SAMPLE ANALYZER AND ITS COMPONENTS

• US 20080063568A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hidenari Takaoka, Noriyoshi Yoshida, Shuhei Kaneko, Takaaki Nagai, Takashi Yoshida, Toshikatsu Fukuju
• Original Assignee: Hidenari Takaoka, Noriyoshi Yoshida, Shuhei Kaneko, Takaaki Nagai, Takashi Yoshida, Toshikatsu Fukuju
• Inventors: NAGAI, Takaaki, Yoshida, Noriyoshi, Yoshida, Takashi, Kaneko, Shuhei, Takaoka, Hidenari, Fukuju, Toshikatsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,919,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/02 Burettes; Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/13 Details pertaining to apertures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/012 Red blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/016 White blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/018 Platelets
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1024 Counting particles by non-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1018 Detecting inhomogeneities, e.g. foam, bubbles, clots
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1032 Dilution or aliquotting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums

Abstract

A sample analyzer includes a liquid aspirator to be stuck into the closed container for aspirating a sample from a closed container; a preparing section for preparing an analysis sample using the aspirated sample; and an analyzing section for analyzing the prepared analysis sample; the liquid aspirator including an elongated pipe, the pipe having a liquid flow path extending therein and a plurality of communicating sections provided in an outer surface thereof, at least one of the communicating sections communicating between an inside and an outside of the container when the pipe is stuck into the container.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer, comprising;

a chamber;

a flow path for transporting a reagent contained in a reagent container to the chamber;

a valve for opening and closing the flow path;

a pump for supplying a pressure for transporting the reagent;

an air bubble sensor for detecting an air bubble in the flow path; and

a controller for controlling the valve so that the valve closes the flow path when the air bubble sensor has kept detecting the air bubble for a time period longer than a first predetermined time period.

2. The sample analyzer of claim 1, further comprising:

a preparing section for preparing an analysis sample using a sample and the reagent contained in the chamber, and

an analyzing section for analyzing the prepared analysis sample.

3. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein the reagent is a diluent, the reagent container is a diluent container, and the flow path is for transporting the diluent from the diluent container to the chamber.

4. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein the reagent is a hemolyzing agent, the reagent container is a hemolyzing agent container, and the flow path is for transporting the hemolyzing agent from the hemolyzing agent container to the chamber.

5. The sample analyzer of claim 3, further comprising:

a second chamber;

a second flow path for transporting a hemolyzing agent from a hemolyzing agent container to the second chamber;

a second valve for opening and closing the second flow path; and

a second air bubble sensor for detecting an air bubble in the second flow path,

wherein the pump supplies a pressure for transporting the diluent from the diluent container to the chamber and a pressure for transporting the hemolyzing agent from the hemolyzing agent container to the second chamber, and

wherein the controller controls the second valve so that the second valve closes the second flow path when the second air bubble sensor has kept detecting air bubble for a time period longer than a second predetermined time period.

6. The sample analyzer of claim 1, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the controller controls the display so that the display displays information indicating that the reagent container is empty when the air bubble sensor has kept detecting air bubble for the time period longer than the first predetermined time period.

7. The sample analyzer of claim 1, wherein the sample analyzer is a blood sample analyzer or a urine sample analyzer.

8. A sample analyzer, comprising:

a chamber;

a flow path for transporting a reagent contained in a reagent container to the chamber;

a valve for opening and closing the flow path;

a pump for supplying a pressure for transporting the reagent;

a sensor for detecting whether the reagent exists or not in the flow path; and

a controller for controlling the valve so that the valve closes the flow path when the sensor has detected that the reagent does not exist in the flow path.

9. The sample analyzer of claim 8, further comprising:

a preparing section for preparing an analysis sample using a sample and the reagent contained in the chamber, and

an analyzing section for analyzing the prepared analysis sample.

10. The sample analyzer of claim 8, wherein the reagent is a diluent, the reagent container is a diluent container, and the flow path is for transporting the diluent from the diluent container to the chamber.

11. The sample analyzer of claim 8, wherein the reagent is a hemolyzing agent, the reagent container is a hemolyzing agent container, and the flow path is for transporting the hemolyzing agent from the hemolyzing agent container to the chamber.

12. The sample analyzer of claim 8, further comprising:

a second chamber;

a second flow path for transporting a hemolyzing agent from a hemolyzing agent container to the second chamber;

a second valve for opening and closing the second flow path; and

a second sensor for detecting whether the hemolyzing agent exists or not in the second flow path,

wherein the pump supplies a pressure for transporting the diluent from the diluent container to the chamber and a pressure for transporting the hemolyzing agent from the hemolyzing agent container to the second chamber, and

wherein the controller controls the second valve so that the second valve closes the second flow path when the second sensor has detected that the hemolyzing agent does not exist in the second flow path.

13. The sample analyzer of claim 8, further comprising:

a display,

wherein the controller controls the display so that the display displays information indicating that the reagent container is empty when the sensor has detected that the reagent does not exist in the flow path.

14. The sample analyzer of claim 8, wherein the sample analyzer is one of a blood sample analyzer and a urine sample analyzer.

15. The sample analyzer of claim 8, wherein the controller controls the valve so that the valve closes the flow path when the sensor has kept detecting the detected result for a time period longer than a predetermined time period.