Automatic chemical analyzing method and apparatus

• US 4,313,735 A
• Filed: 08/22/1980
• Issued: 02/02/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nomura, Yasushi, Yamashita, Katsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Serwin, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US06/180,476
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 23/230 R, 422/63, 422/64, 422/65, 422/67, 364/497, 364/498
• US Class Current: 436/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00396 where the fluid is a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0437 Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0415 Carrusel, sequential
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

A train of cuvettes are held on a turntable and serum specimen is sequentially sampled each time the turntable makes a revolution through more than 360°. While the turntable is at rest, blank solution is poured into one cuvette, reagent is put into another cuvette and reactant solution is drawn out of still another cuvette in specified positions respectively in the path along which the train of cuvettes are conveyed. During a single rotational operation of the turntable, these cuvettes sequentially transverses the light path in the photometer so that the light absorbances for the respective cuvettes are measured. Both the absorbances for cuvettes containing reactant solutions for different samples and the absorbance for a cuvette containing only the blank solution are measured by a single photometer. The difference between the value of measurement obtained from a specified cuvette filled with reactant solution and the value of measurement obtained from the same cuvette filled with blank solution alone, is calculated and an analyzed value corrected is obtained for any desired analysis item in accordance with the calculated difference.

Claims

1. An automatic chemical analyzing method comprising

a step of putting a sample and a reagent into at least specified one of a train of cuvettes to produce a reactant solution, said train of cuvettes being conveyed along a circular path;

a step of conveying said train of cuvettes along said circular path each time reagent is added to a sample, and of causing all of said cuvettes to traverse the light beam in the light measuring apparatus placed in said circular path;

a step of storing as a first measured value the value obtained by measuring the light having passed through said specified cuvette filled with said reactant solution;

a step of draining said reactant solution out of said specified cuvette;

a step of pouring blank solution into said specified cuvette which was previously emptied during the period for which said specified cuvette is at rest;

a step of producing reactant solution in at least one of said cuvettes other than said specified cuvette during said period of said specified cuvette being at rest;

a step of conveying said train of cuvettes along said circular path each time blank solution is added, so that all the cuvettes may be caused to traverse said light path;

a step of storing as a second measured value the value obtained by measuring the light having passed through said specified cuvette filled with said blank solution; and

a step of displaying the concentration of any analysis item in said sample in accordance with the magnitude of the difference between said first and second measured values.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cuvette resting at the position where reagent is added is conveyed across said light measuring apparatus and brought to a halt at a point ahead of said position where reagent is added.

3. An automatic chemical analyzing apparatus comprising

a holding means for holding a train of cuvettes each permeable to light;

a means for sending a sample cup containing a liquid sample to the intake position;

a means for transferring said liquid sample from said sample cup in said intake position to any cuvette held by said holding means;

a light measuring means for applying light to any cuvette and measuring the light having passed through the cuvette;

a driving means for driving said holding means in such a manner that a first and a second operations are sequentially performed, said first operation starting to convey a cuvette at rest at the starting point on said holding means and said second operation bringing said cuvette to a halt in the position ahead of said starting point after said cuvette has traversed the light path in said light measuring apparatus;

a means for adding reagent to a cuvette located at a specific position while said train of cuvettes are at rest;

a control means for obtaining a first measured value from a cuvette by said light measuring apparatus and storing said first measured value in a memory when said cuvette does not contain at least one of sample and reagent, and for obtaining a second measured value from said cuvette by said apparatus and storing said second measured value in said memory when said cuvette contains both sample and reagent; and

a display means for displaying the concentration of any analysis item in accordance with the difference between said first and second measured values.

4. An automatic chemical analyzing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a cleansing means for pouring cleansing solution into the cuvette which has been emptied of its reactant solution and also for drawing said cleansing solution out of said cuvette.

5. An automatic chemical analyzing apparatus comprising

a holding means for holding a train of cuvettes each permeable to light;

a means for sending a sample cup containing a liquid sample to the intake position;

a means for transferring said liquid sample from said sample cup in said intake position to any cuvette held by said holding means;

a light measuring means for casting light upon any cuvette and measuring the light having passed through the cuvette;

a driving means for driving said holding means in such a manner that a first and a second operations are sequentially performed, said first operation starting to convey a cuvette at rest at the starting point and said holding means and said second operation bringing said cuvette to a halt in the position ahead of said starting point after said cuvette has traversed the light path in said light measuring apparatus;

a means for adding reagent to a cuvette located at a specified position while said train of cuvettes are at rest;

a means for pouring blank solution into said cuvette;

a control means for obtaining a first measured value from a cuvette by said light measuring apparatus and storing said first measured value in a memory when said cuvette contains only said blank solution, and for obtaining a second measured value from said cuvette by said apparatus and storing said second measured value in said memory when said cuvette contains both sample and reagent; and

a display means for displaying the concentration of any analysis item in accordance with the difference between said first and second measured values.

6. An automatic chemical analyzing apparatus comprising

a turntable for holding a train of cuvettes each permeable to light;

a means for sending a sample cup containing a liquid sample to the intake position;

a means for transferring the sample from said sample cup in said intake position to any of said cuvettes held by said turntable;

a light measuring means for casting light upon a cuvette and measuring the light having passed through said cuvette;

a disc disposed coaxial with the rotary shaft of said turntable, having perforations corresponding to said cuvettes held by said turntable;

a position detecting means having a light source and a light receiving element disposed on both sides of the peripheral portion of said disc;

a driving means for rotating said turntable in response to every rotation instruction signal until said position detecting means detects a predetermined number of said perforations, said predetermined number being greater than the number of said perforations cut in said disc,

a means for putting reagent into a cuvette in a specified position while said train of cuvettes are at rest;

a control means for detaining a first measured value from a cuvette by said light measuring apparatus and storing said first measured value in a memory when said cuvette does not contain at least one of sample and reagent, and for obtaining a second measured value from said cuvette by said apparatus and storing said second measured value in said memory when said cuvette contains both sample and reagent, said control means delivering said rotation instruction signal to said driving means; and

a display means for displaying the concentration of any analysis item in accordance with the difference between said first and second measured values.