in the plan view, the antenna comprising a first surface and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface and being configured to emit a reading radio wave from both of the first surface and the second surface of the antenna and to receive a response radio wave generated from any of the first and second electronic tags in response to the reading radio wave;

    an RFID module which retrieves the reagent information from the response radio wave received via the antenna;

    a detector which measures a component contained in a measurement sample prepared by the sample and at least one of the first-type reagent and the second-type reagent; and

    a controller configured to;

    control the first rotation drive portion to rotate and bring the first electronic tag of one of the at least two first-type reagent containers to a position in front of the first surface of the antenna when the one of the at least two first-type reagent containers is a target of reading a reagent information,control the second rotation drive portion to rotate and bring the second electronic tag of one of the at least two second-type reagent containers to a position in front of the second surface of the antenna when the one of the at least two second-type reagent containers is a target of reading a reagent information,cause the antenna to emit the reading radio wave and to receive the response radio wave including the reagent information generated in response to the reading radio wave by one of the first or second electronic tag associated with the one of the two first-type reagent containers or the one of the second-type reagent containers of the target of reading the reagent information positioned in front of the antenna, andstore the reagent information retrieved from the response radio wave by the RFID module into a memory when the reagent type identified by the type information of the retrieved reagent information is equal to type information of the target of the reading the reagent information stored by the controller.

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