Patent ID: 6358471
Filing Date: 2002-03-19
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
An automatic measuring apparatus comprising an annular conveyor for conveying specimen receptacles each having a top opening and reaction receptacles each having a top opening, wherein said specimen and reaction receptacles are intermixed along the conveyor, conveyance means for imparting a drive to said conveyor, dispensing means for acquiring a certain amount of specimen from said specimen receptacles and for discharging the specimen into said reaction receptacles, and transfer means for transferring said dispensing means in both the horizontal and vertical directions, wherein a horizontally extending track of said dispensing means defined by said transfer means coincides with part of a receptacle conveyance track provided by said conveyance means, further comprising a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of receptacles being conveyed on said conveyor and for detecting if the sorts of said receptacles are present, and a sensor for detecting that said receptacles detected to be present has been conveyed to a predetermined position on said coinciding part of said receptacle conveyance track, said two sensors being arranged along said conveyor.