Patent EP0088440A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0088440A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for clinical analysis
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
•
Filing: 1983-03-09
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2003-03-09
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a clinical analyzer comprising an analyzing section (200) having a reaction tube and photometer, and a sampling section (100) having a sample transfer pipe (201) and centrifugal separator (1) which also serves as a sampler. Sample containers (4) containing blood are set on a plurality of container holders (3a, 3b) through an aperture formed in the cover of the centrifugal separator. A rotor (2) with the container holders mounted thereon is rotated at a low speed intermittently so that each of the container holders is positioned at the container setting position in a predetermined order in which a container holder which is not located adjacently to the previously positioned container holder is positioned next. Subsequently, the rotor is rotated at a high speed for a predetermined period so that the sample liquid in each sample container centrifugally separated. After the centrifugal separation the rotor is rotated at a low speed intermittently so that the sample containers set on the container holders are positioned to the sample take-out position in the same order as in setting the sample containers. The pumping pipe is inserted through a sample transfer hole formed in the cover of the centrifugal separator into the sample container, and the sample liquid is pumped up and transported to the analyzing section. This series of operations is repeated and a plurality of samples are measured for items of analysis by the photometer sequentially.
Inventors
- 👤 Kasumi Yoshida
- 👤 Nobuyoshi Takano
- 👤 Naoya Ono
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 10:41
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/00584; G01N35/0092; G01N35/0095; B; B04; B04B; B04B5/00; B04B5/04; B04B5/0407; B04B5/0414; B04B5/0421; B04B11/00; B04B11/04; B04B2011/046; G01N2035/00465; G01N2035/00495; G01N2035/00504; G01N35/10; G01N35/1009; G01N2035/1025; G01N35/1081; G01N35/1083; G01N2035/1086; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/11; Y10T436/111666
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for clinical analysis comprising the steps of: rotating at a high speed a rotor (2) provided with a plurality of container holders (3a,3b) in which sample containers (4) are held so that liquid samples in said sample containers are centrifugally separated; moving intermittently said rotor having centrifugally separated samples so that said container holders are positioned sequentially at a sample take-out position; putting a liquid take-out pipe (12) into a sample in a sample container while said sample container held in said holder is placed at said sample take-out position; and measuring a sample introduced into an analyzing section (200) through said liquid take-out pipe in accordance with an item of analysis.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for clinical analysis comprising the steps of: rotating at a high speed a rotor (2) provided with a plurality of container holders (3a,3b) in which sample containers (4) are held so that liquid samples in said sample containers are centrifugally separated; moving intermittently said rotor having centrifugally separated samples so that said container holders are positioned sequentially at a sample take-out position; putting a liquid take-out pipe (12) into a sample in a sample container while said sample container held in said holder is placed at said sample take-out position; and measuring a sample introduced into an analyzing section (200) through said liquid take-out pipe in accordance with an item of analysis.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method for clinical analysis according to claim 1 comprising a step of taking in samples for a plurality of analytical items into said liquid take-out pipe while each of said sample containers stays at said sample take-out position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method for clinical analysis according to claim 1 comprising a step of moving said rotor intermittently in advance of said centrifugal separating operation so that said container holders are positioned sequentially to a container setting position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method for clinical analysis according to claim 1 comprising a step of positioning said container holders sequentially to said container setting position after sample liquids have been taken out by said liquid take-out pipe, and lifting each positioned sample container.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method for clinical analysis according to claim 1 comprising a step of introducing a reagent into a flow path (218) while a sample liquid is transported in said flow path, and introducing a reactive liquid into a flow cell (224) within a photometer (223).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
A clinical analyzer comprising: an analyzing section (200) which measures an introduced liquid sample in accordance with an item of analysis; and a sampling section (100) having a sample liquid take-out means (12) and a centrifugal separation means (1), said centrifugal separation means having a rotor (2) provided with a plurality of container holders (3a,3b) in which sample containers (4) can be held, said centrifugally separating means having a drive means (5) for rotating said rotor continuously at a high speed during a centrifugal separating operation and moving said rotor intermittently at a low speed so that each container holder stops temporarily at a sample take-out position during a sample take-out operation, said sample liquid take-out means operating to take out sample liquid in a container holder positioned at said sample take-out position and introduce said liquid toward said analyzing section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
141 words
A clinical analyzer comprising: an analyzing section (200) which measures an introduced liquid sample in accordance with an item of analysis; and a sampling section (100) having a sample liquid take-out means (12) and a centrifugal separation means (1), said centrifugal separation means having a rotor (2) provided with a plurality of container holders (3a,3b) in which sample containers (4) can be held, said centrifugally separating means having a drive means (5) for rotating said rotor continuously at a high speed during a centrifugal separating operation and moving said rotor intermittently at a low speed so that each container holder stops temporarily at a sample take-out position during a sample take-out operation, said sample liquid take-out means operating to take out sample liquid in a container holder positioned at said sample take-out position and introduce said liquid toward said analyzing section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 6 wherein said drive means moves said rotor at a low speed intermittently so that each container holder stops temporarily at a container setting position during the operation of setting samples in container holders.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 6 wherein said drive means has a motor (105) for high-speed rotation and a stepping motor (130) for low-speed driving.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 6 wherein said analyzing section comprises a means for mixing a sample liquid introduced through said take-out pipe with a reagent inside a flow path, and a photometer (223) for measuring a mixed liquid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 6 comprising a means for transporting a sample for a plurality of different fitems into a same flow path introducing to a flow cell at a spatial interval among doses of sample.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
185 words
A clinical analyzer comprising an analyzing section (200) which measures an introduced liquid sample in accordance with an item of analysis; and a sampling section (100) having a sample liquid take-out means (12) and a centrifugal separation means (1), said centrifugal separation means having a rotor (102) provided with a plurality of container holders (103a,103b) in which sample containers (4) can be set, said centrifugal separation means having a drive means (132) for moving said rotor intermittently so that each of said container holders stops at a container setting position during a sample setting operation, rotating said rotor at a high speed during a centrifugally separating operation, and moving said rotor intermittently so that each of said container holders stops temporarily at a sample take-out position during a sample take-out operation, said centrifugal separation means having a holder position detector (6,31) which detects the position of each container holder and halts the operation of said rotor, said sample liquid take-out means operating to take out sample liquid in a container holder positioned at said sample take-out position and introduce said liquid toward said analyzing section.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
185 words
A clinical analyzer comprising an analyzing section (200) which measures an introduced liquid sample in accordance with an item of analysis; and a sampling section (100) having a sample liquid take-out means (12) and a centrifugal separation means (1), said centrifugal separation means having a rotor (102) provided with a plurality of container holders (103a,103b) in which sample containers (4) can be set, said centrifugal separation means having a drive means (132) for moving said rotor intermittently so that each of said container holders stops at a container setting position during a sample setting operation, rotating said rotor at a high speed during a centrifugally separating operation, and moving said rotor intermittently so that each of said container holders stops temporarily at a sample take-out position during a sample take-out operation, said centrifugal separation means having a holder position detector (6,31) which detects the position of each container holder and halts the operation of said rotor, said sample liquid take-out means operating to take out sample liquid in a container holder positioned at said sample take-out position and introduce said liquid toward said analyzing section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 11, wherein said centrifugal separation means has a means (7) for covering said rotor, said cover means being provided therein with a first aperture (8) at said container setting position for transferring a sample container, and a second aperture (11) at said sample take-out position for inserting a sample take-out pipe.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 12 comprising a lid means (109) which is open when a sample container is set on said container holder and closes said first aperture when said rotor rotates at a high speed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 11, wherein said sample take-out pipe has an associated liquid level sensing electrode (17).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
A clinical analizer according to claim 11 comprising a means (125) for lifting a sample container set on a container holder when said container holder is positioned at a container take-out position.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 11, wherein container holders in which sample containers are set are kept in a slant attitude when said rotor rotates at a high speed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
52 words
A clinical analyzer according to claim 11, wherein said drive means operates to position, subsequently to the positioning for a first container holder, a second container holder located at a position symmetrically to a position of said first container holder with respect to the center of rotation to said container setting position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.