Hitachi High-Tech Corporation

Hitachi-High-Technologies Corporation

Tetsuji Kawahara

Takamichi Mori

Takushi Miyakawa

Kohei Nonaka

Mitsuru Oonuma

Hiroyuki Noda

Ai Masuda

Masaki Hara

Yuichi Iwase

Hiroyuki Takayama

Yosuke Horie

Manabu Ochi

Yuichi Koiso

Katsuhiro Kambara

Yoichiro Suzuki

Gorou Yoshida

Hidenobu Komatsu

Kentaro Wada

Kenshiro Sakata

Osamu Matsumoto

Isao Yamazaki

Jun Etoh

Hajime Kato

Atsushi Kazama

Masaharu Nishida

Yoko Inoue

Takashi Saegusa

Akihiro Nojima

Takahiro Kumagai

Haruyoshi Yamamoto

Takashi Nakasawa

Yoshiki Muramatsu

Tooru Inaba

Kenichi Yagi

Syotaro Sagawa

Sayaka Asada

Youichi Aruga

Yuto Tanaka

Akinao Fujita

Natsumi Isobe

The present invention provides an automatic chemical analysis apparatus and an electrical impedance spectrometry device which make it possible to detect the state of a stirring mechanism prior to performing a stirring operation. The automatic chemical analysis apparatus dispenses a reagent and a sample to be analyzed into a reactor vessel, and performs stirring by applying sonic waves to the reactor vessel. The automatic chemical analysis apparatus comprises: a piezoelectric elementthat generates sonic waves; a plurality of split electrodesthat are provided to the surface of the piezoelectric element; a power amplifierthat causes the piezoelectric elementto generate sonic waves by applying a voltage to each of the split electrodes; and a host computer and impedance measuring circuit that measure the electrical impedance spectrum of each split electrodeby applying a voltage to each of the split electrodes

Automatic chemical analysis apparatus and electrical impedance spectrometry device

Provided is an electrolyte analysis apparatus capable of diluting and preparing a reagent with higher accuracy with a simpler device configuration, comprising a first flow path configured to send a high-concentration reagent from a high-concentration reagent bottle, a second flow path configured to send a reagent diluent from a reagent diluent bottle that stores the reagent diluent for diluting the high-concentration reagent, a junction unit configured to join the first flow path and the second flow path, a third flow path configured to send a mixed liquid, a dilution tank configured to store the prepared reagent, a prepared reagent discharge nozzle configured to discharge the prepared reagent, a liquid sending mechanism configured to send the reagent and the reagent diluent to the junction unit at a predetermined ratio so that the prepared reagent has a predetermined concentration, and an analysis unit configured to perform analysis with the prepared reagent.

Electrolyte analysis apparatus

An object of the present invention is to provide a camera holding device for an automatic analysis apparatus, capable of easily adjusting tip positions of pipetting nozzles having different lengths, even with the use of a single single-focus camera. Therefore, the present invention is a camera holding device for an automatic analysis apparatus, which holds a camera to capture an image of the tip of a pipetting nozzle of the automatic analysis apparatus on a pipetting arm that moves the pipetting nozzle through rotational movement, the camera holding device including: an expansion/contraction part that expands and contracts in a vertical direction with respect to the pipetting arm; an arm-side fixing part that fixes one end of the expansion/contraction part to the pipetting arm; and a camera-side fixing part that fixes the camera to the other end of the expansion/contraction part.

Camera holding device for automatic analysis apparatus

Provided is an electrolyte analyzing device that prevents contamination caused by contacting different reagents by a suction nozzle when reagent replacement is performed. The electrolyte analyzing device includes a nozzle support partcoupled to a suction nozzleand movable between a reagent container replacement position and a reagent suction position; a locking mechanismfitted with the nozzle support partmoved to the reagent container replacement position and fixes the nozzle support partat the reagent container replacement position; and an unlocking mechanismthat releases fitting of the nozzle support partand the locking mechanismin a power-on state. When a reagent containersatisfies a predetermined condition, the unlocking mechanismis controlled to release the fitting between the nozzle support partand the locking mechanism, so that the nozzle support partmoves to the reagent suction position.

Electrolyte analyzing device

Provided is a technique for detecting deviation amounts in two directions between a tip of a nozzle of a pipetting device and a target stop position from one image. An imaging device of the present disclosure is an imaging device installed in a pipetting device including a nozzle that aspirates and dispenses liquid and an arm that holds the nozzle and moves the nozzle by a rotation operation. The imaging device includes: a camera that includes an image sensor and a lens; and a pair of mirrors that includes a first mirror having a first reflective surface and a second mirror having a second reflective surface. The pair of mirrors is arranged such that the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface face each other. The pair of mirrors is arranged one by one between the tip of the nozzle and a bottom surface of the arm, on both sides across a plane that includes a rotation axis of the arm and a central axis of the nozzle. The first mirror is disposed closer to the arm than the second mirror, with the first reflective surface facing toward the tip of the nozzle, and the second reflective surface facing toward the camera.

Imaging device

The fluid temperature within piping of a sample dispensing system is stabilized in order to maintain stable dispensing performance with high precision in an automatic analyzer. A controller executes a first operation sequence to operate the sample dispensing system in a standby state continued until the sample is transported to the sample dispensing position, and executes a second operation sequence to operate the sample dispensing system in an analysis state in which the sample located in the sample dispensing position is dispensed. A time period during interior cleaning performed on the sample probe in a single cycle of the first operation sequence is set to be shorter than a time period during interior cleaning performed on the sample probe in a single cycle of the second operation sequence. Alternatively, the first operation sequence is configured to perform interior cleaning at a rate of once every multiple of cycles.

Automatic analyzer

Provided is an automated analyzer comprising an ultrasonic cleaner capable of obtaining a consistent cleaning effect regardless of the operating temperature environment. This automated analyzer comprises: a dispensing mechanism having a nozzle for dispensing a sample or reagent; an ultrasonic cleanerfor cleaning the nozzle; and a control unit. The ultrasonic cleaner comprises: a cleaning tank; an ultrasonic vibrator; and a vibration headthat extends from the ultrasonic vibrator to the cleaning tank and has a distal end part that is inserted into the cleaning tank. The control unit inserts the nozzle into the cleaning tank and carries out a heating operation for heating the ultrasonic vibrator by driving the ultrasonic vibrator according to a driving condition different from that for a cleaning operation for cleaning the nozzle by driving the ultrasonic vibrator.

An electrolyte analyzing device with which an electrical effect does not occur has a housing to which a reference potential is applied and a flow passage which is electrically insulated from the housing. The analyzing device delivers a sample solution to a first electrode, and delivers a reference electrode solution to a second electrode. A reagent vessel placement unit which is electrically connected to the housing, has placed thereon a diluent bottle accommodating a diluent, an internal standard solution bottle accommodating the internal standard solution, and a reference electrode solution bottle accommodating the reference electrode solution. The reagent vessel placement unit includes a suction nozzle comprising an electrical conductor which is joined to the flow passage, and which can be inserted into and removed from each of the diluent, internal standard solution and reference electrode solution bottles. And, an insulator electrically insulates the suction nozzle and the housing.

Provided is an electrolyte analyzing device in which contamination caused by contacting different reagents with a suction nozzle is prevented when reagent replacement is performed by a user. The electrolyte analyzing device includes a reagent container setting unitthat sets a dilute solution bottle-which houses a dilute solution, an internal standard solution bottle-which houses an internal standard solution, and a reference electrode solution bottle-which houses a reference electrode solution. The reagent container setting unit includes a partition wall between the dilute solution bottle-and the internal standard solution bottle-, and the reference electrode solution bottle-when the dilute solution bottle-, the internal standard solution bottle-, and the reference electrode solution bottle-are set.

Provided is an automated analysis device capable of a more accurate determination of the sizes of bubbles included in a liquid. The automated analysis device includes a detection unit which detects bubbles included in a liquid, an internal standard solution syringe which executes a first liquid supply operation in which a liquid is supplied via the detection unit, a diluent syringe, a sipper syringe, solenoid valves, and a control device which determines whether the size of the bubbles detected during the first liquid supply operation is normal or not based on the operation speed of the liquid supply unit, and controls the operation of the liquid supply unit according to the determination.

Bubble detection in an automated analysis device

An object of the present invention is to provide a test method capable of efficiently performing a step of evaluating a surface state of a dispensing probe provided in a dispensing apparatus. In the test method according to the present invention, a first solution in which a coloring matter is dissolved is dispensed to a first container in advance by a first dispensing probe, a second solution in which a coloring matter is not dissolved is dispensed to a second container in advance by the first dispensing probe and then the first solution and the second solution are respectively sucked and discharged by a second dispensing probe. After that, a surface state of the second dispensing probe is evaluated by acquiring an amount of the coloring matter collected by the second solution (see).

Test method and dispensing device

A nozzle cleaner includes: a cleaning tank which stores a cleaning solution; a first conductive member that is disposed to be immersed into the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank when the nozzle is cleaned; an ultrasonic wave generating mechanism which is disposed so that at least a part of a second conductive member is immersed into the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank when the nozzle is cleaned and generates an ultrasonic vibration in the cleaning solution stored in the cleaning tank; a first voltage control unit which controls a potential applied to the first conductive member; and a second voltage control unit which controls a potential applied to the second conductive member, wherein the first voltage control unit applies a second potential Vhigher than a first potential Vapplied to the nozzle when the nozzle is cleaned to the first conductive member.

Nozzle cleaner and automatic analyzer using the same

The automatic analyzer includes a storage unit storing the reaction containers of cleaning target by day unit in such a manner that all the reaction containers mounted on a reaction disk are to be cleaning target within a plurality of days, and a control unit exerts a control in such a manner that during an operation state after the sample of analysis object is dispensed to the reaction containers, a sample of analysis object in each of the reaction containers is analyzed, and not the sample but a detergent is dispensed to the reaction containers of cleaning target of an appointed day, the reaction containers of cleaning target of the appointed day being stored in the storage unit, to soak and wash the reaction containers for a certain time.

When the automatic analyzer is installed in an environment with a high altitude and different external atmospheric pressures, there is a problem that an amount of vacuum suction decreases due to a decrease in suction performance of a vacuum pump and it is difficult to perform vacuum suction of an analyzed reaction liquid. In view of the above, by newly providing a pressure adjustment mechanism within a flow path connecting a vacuum tank to vacuum pump, it possible to control the pressure difference between a pressure in the vacuum tank and an external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment. Additionally, by providing a hole in communication with the outside in the vacuum tank or a vacuum bin, it possible to control the pressure difference between the pressure in the vacuum tank and the external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment.

Stable operation of an ultrasonic vibrator of an ultrasonic cleaner and scattering prevention of a washing liquid are provided. The ultrasonic cleaner includes a washing tankin which a washing liquid is reserved; an ultrasonic vibratora vibration headprovided with a neckextended from the ultrasonic vibrator to the washing tank and a tip end portionhaving a cylindrical holewhose longitudinal direction is oriented to a perpendicular direction; and a first coverhaving an opening corresponding to the neck and the cylindrical hole, in which the first cover is arranged to a height in contact with a liquid surface of the washing liquid such that it covers the washing tank.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tetsuji Kawahara