IP Library Granted Patent US 8,703,055
Granted Patent B2
US 8,703,055 · App. 11/488,722 · Granted Apr 22, 2014

Automatic analysis apparatus and dispensing method for the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,703,055
App. No.
11/488,722
Granted
Apr 22, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automatic analysis apparatus analyzing a test specimen held in a reaction vessel on the basis of a property of a mixed liquid of the test specimen and a reagent, includes a plurality of reaction vessels which corresponds to a plurality of measurement channels, respectively, a moving unit which moves the plurality of the reaction vessels then stops them at every analysis recycle, a control unit which controls the dispensing unit so as to aspirate the test specimen during movements of the reaction vessels, infuse the test specimen to one of the plurality of the reaction vessels after the reaction vessels stop, and repeatedly aspirate the test specimen and infuse the test specimen to one or more reaction vessels except the first reaction vessel among the plurality of the reaction vessels during stoppages of the reaction vessels.

Claims (22)

1. An automatic analysis apparatus analyzing a test specimen held in a reaction vessel on a basis of a property of a mixed liquid of the test specimen and a reagent, comprising:

a moving unit which moves a plurality of reaction vessels then stops them at every analysis recycle;

a sample unit which aspirates the test specimen from a specimen vessel to infuse the test specimen to a first reaction vessel among the plurality of the reaction vessels stopped by the moving unit; and

a processor configured to control the sample unit so as to aspirate the test specimen during movements of the reaction vessels, infuse the test specimen to the first reaction vessel of the plurality of the reaction vessels after the reaction vessels are stopped, and repeatedly aspirate the test specimen and infuse the test specimen to one or more reaction vessels except the first reaction vessel among the plurality of the reaction vessels in a time period after the reaction vessels are stopped again and before the reaction vessels are moved.

2. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the moving unit further comprises a disk holding a plurality of reaction vessel groups in a circular arrangement, each of the groups including at least two reaction vessels of the plurality of the reaction vessels, and

the moving unit rotates the disk by an angle to move from one reaction vessel group to a next reaction vessel group, so that the next reaction vessel group is in a dispensing position for the sample unit.

3. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the sample unit further comprises a dispensing probe which aspirates the test specimen from the specimen vessel to dispense the test specimen.

4. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the sample unit further comprises a dispensing probe which aspirates the test specimen from any of a plurality of specimen vessels in which a plurality of test specimens differing from one another are held, respectively, to infuse the aspirated test specimen; and

the automatic analysis apparatus further comprising a washing unit which washes the dispensing probe at every completion of dispensing of the same test specimen.

5. An automatic analysis apparatus analyzing a test specimen held in a reaction vessel on the basis of a property of a mixed liquid of the test specimen and a reagent, comprising:

a first moving unit which moves a plurality of reaction vessels then stops them at every analysis recycle;

an aspirating/infusing unit which aspirates the test specimen from a specimen vessel by a dispensing probe to infuse the test specimen;

a second moving unit which moves the dispensing probe; and

a processor configured to control the aspirating/infusing unit so as to aspirate the test specimen during movements of the plurality of the reaction vessels and after stopping the plurality of the reaction vessels, (i) controls the second moving unit so as to move the dispensing probe into a first reaction vessel among the plurality of the reaction vessels, (ii) controls the aspirating/infusing unit so as to infuse the test specimen into the specimen vessel, (iii) controls the second moving unit so as to move the dispensing probe to the specimen vessel, and (iv) controls the aspirating/infusing unit and the second moving unit so as to repeatedly aspirate the test specimen and infuse the test specimen to one or more reaction vessels except the first reaction vessel among the plurality of the reaction vessels during a time period where the plurality of reaction vessels are stopped again and before moving the plurality of reaction vessels.

6. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the moving unit further comprises a disk holding a plurality of reaction vessel groups in a circular arrangement, each of the groups including at least two reaction vessels of the plurality of the reaction vessels, and

the moving unit rotates the disk by an angle to move from one reaction vessel group to a next reaction vessel group, so that the next reaction vessel group is in a dispensing position for the sample unit.

7. The automatic analysis apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a washing unit which washes the dispensing probe at every completion of dispensing of the same test specimen.

8. The automatic analysis apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the dispensing probe includes a plurality of specimen ejection positions.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2016
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038891/0693 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2006
From: OONUMA, TAKEHIKO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018116/0241 →