Automatic sampler and method for injecting sample

1. An automatic sampler comprising:

a sampling needle for penetrating a septum of a sample container and entering the sample container to suck a sample contained in the sample container through its tip;

a drive unit for driving the sampling needle; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of the drive unit, the control unit comprising

septum penetration means for carrying out at least one cycle including moving the sampling needle down until the tip of the sampling needle penetrates the septum followed by elevating the sampling needle to a position, at which the tip of the sampling needle is pulled out of the septum, without carrying out the suction of the sample through the sampling needle,

sample suction means for moving the sampling needle down to allow the tip of the sampling needle to penetrate the septum until the tip of the sampling needle is inserted into the sample contained in the sample container to suck the sample, the sample suction means controlling the sampling needle such that the sampling needle only sucks the sample when inserted into the sample, and

sample injection means for pulling the sampling needle out of the septum and then moving the sampling needle to an injection port of an analyzer to inject the sample into an analysis flow path of the analyzer, and

the control unit operating the septum penetration means, the sample suction means and the sample injection means in this order,

wherein each of the septum penetration means, the sample suction means, and the sample injection means are computer readable instructions processed by the control unit, and

wherein the sampling needle is discharged of air prior to the sucking of the sample.

2. The automatic sampler according to claim 1 , wherein the septum penetration means moves the sampling needle down so that the tip of the sampling needle is only moved down to a level at which the tip is not brought into contact with the sample contained in the sample container.

3. The automatic sampler according to claim 1 , wherein the sample suction means moves the sampling needle down at a position displaced in a horizontal plane from the position of the sampling needle moved down by the septum penetration means.

4. The automatic sampler according to claim 1 ,

wherein the septum penetration means moves the sampling needle down so that the tip of the sampling needle is only moved down to a level at which the tip is not brought into contact with the sample contained in the sample container, and

wherein the sample suction means moves the sampling needle down at a position displaced in a horizontal plane from the position of the sampling needle moved down by the septum penetration means.

5. The automatic sampler according to claim 1 , wherein the sampling needle has a cylindrical external form.

6. The automatic sampler according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit comprises a first operation mode, in which the septum penetration means, the sample suction means and the sample injection means are operated in this order, and a second operation mode, in which the sample suction means and the sample injection means are operated in this order without the septum penetration means being operated, and

wherein the control unit can select either mode.

7. A method for injecting a sample using an automatic sampler, the automatic sampler comprising a sampling needle for entering a sample container by penetrating a septum of the sample container to suck a sample contained in the sample container through its tip and then injecting the sample into an analyzer, the method comprising the following steps S1 to S3 to be carried out in this order;

(step S1) septum penetration step for carrying out moving the sampling needle down until the tip of the sampling needle penetrates the septum followed by elevating the sampling needle to a position, at which the tip of the sampling needle is pulled out of the septum, without carrying out the suction of the sample through the sampling needle;

(step S2) sample suction step for moving the sampling needle down to allow the tip of the sampling needle to penetrate the septum until the tip of the sampling needle is inserted into the sample contained in the sample container to suck the sample, the sampling needle only sucking the sample when inserted into the sample during the sample suction step; and

(step S3) sample injection step for pulling the sampling needle out of the septum and then moving the sampling needle to an injection port of an analyzer to inject the sample into an analysis flow path of the analyzer,

wherein the sampling needle is discharged of air prior to the sucking of the sample.

8. The method for injecting a sample according to claim 7 , wherein the septum penetration step S1 is continuously repeated more than once.

9. The method for injecting a sample according to claim 7 , wherein in the downward movement of the sampling needle in the step S1, the tip of the sampling needle is only moved down to a level at which the tip is not brought into contact with the sample contained in the sample container.

10. The method for injecting a sample according to claim 7 , wherein in the step S2, the position of the sampling needle to be moved down is displaced in a horizontal plane from the position of the sampling needle moved down in the step S1.

11. The method for injecting a sample according to claim 7 ,

wherein in the downward movement of the sampling needle in the step S1, the tip of the sampling needle is only moved down to a level at which the tip is not brought into contact with the sample contained in the sample container, and

wherein in the step S2, the position of the sampling needle to be moved down is displaced in a horizontal plane from the position of the sampling needle moved down in the step S1.

12. The method for injecting a sample according to claim 7 ,

wherein the method comprises a first operation mode, in which the steps S1 to S3 are carried out in this order, and a second operation mode, in which the steps S2 and S3 are carried out in this order without the step S1 being carried out, and

wherein the method can select either mode.