Patent ID: 7824915
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: B01F,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An automatic analyzer comprising: an optical detector for analyzing a sample; a plurality of sample probes, each sample probe including a sample probe head having a sample nozzle for dispensing a sample; a plurality of rails in the same plane, said sample probes being mounted to move along said rails; said sample probes moving along said rails from a sample suction position to a sample discharge position; a plurality of reaction cuvettes into which samples are dispensed by said sample probes and in which a reaction takes place followed by analysis with said optical detector; and a controller for controlling said sample probes to reciprocally move between said sample suction position and said sample discharge position alternately so as to prevent said sample probes from colliding with each other, a sample in a sample container positioned at said sample suction position being discharged into a reaction cuvette that is moved and positioned at said sample discharge position using said plurality of sample probes, wherein said rails make a closed loop including said sample suction position and said sample discharge position; each of said sample probes having a moving path, moving paths of said sample probes being different from each other, each of said sample probes being moved between said sample suction position and said sample discharge position, and a plurality of washing ports for washing said sample probes, each of said washing ports being arranged at each of said moving paths; and each of said sample probes includes a nozzle clogging detecting means detecting clogging of a nozzle of one of said sample probes, said controller controlling sample dispensing operations of said sample probes on the basis of the information regarding clogging of said nozzle of said one of said sample probes, wherein when said controller judges clogging of a nozzle sucking a sample from one said sample container by said one sample probe on the basis of said information, said controller stops another said probe from sucking a sample from said one sample container.