Method for analyzing a reaction solution

• US 5,272,092 A
• Filed: 11/18/1991
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Umetsu, Hiroshi, Hamasaki, Fumitoshi, Betsui, Hajime, Imai, Kyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Housel, James C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Ramon
• Application Number:
  US07/793,650
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 422/64, 422/58, 422/65, 422/102, 422/67.73, 422/52, 436/172, 436/531, 436/807, 436/808, 73/64.1, 366/273, 366/116
• US Class Current: 436/172
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/20 Mixing the contents of independent containers, e.g. test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/452 using independent floating stirring elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00435 Refrigerated reagent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00534 Mixing by a special element, e.g. stirrer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0448 composed of interchangeable ring elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums

Abstract

A plurality of reaction containers each being charged with an agitation ball made of a magnetic material are circularly arranged on a reaction disk so as to be supplied with a reagent and a sample. The reaction disk is driven reciprocatingly at a small amplitude for a predetermined time so as to cause the reaction containers to be vibrated arcuately each time a new reaction container is supplied with the reagent. As a result of the vibration of the reaction containers, the agitation balls in the respective reaction containers vigorously move to agitate the reaction solutions in the respective reaction containers. A photometric device is disposed so as to apply a light to the reaction container thereby to allow a fluorescent or absorbance photometric measurement. In the reaction container brought to the photometric measuring position, the agitation ball is attracted to the wall of the reaction container so as to be kept away from the path of light in the photometric device.

Claims

1. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of reaction containers on a reaction disk;

providing an agitation member made of a ferromagnetic material in each reaction container;

supplying a reaction solution in each of said reaction containers;

driving said reaction disk in intermittent rotational movement and in reciprocating rotational movement to vibrate said reaction disk for a predetermined period of time for moving said agitation members, and for thereby agitating the reaction solutions contained in the reaction containers; and

photometrically measuring a reaction solution in one of said reaction containers while magnetically attracting the agitation member in the reaction container under measurement towards a wall of the reaction container to prevent the agitation member from interfering with the photometric measurement.

2. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of driving said reaction disk vibrates said reaction disk with an amplitude that is smaller than a distance between two adjacent reaction containers disposed on the reaction disk such that the agitation member in each said reaction container circulates along an inner surface of the wall of the reaction container to thereby rotate the reaction solution contained therein.

3. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of providing a plurality of reaction containers includes the step of providing each said reaction container with a substantially cylindrical shape and a substantially flat light-transmitting window for allowing passage of a light beam therethrough during said step of photometric measurement.

4. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of mounting the reaction disk for rotation on a shaft, wherein said step of driving said reaction disk is carried out by rotating said shaft in one of two different operational mode steps, said two different operational mode steps comprising said intermittent rotational movement and said reciprocating rotational movement.

5. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution, comprising the steps of:

providing a reaction disk on which a plurality of reaction containers are arranged, each said reaction container being provided with an agitation ball;

supplying a sample and a reagent into each of said reaction containers to form a reaction solution in each of said reaction containers; and

reciprocatingly driving said reaction disk in reciprocating rotational movement of a predetermined amplitude to provide an arcuate vibrational movement to said reaction disk so as to move each said agitation ball to agitate the reaction solution in its respective reaction container.

6. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of driving provides the vibrational movement to said reaction containers at an arcuate amplitude of 0.8 to 3.0 mm and a frequency of 10 to 40 Hz.

7. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing a reaction disk is carried out so that each said agitation ball has a specific gravity of at least four times as large as the specific gravity of a reaction solution contained in the same reaction container as the agitation ball.

8. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing a reaction container includes the step of providing each said reaction container to have an inside diameter of 1.5 to 4.4 times as large as the diameter of the corresponding agitation ball.

9. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of providing a reaction container is carried out to provide a reaction container having a substantially cylindrical shape and a substantially flat light-transmitting window for allowing passage of a light beam therethrough during the step of photometrically measuring a reaction solution.

10. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing an agitation ball is carried out to provide an agitation ball made of permalloy.

11. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing an agitation ball is carried out so that each said agitation ball is coated with a corrosion-resistant material.

12. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of providing a photometer disposed in a photometric measuring position adjacent to said reaction disk so that the photometric measuring step is effected for a reaction solution contained in a reaction container brought to said photometric measuring position.

13. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 12, wherein said step of providing a photometer is carried out to provide a fluorescent photometer, and said method further comprises the steps of applying an exciting light beam from said fluorescent photometer to said reaction container at said photometric measuring position from a first wall portion of said reaction container, and detecting fluorescent light emanating from a second wall portion of said reaction container.

14. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of providing a reaction container is carried out to provide a reaction container having a substantially cylindrical shape and a substantially flat light-transmitting window for allowing passage of a light beam therethrough.

15. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 13, wherein said step of providing a reaction container is carried out so that the first wall portion of the reaction container is located at a lower portion of said reaction container, and the second wall portion of said reaction container is located at a lateral side of said reaction container.

16. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of magnetically attracting said agitation ball towards the wall of said reaction container at said photometric measuring position and out of the photometric measurement light path.

17. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of driving is carried out to drive said reaction disk in an arcuate vibrational movement with an amplitude that is smaller than a distance between two adjacent reaction containers disposed on the reaction disk such that the agitation ball in each reaction container circulates along an inner surface of a wall of the reaction container to thereby rotate a reaction solution contained therein.

18. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of mounting a reaction disk for rotation on a shaft, and wherein said driving step is carried out to drive said shaft in a reciprocating rotational movement, and in an intermittent rotational movement to position said reaction containers in one of a plurality of predetermined positions.

19. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of reaction containers;

providing an agitation member within each said reaction container, said agitation member being made of a magnetic material;

providing a rotatable reaction disk upon which each said reaction container is arranged;

supplying at least one of a reagent and a sample to one of said reaction containers at a predetermined position while the reaction disk is stationary;

reciprocatingly moving said reaction disk in rotation for a predetermined period for moving said agitation member in each said reaction container to agitate the reaction solution contained therein;

effecting a stepwise rotative movement of said reaction disk following cessation of said reciprocating movement; and

photometrically measuring a reaction solution in a reaction container.

20. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of driving is carried out to vibrate said reaction disk in reciprocating rotation with an amplitude that is smaller than a distance between two adjacent reaction containers disposed on the reaction disk such that the agitation member in each said reaction container circulates along an inner surface of a wall of the reaction container to thereby rotate a reaction solution contained therein.

21. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 20, wherein said step of providing a reaction disk is carried out by mounting said reaction disk for rotation on a shaft, and wherein said step of driving is carried out to drive said shaft in a stepwise manner.

22. A method for the automatic analysis of a reaction solution as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of providing a reaction container is carried out to provide a reaction container having a substantially cylindrical shape and a substantially flat light-transmitting window for allowing passage of a light beam emitted from the photometric means therethrough.