Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Instrument Engineering Co., Ltd.

Kasumi Yoshida

Masahito Ito

Junkichi Miura

Yoshio Fujii

Hiroshi Satake

Isao Shindo

Susumu Kai

Tadafumi Kuroishi

Nobuyoshi Takano

Hideo Uchiki

Masao Kamahori

Yoshio Watanabe

Hiroshi Umetsu

Hisayuki Sagusa

Takehide Satou

Osamu Ohno

Katsuji Yamashita

Yoshio Matsuoka

Naoya Ono

Yoshio Taichi

Yutaka Kimura

Kazuyoshi Heguri

Tetuaki Abe

Isao Sindo

Norimi Akimori

Shigeo Mutoh

A reference sample having a known concentration is injected into a chromatograph system before an unknown sample is analyzed. This is for the purpose of checking the deterioration of system performance or in other words for the purpose of checking system suitability. In the present invention, the chromatographic characteristic of the check sample at the time of deterioration of the system suitability is expected and stored in a memory in advance to be related to factors of deterioration of system suitability. A factor of deterioration is deduced by comparison between the actually analyzed chromatographic characteristic of the check sample and the relational data stored in the memory. A guidance required for removing the factor is displayed. Disclosed are preferred embodiments of a chromatograph system suitable for analyzing catecholamine or glycated hemoglobin.

Chromatograph system and method for maintaining system suitability

A method and an instrument for separating and analyzing a very small quantity of constituents to be inspected contained in an analyte such as a class of catecholamines by liquid chromatography after labeling. The entire processes of analytical operations include principally three processes, a preparing process, an impurity elimination process and a separation process. When one sample is perceived, the sample is processed in these three processes. In this case, while one sample is being processed in an impurity elimination process, a sample preceeding the one sample is processed in a separation process, and a succeeding sample is processed in a preparing process. In other words, these three processes are performed essentially in parallel. With this, it is possible to remarkably reduce analysis time as compared with individual single sample analysis.

Analytical method and instrument for analysis of liquid sample by liquid

A sample container containing a urine sample is transferred by a sample positioning device to a liquid level sensing position. At this sensing position, the liquid level in the sample container is detected by a level sensor, followed by transfer of the sample container to a dipping position. A liquid level rising member is then inserted into the sample container. While being held by a handling device, a test strip is dipped into the sample in the sample container with the liquid level raised. Thereafter, the test strip is lifted out of the sample container and transferred to a measuring device. Color development in reagent sections on the test strip is measured by a photometer in terms of the reflected light strength. With the present invention, analysis using test strips can be implemented even when the sample volume into the sample container is small.

Analytical method and analytical apparatus using test strips

A test strip automatic supply device has: a cylindrical container 11 provided with a slit 15 which is formed in a side wall thereof so as to contain an elongate test strip; a container-supporting table having, in an upper portion thereof, a semi-cylindrical concave surface provided with an opening 20 which is formed in a middle portion of the concave surface so as to allow a test strip fitted in the slit of the container 11 to fall through and be taken out; and a carrying stage 31 which receives and transports a test strip falling from the slit 15. While the transporting stage 31 is transporting a test strip, an optical detector finds whether the test strip is faced up or down. The device has such a function that a side-reversing mechanism flips it over during transportation if it is face down. An operator only has to put test strips in the container. The tests strips are automatically let out of the container one at a time.

Test strip automatic supply device and analytical instrument using the

Physiologically active substances contained in a biological sample not subjected to deproteinization can be converted to their derivatives at a high efficiency without being adversely affected by the protein present in the sample, and accordingly the analysis of said physiologically active substances in the form of said derivatives can be performed at a high precision.

Liquid chromatographic method and apparatus for analyzing biological

The present invention provides a liquid chromatographic analyzer for analyzing a sample containing components for analysis by reacting the sample with a pre-labeling reagent to obtain a reaction mixture containing labeled components, concentrating the reaction mixture and separating the labeled components from each other, and detecting the separated labeled components by a detector, the steps of analysis being controlled to concurrently proceed by a control unit, thereby shortening the time for analysis per sample which analyzer includes: (a) a unit for storing samples containing components for analysis and a pre-labeling reagent for the components at a constant temperature, (b) a unit for reacting the sample with the pre-labeling reagent at a constant temperature to obtain a reaction mixture containing labeled components, (c) a unit for transferring one of the samples and the pre-labeling reagent from unit (a) to unit (b), (d) a unit for concentrating the reaction mixture and separating the labeled components from each other, (e) a unit for detecting the separated labeled components, and (f) a unit for controlling the steps of analysis to concurrently proceed, thereby shortening the time for analysis per sample.

Liquid chromatographic analyzer, sample feeder and prelabeling reaction

A pressure equilibrator has a slider received slidably in a pressure accumulation chamber and partitioning the chamber into two opposing sections, and a relief port formed in the inner side surface of the chamber. The slider is inserted into the pressure accumulation chamber with a minute gap left around the slider. Two gases are respectively introduced into the sections of the pressure accumulation chamber to be equilibrated in pressure. The gap provides passageways for connecting the respective sections of the pressure accumulation chamber with the relief port so as to discharge parts of the gases. When the pressures of the two gases are unbalanced, the slider moves in accordance with a difference in the urging forces applied thereto by the gases, causing changes in the flow resistance of the passageways between the respective sections of the pressure accumulation chamber and the relief port, whereby the amounts of the parts of the gases discharged are adjusted so that the urging forces applied to the slider become equal to each other, thereby recovering equilibrium between the pressures of the gases. The pressure equilibrator may be incorporated in a gas mixing apparatus having flow rate resistors, for ensuring the stability of a ratio at which the gases are mixed to form a mixture.

Pressure equilibrator for gases

A clinical analyzer with an analyzing section having a reaction tube and photometer, and a sampling section having a sample transfer pipe and centrifugal separator which also serves as a sampler. Sample containers containing blood are set on a plurality of container holders through an aperture formed in the cover of the centrifugal separator. A rotor 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. A 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.

Method and apparatus for clinical analysis

A continuous flow analyzer of the type which introduces continuously a carrier liquid into a single tubular conduit to form a stable main carrier stream and injects predetermined volumes of reagent liquid and sample liquid in series into the main carrier stream. The analyzer reduces the consumption of the reagent and can form a stable continuous flow.

Method and apparatus for continuous flow analysis of liquid sample

Method for continuous flow analysis of liquid sample

A serum and a reagent are supplied into a reaction tube to prepare a reactive solution or a sample solution which is sucked up at a predetermined position into one of a plurality of flow cells. The flow cells are mounted on a thermostatic block to be heated to a predetermined temperature and alternatively supplied with the sample solution. After a sample solution has been introduced from a specified reaction tube into one of the flow cells and heated to the predetermined temperature, the sample solution in the one flow cell is irradiated with light to measure changes in absorbance of the sample solution for a predetermined time. During a period when the absorbance changes of the sample solution in one flow cell is measured, another sample solution is introduced from another reaction tube into another flow cell and heated to the predetermined temperature. Immediately after the measurement of the absorbance changes of the sample solution in the one flow cell has been completed, the other flow cell is irradiated with light to measure the changes in absorbance of the sample solution in the other flow cell. Thereafter, one and the other flow cells are alternately supplied with a sample solution to successively measure the absorbance changes. Thus, a waiting time for stabilizing the temperature of the sample solution introduced into the flow cell can be actually dispensed with, and therefore effective measurement can be made.

Optical rate assay apparatus

Sample cups containing serum are removably loaded in a plurality of annular holders flexibly connected to make up a slidable chain which is moved through a limited path and passes a sampling position. Ion-selecting electrodes and a reference electrode are slightly spaced from the sampling position. A predetermined amount of serum in the sample cup that has arrived at the sampling position is distributed to a measurement tank. The electromotive force based on the ion to be measured is detected, and the ion concentration is printed out on a printer on the basis of the detection result. Normally, samples sequentially arriving at the sampling position are distributed to the measurement tank for continual analysis. Upon receipt of an emergency sample, an interruption switch on the operation panel is depressed for transmitting an interruption measurement command to a control section. After completion of the ongoing measurement of an ordinary sample, the chain motion is stopped with the particular sample kept at the sampling position, which sample is replaced manually by the emergency sample. A wide open sapce is provided around the sampling position to facilitate sample cup removal from and insertion into the holder. Depressing the start switch with the emergency sample at the sampling position, only the emergency sample is analyzed, after which the analyzer is stopped again. The interruption measurement command is cancelled by the interruption switch and the start switch is turned on, thus restarting continual measurement of ordinary samples.

Clinical 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.

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Mito, Japan

Kasumi Yoshida