Analyzer

• US 6,461,570 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Tetsufumi, Ishihara, Naruhito
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SUN U
• Application Number:
  US09/534,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20020127142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/64, 422/65, 422/67, 422/68.1, 436/43, 436/47, 436/48, 436/54, 436/526
• US Class Current: 422/65
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/021 having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure

Abstract

An analyzer comprises a conveyor which conveys sample cups and reaction cups intermixedly on a closed track, a reactor which maintains reaction cups at a predetermined temperature, a trashbin which collects used reaction cups, a nozzle unit, a reaction cup lift which carries a reaction cup between the conveyor, the reactor and the trashbin and a drive unit which drives the nozzle unit and the reaction cup lift to reciprocate, wherein the trashbin is placed on the straight track of the reaction cup lift, at least part of the closed track of the conveyor is straight and overlaps the straight track of the nozzle unit and the reaction cup lift, and the straight part of the track of the conveyor accommodates at least two cups. An automatic analyzer comprises a storage means which stores test order information, a first identification means which reads sample identification information, a work list preparing means which prepares a work list on the basis of the sample identification information, a loading order determination means which determines the order in which sample cups and reaction cups are loaded from the work list, a second identification means which automatically reads specific component information and a collating means which compares the specific component information with the work list.

Claims

1. An analyzer which determines a specific component in a sample while conveying a sample cup containing the sample and a reaction cup containing a reagent which reacts with the sample, which is characterized in that:

(1) the analyzer comprises a conveyer which conveys sample cups and reaction cups intermixedly on a closed track,

(2) the analyzer comprises a reactor which is equipped with a thermostat which maintains the reaction cups at a predetermined temperature, a trashbin which collects used reaction cups, an up-down nozzle unit which sucks in and out a predetermined amount of a sample and a reaction cup lift which carries a reaction cup between the conveyer, the reactor and the trashbin,

(3) the nozzle unit and the reaction cup lift reciprocate on a straight track, driven by different drive units separately or by the same drive unit,

(4) the trashbin is placed on the straight track of the reaction cup lift,

(5) at least part of the closed track of the conveyer is straight and overlaps the straight track of the nozzle unit and the reaction cup lift, and

(6) the straight part of the track of the conveyer accommodates at least two cups.

2. The analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle unit and the reaction cup lift are mounted on the same pedestal that reciprocates on the straight track, driven by the same drive unit.

3. The analyzer according to claim 1, which comprises a reagent conveyer which conveys a reagent reservoir containing a reagent on a straight track crossing the straight track of the nozzle unit.

4. The analyzer according to claim 1, which comprises a tip conveyer which carries a tip to be put on the nozzle unit on a track crossing the straight track of the nozzle unit.

5. The analyzer according to claim 1, which comprises a detector which detect a component in a reaction cup in the reactor.

6. The analyzer according to claim 1, which comprises a reaction cup washer which washes reaction cups in the reactor.

7. The analyzer according to claim 1, which analyzes a sample by using a reaction cup prepacking a reagent appropriate for a specific component in the sample to be analyzed.