IP Library Granted Patent US 11,517,636
Granted Patent B2
US 11,517,636 · App. 16/640,971 · Granted Dec 6, 2022

Analyzer

Inventors: Hisashi Yabutani (Tokyo, JP); Takeshi Ishida (Tokyo, JP); Yoshihiro Yamashita (Tokyo, JP); Taku Sakazume (Tokyo, JP); Michaela Windfuhr (Penzberg, DE); Bernhard Hauptmann (Penzberg, DE); Andreas Finke (Penzberg, DE)
Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation; Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
A61L2/10C02F1/32C02F2201/326G01N35/1002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,517,636
App. No.
16/640,971
Granted
Dec 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An analyzer that has a simple configuration, that is inexpensive, that can improve safety, and that can inhibit proliferation of microorganisms using ultraviolet light is realized. A first electric power switch, a second electric power switch, and a third electric power switch are connected in series between an ultraviolet LED that irradiates an interior of a shared reagent storage container with ultraviolet light and a power supply that supplies electric power to the ultraviolet LED. The first electric power switch, the second electric power switch, and the third electric power switch are configured with two contact points and a connection section that connects and disconnects the two contact points. The first electric power switch is opened when a reagent storage door is opened, and the second electric power switch is opened in response to an action of extracting an ultraviolet irradiation section from a shared reagent storage container. The third electric power switch is opened when an amount of the reagent within the shared reagent storage container is equal to or smaller than a constant value. When one of the first electric power switch, the second electric power switch, and the third electric power switch is opened, supply of the electric power to the ultraviolet LED is intercepted.

Claims (27)

1. An analyzer comprising:

an analysis section that analyzes a specimen within a reaction container that accommodates a reagent and the specimen;

a liquid storage container that stores a liquid for use in analysis;

an ultraviolet irradiation section that irradiates the liquid in the liquid storage container with ultraviolet light;

a power supply that supplies electric power to the ultraviolet irradiation section;

a liquid storage container storage room that stores the liquid storage container and the ultraviolet irradiation section;

a first electric power switch that closes connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section when a storage door of the liquid storage container storage room is closed, and that opens the connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section and stops supply of the electric power to the ultraviolet irradiation section when the storage door is opened;

a second electric power switch that closes the connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section in a state in which the ultraviolet irradiation section is disposed in the liquid storage container, and that opens the connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section and stops the supply of the electric power to the ultraviolet irradiation section in a state in which the ultraviolet irradiation section is extracted from the liquid storage container; and

a third electric power switch that closes the connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section in a state in which the ultraviolet irradiation section is disposed in the liquid storage container and in which an ultraviolet generation section of the ultraviolet irradiation section is located below a liquid level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage container, and that opens the connection between the power supply and the ultraviolet irradiation section and intercepts the electric power to be supplied from the power supply to the ultraviolet irradiation section in a state in which the ultraviolet irradiation section is disposed in the liquid storage container and in which the ultraviolet generation section of the ultraviolet irradiation section is located above the liquid level of the liquid stored in the liquid storage container;

wherein

the second electric power switch is connected in series to the first electric power switch,

the third electric power switch is connected in series to the second electric power switch and the first electric power switch,

and

the third electric power switch is a weight switch that is opened or closed in response to a weight of the liquid stored in the liquid storage container.

2. The analyzer according to claim 1 , further comprising

a fourth electric power switch that is connected in parallel to the first electric power switch, the second electric power switch, and the third electric power switch, and that can supply the electric power to the ultraviolet irradiation section even when the first electric power switch, the second electric power switch, and the third electric power switch are all opened.

3. The analyzer according to claim 2 , wherein

a material that discolors by exposure to ultraviolet light is applied to an inner wall of the liquid storage container storage room.

4. The analyzer according to claim 2 , further comprising

a display section that indicates whether the ultraviolet irradiation section is generating ultraviolet light.

5. The analyzer according to claim 4 , wherein

the display section is disposed on or in each of a side surface of a housing of the analyzer and the analysis section.

6. The analyzer according to claim 1 ,

wherein

the liquid is the reagent and the liquid storage container is a reagent storage container.

7. The analyzer according to claim 6 , wherein

an ultraviolet generation direction of the ultraviolet irradiation section is an opposite direction to a direction toward the storage door.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 1, 2022
From: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061830/0904 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2020
From: YABUTANI, HISASHI; ISHIDA, TAKESHI; YAMASHITA, YOSHIHIRO; SAKAZUME, TAKU; WINDFUHR, MICHAELA; HAUPTMANN, BERNHARD; FINKE, ANDREAS
To: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051890/0409 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-206198 · Oct 25, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200171182A1 · Jun 4, 2020