Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Tadao Yabuhara

Shinya Ito

Izumi Waki

Makoto Nogami

Akira Masuya

Hiroshi Watanabe

Terumi Tamura

Junpei Hokari

Hiroko Fujita

A microscopic image capturing method includes: emitting a light beam from a light beam light source; detecting a spot image by a camera or a photodiode; focusing the spot image by an objective lens actuator moving an objective lens in the optical axis direction of the light beam with respect to a sample container; determining by a reflective surface identification unit whether the light beam has been applied to a defect on the basis of the spot image; when it is determined that the light beam has been applied to the defect, moving by an XY stage the sample container with respect to the objective lens in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light beam in accordance with a prescribed condition; and, when the light beam has not been applied to the defect, capturing a microscopic image of a sample by using an illuminator.

Microscopic image capturing method and microscopic image capturing device

A transport container includes: a bottom member where the transported object is placed; left and right side members disposed beside the bottom member; a handle disposed above the bottom member; left and right lower connecting members interconnecting the bottom member and side members; and left and right upper connecting members interconnecting the side and the handle members, which are respectively interconnected via hinges. When the handle is not lifted, the side members are separated from the bottom member. When the handle is lifted, the side members laterally support the transported object. As for the transport method, with the transported object stacked in the up-down direction, the transport container is installed at an unloading location such that the lower and upper connecting members are laid to be non-parallel to the side member, and the transported object is taken out from the front or rear between the left and right side members.

Transport container and transport method

An observation device captures images at focal positions inside a sample container with an optical system that includes an objective lens; an objective lens actuator; an irradiation unit; a reflection light intensity detector; a focus controller that positions the focal point of the objective lens on a reflection surface imparting a peak in the reflected light intensity; and a counting unit. The focus control unit drives the objective lens actuator and positions the focal point on a reflection surface when a peak is detected in the reflected light intensity; and the counting unit counts the reflection surface when the focus control unit has positioned the focal point on the reflection surface. The computation unit determines whether or not the focal point is positioned at the focal position, and causes the optical system to capture images if the focal point is positioned at the focal position.

Observation device

The present invention provides a refrigerating/heating device that efficiently refrigerates and heats while suppressing device costs. This refrigerating/heating device for efficiently heating and refrigerating is provided with: a refrigeration chamber; a Peltier-type cooler for supplying cold air to inside the refrigeration chamber; a heat radiation member for radiating Peltier heat; fans for air-cooling the heat radiation member; an exhaust duct through which waste heat from the fans and the heat radiation member passes; and an installation part to which a subject to be heated can be installed. The subject to be heated is installed in the waste heat flow path of the exhaust duct and heated.

Refrigerating/heating device, and analysis device

When using an immunological analysis method wherein antigen-antibody reactions are used to form complexes of microparticles and a substance being measured, purifying, then measuring by spectroscopy, and a mass spectrometry method wherein antigen-antibody reactions are used to form complexes of microparticles and a substance being measured, purifying, then measuring with a mass spectrometer, the amount of the complex flowing in the flow path for immunological analysis and the amount of the complex flowing in the flow path for mass spectrometry are unknown, so the substance being measured cannot be accurately quantified even when merging information obtained from immunological analysis and information obtained from mass spectrometry. The invention provides a mechanism for quantifying the complexes after formation of the complexes, on the flow path for mass spectrometry and the flow path for immunological analysis.

Analysis device and analysis method

An analysis device is provided with a first disk on which a sample container and disposable container can be disposed, a second disk on which a solid-phase extraction cartridge and disposable container can be disposed, a first probe capable of transferring a sample of the sample container disposed on the first disk or a solution of the disposable container disposed on the first disk to the solid-phase extraction cartridge or disposable container disposed on the second disk, and a second probe capable of transferring a reagent of a reagent container to the sample container or disposable container disposed on the first disk and the solid-phase extraction cartridge or disposable container disposed on the second disk. Sample preprocessing before solid-phase extraction processing takes place on the first disk.

Provided is an analyzer performing solid-phase extraction of a measurement component (i.e., component to be measured) in a sample solution while decreasing an amount of waste generated and reducing a running cost. The analyzer includes: a solid-phase extraction container having a body part to receive a sample solution containing a measurement component of analytical target and a discharge passage to discharge the sample solution. Herein, the discharge passage is to be filled with a solid-phase extraction material for subjecting the measurement component to solid-phase extraction. The analyzer further includes a supplying mechanism for a solid-phase extraction material; a filter supplying mechanism; a determining mechanism for filling position; a discharging mechanism for discharging the filter and the solid-phase extraction material after the solid-phase extraction of the measurement component; and a container cleaning mechanism for cleaning the solid-phase extraction container from which the solid-phase extraction material is removed.

Analysis device including solid-phase extraction material filling and discharging mechanisms

A solid-phase extraction apparatus capable of carrying out highly accurate solid-phase extraction by automatically controlling liquid-permeation speeds in an adsorbing step, a cleaning step, and an eluting step of the solid-phase extraction in order to improve the accuracy of the collection rate of a measurement component(s) also in measurement of each of sample solutions respectively having different viscosities and to ensure a certain processing ability. The solid-phase extraction apparatus includes a sample dispensing unit that dispenses a sample solution, a solid-phase extraction unit that carries out a solid-phase extraction process of applying a pressure to the sample solution dispensed by the sample dispensing unit and extracting the measurement component from the sample solution, and a converting unit that measures the viscosity of the sample solution and determines the pressure to be applied to a solid-phase extraction cartridge based on the information of the measured viscosity of the sample solution.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tadao Yabuhara