Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Hitachi High-tech Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Yoichiro Suzuki

Takenori Okusa

Shigenori Watari

Tomonori Mimura

Katsuhiro Kambara

Ryo Miyake

Hiroyasu Uchida

Miki Taki

Akira Inagaki

Hajime Katou

Hidetsugu Tanoue

Tetsuji Kawahara

Kenshiro Sakata

Yuichi Abe

Kazuhiro Noda

Jun Etoh

Taku Sakazume

Masato Ishizawa

Yoko Inoue

Manabu Ochi

Hideharu Hattori

Takashi Saegusa

Yosuke Horie

Yasuki Kakishita

Yoshimichi Satou

Masaaki Odakura

Hiroki Nakano

Yusuke Minemura

Shotaro Sagawa

Kumiko Kanai

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 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

An automatic analyzer which accurately detects a liquid volume of a reagent irrespective of a shape of a reagent container is provided. The invention is directed to an automatic analyzer including: a reagent container that contains a reagent; an emission unit that is provided outside the reagent container and emits light so as to pass inside the reagent container; a light receiving unit that is provided outside the reagent container and receives the light emitted from the emission unit; and a determination unit that, based on the light received by the light receiving unit, detects a liquid level inside the reagent container, and determines whether a liquid volume in the reagent container becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value from the liquid level. A wavelength of the light is determined based on a material of the reagent container and a type of the reagent.

Automatic analyzer

A state of a sample surface is accurately determined without lowering analysis efficiency. There is provided an apparatus for determining a state of a sample to be analyzed contained in a container, in which the apparatus acquires an image of the sample, analyzes a position and a size of an object to be detected with respect to a detection range set in the image by using the image of the sample, and determines the state of the sample based on a result of the analysis.

Apparatus, method for determining state of sample, and analysis system

In preparation for a case in which the time at which a first reagent probe comes into contact with cleaning liquid and the time at which a second reagent probe comes into contact with cleaning liquid are the same, an automated analyzer is provided with a charge accumulation unit that is provided between a supply port comprising a conductive material that is electrically connected to the cleaning liquids and a device housing and has a capacitance that is greater than or equal to that of the first reagent probe and second reagent probe. As a result, it is possible to prevent interference between the liquid-surface contact determination units of a plurality of probes.

Automated analyzer

Provided are a liquid surface inspection device, an automated analysis device, and a liquid surface inspection method with which instances of contamination can be minimized and the accuracy of the manner in which the surface conditions, such as bubbles or the like, of a liquid substance are detected can be enhanced. The device has: a light illumination unit for illuminating a container holding a liquid substance, as well as the surface of the liquid substance, with light; an image capture unit for acquiring a video image having at least color information and brightness information of light from the container and the liquid substance which are illuminated by the light illumination unit; and a detection unit for using the color information and brightness information in the video image captured by the image capture unit to detect the condition of the liquid surface.

Liquid surface inspection device, automated analysis device, and processing device

In the past, when centering the center of a liquid surface and fixation thereof proved difficult during mounting a container into an automatic analytical apparatus, there was sometimes the possibility that the accuracy of checking the liquid surface conditions and the pipetting precision could not be ensured. When this problem occurred, there was the possibility that the reliability of the analysis results would be diminished. Accordingly, an automatic analytical apparatus is provided with a probe for suctioning a liquid to be used in analysis, wherein the apparatus is provided with a transport apparatus for transporting a container accommodating the liquid, and a container-clamping apparatus for clamping the container transported by the transport apparatus. The container-clamping apparatus has a vibration suppression mechanism for retaining the clamped container with an elastic body, and a centering retention mechanism with which centering of the container center can be fixed.

Automatic analytical apparatus

Chemical analysis apparatus for inserting a sample serving as an analyzable substance and a reagent into a reaction container and agitating by irradiating sound waves to the reaction container, the chemical analysis apparatus including: a piezoelectric element generating sound waves; and a driver for driving the piezoelectric element, and including: a wave form producing device for producing an oscillation waveform having a fundamental frequency of the sound waves to be irradiated; an auxiliary waveform producing device for producing an oscillation wave form having a frequency lower than that of the oscillation waveform; a multiplying circuit creating a multiplied waveform between the waveform and the wave form; and, a power amplifier for power-amplifying the multiplied waveform, wherein it is intermittently irradiated with the sound wave in the reaction container, and further, the wave form producing device has a function capable of frequency-modulation with a prescribed frequency width.

Chemical analysis apparatus and chemical analysis method

A chemical analysis apparatus comprising reaction containers containing therein a substance to be analyzed; an agitating mechanism spaced from the substance to be analyzed and agitating said substance to be analyzed with a liquid in said reaction container; and, a measuring portion for measuring physical properties of the substance to be analyzed, said agitating mechanism having a sound supply portion supplying sound waves to the substance to be analyzed, wherein said sound supply portion comprises a mechanism changing, in time, intensity of ultrasonic waves to be irradiated so as to apply pulsation to a swirl flow in the reaction container.

To increase the direct light received by the detector and decrease reflections from the detection component support structures, the luminescent substance is placed as close to the detector as possible. More specifically, the apparatus is configured so as to slide out a structure shielding the detector from light and at the same time slide in the vessel containing the luminescent substance therein until the vessel comes right under the detector. The invention can detect trace luminescence from a small-volume sample by maximizing the amount of direct light received from the sample and minimizing the decay of indirect light received from the sample attributable to interactions with the vessel for containing the sample therein, the structure for collecting light, and the structure for supporting other detection components.

Luminescence measuring apparatus

Provided is a chemical analysis apparatus comprising a mechanism which can efficiently agitate a substance to be agitated so that a sample and a reagent are agitated and mixed together in a shorter time with a saved consumption power, incorporating a plurality of sound sources or reflecting plates, and a reaction container is located between one of the sound sources and another of the sound sources or one of the reflecting plates, whereby sound waves can be irradiated toward the reaction container in several directions in order to efficiently fluidize a solution in the reaction container.

A chemical analysis apparatus in which a sample to be analyzed and a reagent are placed into a reaction container, and sound waves are irradiated to said reaction container so as to agitate them, wherein said chemical analysis apparatus comprises a piezoelectric element producing said sound waves, and drivers for driving said piezoelectric element, said sound waves being intermittently irradiated into said reaction container.

In order to provide an automatic analyzer which ensures accurate absorbance measurement even when ultrasonic wave intensity for agitation of the sample and reagent or the like becomes excessive, multiple reaction vessels are placed as follows: As viewed from the top of the reaction disk , the reaction disk is divided into four parts, and the side wall of the reaction vessel does not intersect with two light beams which intersect with each other at right angles. Herein multiple reaction vessels are located at an inclined position approximately at an angle of about 45 deg. This layout allows the reaction vessel to have the surface exposed to ultrasonic wave intersecting to the applied ultrasonic wave appropriately at right angles, and absorbance measuring surface intersecting to the applied measurement wave appropriately at right angles. It is possible to configure that the surface exposed to ultrasonic wave and absorbance measuring surface are different surfaces to ensure that this absorbance measuring surface is not be exposed to ultrasonic wave.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Yoichiro Suzuki