Biochemical analysis apparatus with an integral centrifuge

Claim 1

A biochemical analysis apparatus comprising: i) a sample holding means for holding a liquid sample, ii) a centrifugation means for receipt of body fluid and preparing a liquid sample by centrifugation of the body fluid, iii) a sample transfer means for transferring said liquid sample prepared by said centrifugation means to said sample holding means, iv) a test film holding means for holding n a side-by-side arrangement a plurality of rolls of test film capable of reacting with said liquid sample to result in a change, v) a test film conveyance means for each of said rolls of test film for sequentially conveying the test film of a roll held in said test film holding means to a predetermined position outside of said test film holding means, vi) a sample application means for taking up said liquid sample out of said sample holding means and applying a predetermined amount of said liquid sample onto a said test film conveyed to said predetermined position, vii) an incubator for maintaining the sample-applied portion of said test film at said predetermined position at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, said incubator including an opening through which said sample application means applies said liquid sample to said test film, and means for preventing air flow between a position inside of said incubator and a position outside of said incubator, said air flow preventing means being reciprocally movable to cover said opening, and viii) a detection means for measuring a change in optical density of said sample-applied portion of said test film at said predetermined position based on a reaction product between said sample applied and said test film during or after the passage of said predetermined time, wherein said predetermined position is inside said incubator.