Automatic analyzing apparatus

• US 5,147,610 A
• Filed: 06/04/1991
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mitsumaki, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Miyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Christopher Y.
• Application Number:
  US07/709,881
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 422/2, 422/3, 422/28, 422/62, 422/63, 422/64, 422/65, 422/68.1, 422/81, 422/905, 210/756, 134/104.2, 134/109, 134/155, 134/166 R, 134/169 R, 134/186
• US Class Current: 422/64
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0293 for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00564 Handling or washing solid phase elements, e.g. beads
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0437 Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0441 for samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0443 for reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0444 for cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1076 plurality or independently movable heads
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices

Abstract

An automatic analyzing apparatus includes a drainage line for conveying a reaction liquid which has been subjected to an analysis and water used to clean a reaction vessel from the reaction vessel to a waste liquid reservoir. The drainage line includes a vacuum tank, a vacuum pump for sucking a gas separated from a liquid within the vacuum tank and containing suspended particles, and a filter for filtering the gas discharged from the vacuum pump and thereby preventing discharge of an infectious aerosol from the apparatus. The waste liquid reservoir is provided with a sterilizing liquid supply bottle for supplying a sterilizer or a disinfectant into the reservoir.

Claims

1. An automatic analyzing apparatus for analyzing samples including egesta from organisms and tissues thereof, including:

a housing;

analysis means disposed within said housing, including at least one reaction vessel and a reaction vessel supporting means for supporting said at least one reaction vessel for accommodating a sample and a reagent, and measurement means for measuring the result of the reaction between the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel;

a waste liquid reservoir detachably disposed within said housing;

cleaning means disposed within said housing for cleaning with cleaning water a reaction vessel which has been used for an analysis;

liquid conveying means disposed within said housing and in fluid communication with said waste liquid reservoir for conveying reaction liquid formed of the sample and the reagent as well as the water used for cleaning the reaction vessel to said waste liquid reservoir; and

sterilizing liquid supply means disposed within said housing and in fluid communication with said waste liquid reservoir for supplying a sterilizer or disinfection into said waste liquid reservoir,

wherein said liquid conveying means includes at least one suction nozzle movable into and out of the reaction vessel, a drainage line extending from said nozzle to said waste liquid reservoir, gas-liquid separation means provided in said drainage line, a vacuum pump for sucking the gas separated from the liquid within said gas-liquid separation means and containing suspended particles, and a filter for filtering the gas discharged from said vacuum pump and containing an infectious aerosol.

2. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sterilizing liquid supply means includes a sterilizer or disinfection supply source detachably connected to said waste liquid reservoir, a first valve for controlling communication between said sterilizing liquid supply source and said waste liquid reservoir, and a controller for controlling opening/closing of said first valve, and wherein said waste liquid reservoir includes a level detector for detecting a level of the waste liquid stored in said reservoir and for outputting a signal representing the results of the detection to said controller, and a second valve operable by said controller to discharge the waste liquid from said waste liquid reservoir, said first valve being controlled by said controller such that said first valve opens and thereby allows a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be poured into said waste liquid reservoir after a discharge of the waste liquid from said waste liquid reservoir is completed and said second valve is thereby closed.

3. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 2, further including electric control means for controlling the operation of said analysis means, said controller being electrically connected to said electric control means, and said first valve being controlled such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir at the final stage of the cleaning conducted each time when an analyzing operation of said analyzing apparatus is completed and regardless of the amount of waste liquid which flows into said waste liquid reservoir.

4. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first valve is controlled such that said first valve further opens to allow a predetermined amount of sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir each time when the waste liquid in said waste liquid reservoir reaches a predetermined level during an analysis operation of said analyzing apparatus.

5. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first valve is controlled such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir each time when said analyzing apparatus is switched on.

6. An automatic analyzing apparatus for analyzing samples including egesta from organisms and tissues thereof, including:

a housing;

analysis means disposed within said housing, including at least one reaction vessel and a reaction vessel supporting means for supporting said at least one reaction vessel for accommodating a sample and a reagent, and measurement means for measuring the result of the reaction between the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel;

a waste liquid reservoir detachably disposed within said housing;

cleaning means disposed within said housing for cleaning with cleaning water the reaction vessel which has been used for an analysis;

liquid conveying means disposed within said housing and in fluid communication with said cleaning means for conveying reaction liquid formed of the sample and the reagent as well as the water used for cleaning the reaction vessel to said waste liquid reservoir; and

sterilizing liquid supply means disposed within said housing and in fluid communication with said waste liquid reservoir for supplying a sterilizer or disinfectant into said waste liquid reservoir,

wherein said sterilizing liquid supply means includes a sterilizing liquid supply source detachably connected to said waste liquid reservoir, a first valve for controlling communication between said sterilizing liquid supply source and said waste liquid reservoir, and a controller for controlling opening/closing of said first valve, and wherein said waste liquid reservoir includes a level detector for detecting a level of the waste liquid stored in said reservoir and for outputting a signal representing the results of the detection to said controller, and a second valve openable by said controller to discharge the waste liquid from said waste liquid reservoir, said first valve being controlled by said controller such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir after a discharge of the waste liquid from said waste liquid reservoir is completed and said second valve is thereby closed.

7. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 6, further including electric control means for controlling the operation of said analysis means, said controller being electrically connected to said electric control means, and said first valve being controlled such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir at the final stage of the cleaning which is conducted each time when an analyzing operation of said analyzing apparatus is completed and regardless of the amount of waste liquid which flows into said waste liquid reservoir.

8. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first valve is controlled such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir each time when the waste liquid in asid waste liquid reservoir reaches a predetermined level during an analysis operation of said analyzing apparatus

9. The automatic analyzing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first valve is controlled such that said first valve opens to allow a predetermined amount of the sterilizing liquid to be supplied into said waste liquid reservoir each time when said analyzing apparatus is switched on.

10. An automatic analyzing apparatus for analyzing samples including egesta from organisms and tissues thereof, comprising:

a housing;

analysis means disposed within said housing, including a reaction vessel supporting means for supporting said at least one reaction vessel for accommodating a sample and a reagent, and measurement means for measuring the result of the reaction between the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel;

a waste liquid reservoir detachably disposed within said housing;

cleaning means disposed within said housing for cleaning with cleaning water a reaction vessel which has been used for an analysis; and

liquid conveying means disposed within said housing and in fluid communication with said cleaning means for conveying reaction liquid formed of the sample and the reagent as well as the water used for cleaning the reaction vessel to said waste liquid reservoir;

wherein said liquid conveying means includes at least one suction nozzle movable into and out of the reaction vessel, a drainage line extending from said nozzle to said waste liquid reservoir, gas-liquid separation means provided in said drainage line, a vacuum pump for sucking the gas separated from the liquid within said gas-liquid separation means and containing suspended particles, and a filter for filtering the gas discharged from said vacuum pump and containing an infectious aerosol.