Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hiroshi Umetsu

Yoshiyuki Shoji

Hajime Betsui

Kyoko Imai

Tadashi Ohishi

Toshiaki Yokobayashi

Katsuji Yamashita

Hiroshi Hashimoto

Hirotaka Sato

Shuhei Yamamoto

Yoshihiro Yamashita

Isamu Takekoshi

Yasushi Nomura

Toshinari Sakurai

Kasumi Yoshida

Yoshio Matsuoka

Shouji Umemoto

Yoshimitsu Shibano

Kei Kida

Fumitoshi Hamasaki

Kazuyoshi Heguri

According to this invention, a nucleic acid purification instrument whereby it is possible to prevent dispersion of a mist thai causes contamination upon discharge of a solution is realized. A pressurizing nozzle is allowed to come into contact with a nucleic acid capturing column such that the sealing member is compressed. An aspiration fan is operated and thus the air in a closed channel flows toward the bottom part of a liquid receiving tank and then toward the aspiration fan as a result of a partition board. The inside of the nucleic acid capturing column is pressurized using tho pressurizing nozzle such that a solution in the nucleic acid capturing column is discharged and gravity-fed to the lower part of a liquid receiving tank. When the liquid volume m ihe nucleic acid capturing column becomes very small, the discharged solution is mixed with air so as to be formed into a mist and flows toward the aspiration fan and is captured by a protection filter so as not to bo discharged outside the closed channel.

Nucleic acid purification instrument

The object of the present invention is to provide a nucleic acid purification method and purification apparatus characterized by high washing efficiency where contamination does not occur and liquid does not remain in the nozzle tip. The present invention provides a tip containing the solid phase capturing a nucleic acid characterized in that washing solution is fed into said tip unidirectionally from head to end.

Nucleic acid purification method and purification apparatus

A nucleic acid purification method and purification apparatus characterized by high washing efficiency where contamination does not occur and liquid does not remain in the nozzle tip are disclosed. The present invention provides a tip containing the solid phase capturing a nucleic acid characterized in that washing solution is fed into the tip unidirectionally from head to end.

A plurality of reaction containers each being charged with an agitation ball made of a magnetic material are circularly arranged on a reaction disk so as to be supplied with a reagent and a sample. The reaction disk is driven reciprocatingly at a small amplitude for a predetermined time so as to cause the reaction containers to be vibrated arcuately each time a new reaction container is supplied with the reagent. As a result of the vibration of the reaction containers, the agitation balls in the respective reaction containers vigorously move to agitate the reaction solutions in the respective reaction containers. A photometric device is disposed so as to apply a light to the reaction container thereby to allow a fluorescent or absorbance photometric measurement. In the reaction container brought to the photometric measuring position, the agitation ball is attracted to the wall of the reaction container so as to be kept away from the path of light in the photometric device.

Method for analyzing a reaction solution

A constant-temperature air type automatic analysis apparatus includes: a reaction table for rotating a row of reaction containers; a batch injecting device for supplying a sample and a reagent into the reaction containers; a photometric device for measuring a reaction within the reaction containers; a constant-temperature air device for keeping the reaction containers warm, the constant-temperature air device having an annular constant-temperature air chamber which is formed in such a manner as to surround the row of reaction containers; a heat block disposed within the annular constant-temperature air chamber; and a preliminary temperature raising device for heating the reaction containers. The preliminary temperature raising device has an air circulation passage, a blowing device for blowing a constant-temperature air against the reaction containers in a region between a injection position of the batch injecting device and a measuring position of the photometric device. Alternatively, the preliminary temperature raising device has a ventilating device for temporarily ventilating the air circulation passage.

Constant-temperature air type automatic analysis apparatus

A method of determining a calibration curve used in deciding the components of living organism by means of the least-squares method by using a plurality of measured data at different concentrations obtained by measuring reaction solutions of a plurality of standard substances having different concentrations. At least a single set of measured data Y(i) is weighted in a predetermined manner, the measured data Y(i) being obtained from the standard substance reaction solution at a specific concentration X(i) near a limit value used in deciding the living organism components. With the weighting, a calibration curve having a high precision at a portion near the limit value is realized resulting in a correct and highly reliable decision.

Method of determining calibration curve and apparatus using calibaration

An automatic analyzing system has a sample table for supporting a plurality of sample vessels and a reagent table for supporting a plurality of reagent vessels. The sample table and the reagent table are fixed to a common drive shaft. The system further has a rotatable reaction table for supporting a plurality of reaction vessels. The reaction table is arranged in a side-by-side relation to the sample table and the reagent table. The system further has a single pipetting device disposed between the reaction table and the stack of the sample table and the reagent table for a swinging motion therebetween so as to suck samples and reagents from the sample vessels and the reagent vessels and to deliver the same to the reaction vessels. The pipetting device is operated in such a manner as to transfer all the samples to the reaction vessels followed by the supply of the reagents to these reaction vessels.

Automatic analyzing system

Immunochemistry analyzer

A reagent vessel is mounted for swinging movement and has a projection at the bottom portion thereof. A rotor has an eccentric groove at an upper end and has an upper sealing member and a lower sealing member. A reagent refrigerator has a sealing at a bottom portion. The rotor is driven by a motor installed outside the refrigerator which moves up and down. When the rotor is disposed at a top dead point, the groove of the rotor engages with the projection of the vessel, then the rotor rotates and the reagent is mixed in swinging rotation. In this state, the lower sealing member of the rotor seals a bottom face of the sealing member of the refrigerator and prevents the water droplets falling down from the refrigerator from falling into the motor. When the rotor is disposed at a bottom dead point, the groove of the rotor disengages from the projection of the vessel. In this state, the upper sealing member of the rotor contacts an upper face of the sealing member of the refrigerator and the refrigerator is sealed.

Mixing apparatus for mixing reagent for use in automatic chemistry

A chemical analyzer is disclosed in which a sample is supplied from a sample cup on a sample table to an array of reaction cups on a reaction table so that the reaction cups contain the same amount of sample, a reagent pipetting nozzle sucks an appropriate reagent solution from an array of reagent tanks and discharges the reagent solution into a corresponding reaction cup, the sample having reacted with the reagent solution is optically measured by a multi-wavelength photometer, a plurality of reagent tanks containing different reagent solutions are placed in a refrigerator with the openings of the reagent tanks being directed upward, the refrigerator is provided with a cover which has holes provided at positions corresponding to the openings of the reagent tanks, these holes are closed by a shutter except when the reagent pipetting nozzle is inserted into these holes, the array of reaction cups is immersed in constant-temperature-water contained in a reaction bath, the reaction bath is supplied with water which is kept at 37.degree. C. in a liquid bath by means of an evaporator and a heater, and a refrigerant from a refrigerating machine passes through an evaporator provided in the refrigerator and the evaporator provided in the liquid bath to be returned to the refrigerating machine.

Chemical analyzer equipped with reagent cold-storage chamber

An automatic chemical analyzer suitable for chemically analyzing a number of analysis items is disclosed. Samples in sample containers are sequentially dispensed to an array of reaction vessels using a first pipetting tube. Reagent solutions selected in accordance with the analysis items are fed to the reaction vessels using a second conductive pipetting tube. The reaction solutions in the reaction vessels are measured by a photometer. When the reagent solutions are sucked into the second pipetting tube, the liquid levels of the reagent solutions in the reagent containers are detected by a liquid level sensor formed by the second pipetting tube and a conductive electrode. The amounts of the reagent solutions remaining in the reagent containers are determined based on the position of the liquid level sensor and the numbers of times of dispense allowed to the reagent solutions with respect to the analysis items are displayed on a cathode ray tube.

Automatic chemical analyzer

In an automatic chemical analyzing method and apparatus in which a plurality of samples each added with a reagent are discretely transported through a reaction line and subjected to a reaction during the transportation for optical measurement to generate measured signals and to process them, the samples to be analyzed are grouped into a plurality of sample groups each including a plurality of samples which are to be measured with respect to the same test items, which are previously stored for each sample group in a memory of a central control unit. The samples are divided by a number corresponding to the number of test items and successively fed to the reaction line one by one in sample groups, and, at the time of change of the sample group receiving the analysis, test items corresponding to a new sample group are read from the memory to carry out a chemical analysis for the samples in each sample group according to the read test items.

Growing community of inventors

Katsuta, Japan

Hiroshi Umetsu