Patent ID: 8066959
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An automatic analyzer, comprising: a plurality of sample containers disposed at different positions and allocated for different samples to be analyzed; a rotor capable of carrying a plurality of reagent cartridges each comprising a photometric cuvette, a reagent cuvette in which a reagent is hermetically sealed, and an information exhibiting portion, the information exhibiting portion exhibiting information including an analyte type required as a sample for the reagent, the reagent being necessary for analysis of a sample; a rotor driving unit for rotating said rotor; an information reading unit for reading information from said information exhibiting portion of said reagent cartridge; a probe capable of sucking and discharging a liquid; a probe drive unit for driving said probe; an optical measurement unit comprising a light source and a photodetector for performing an absorbance measurement on said photometric cuvette of said reagent cartridge; a memory unit for storing the information read by said information reading unit; and a control unit for controlling the individual units of the analyzer, wherein said control unit is configured to reference the information stored in said memory unit, identify the sample container in which a sample required by said reagent cartridge is loaded based on the information, including analyte type required as a sample for the reagent, stored in said memory unit, and control said probe driving unit such that said probe can be positioned in the identified sample container, wherein said photometric cuvette is moved by the rotation of said rotor on a circle with a second radius that intersects with a circular arc with a first radius at a first point of intersection, and wherein said reagent cuvette is moved by the rotation of said rotor on a circle with a third radius that intersects with said circular arc with said first radius at a second point of intersection, wherein said control unit controls said rotor driving unit to position said photometric cuvette at said first point of intersection when causing a fluid to be discharged to said photometric cuvette, while controlling said probe driving unit so as to position said probe at said first point of intersection, and wherein said control unit controls said rotor driving unit to position said first reagent cuvette at said second point of intersection when causing a reagent to be sucked from said reagent cuvette, while controlling said probe driving unit so as to position said probe at said second point of intersection.