Patent Publication Number: US-10788479-B2

Title: Automatic analyzer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/651,684, filed Jun. 12, 2015, which is a 371 of international PCT/JP2013/083407, filed Dec. 13, 2013, which claims priority of Japanese patent application No. 2012-281936, filed Dec. 26, 2012, the entirety of the contents and subject matter of all of the above is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer which analyzes the amount of a component contained in a sample such as blood or urine, and particularly relates to an automatic analyzer which can measure items of a blood coagulation time and coagulation-fibrinolysis markers. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Blood maintains its fluidity in blood vessels and flows therethrough. However, once bleeding occurs, a coagulation factor present in plasma or platelets is activated in a chain reaction, and fibrinogen in plasma is converted into fibrin, and the fibrin is deposited, whereby bleeding is arrested. Such blood coagulation includes an extrinsic one in which blood leaking outside the blood vessel coagulates and an intrinsic one in which blood coagulates in the blood vessel. The measurement items with respect to blood coagulability (coagulation time) include a prothrombin time (PT) in an extrinsic blood coagulation reaction test, an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and a fibrinogen level (Fbg) in an intrinsic blood coagulation reaction test, and the like. 
     All these items are measured by detecting fibrin deposited by adding a reagent to start coagulation using an optical, physical, or electrical technique. As the method using an optical technique, there is known a method in which light is irradiated onto a reaction solution, and fibrin deposited in the reaction solution is detected as a change in the intensity of scattered light or transmitted light over time, whereby the time when fibrin starts to deposit is calculated. Further, in the field of blood coagulation-fibrinolysis test, other than the measurement of a blood coagulation time, also the measurement of a coagulation factor and the measurement of coagulation-fibrinolysis markers are also included. In the measurement of a coagulation factor, the measurement is performed mainly in a blood coagulation time measurement section, however, coagulation-fibrinolysis markers are analyzed using an absorptiometer by a synthetic substrate method, a latex agglutination method, or the like. 
     In an automatic blood coagulation analyzer represented by PTL 1, it is necessary to report the result of the measurement of a coagulation time in 0.1 second unit and it is necessary to perform continuous photometry, and since it is impossible to recycle a reaction container by cleaning when a reaction solution is coagulated, the reaction is performed in an independent photometric port, and the reaction container is disposable. Further, the coagulation time is as short as several seconds, and therefore, it is necessary that the temperature should reach 37° C. which is the temperature condition required for the reaction immediately after a sample and a reagent are mixed with each other. The reagent is generally stored in a reagent cool box at 5 to 10° C., and in order to heat the reagent, a reagent dispensing mechanism for a reagent for use in the item of a coagulation time is provided with a reagent heating function. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     PTL 1: JP-A-2000-321286 
     PTL 2: JP-A-2004-37161 
     PTL 3: JP-A-2008-70355 
     PTL 4: Japanese Utility Model No. 3,037,641 
     PTL 5: JP-A-2008-203009 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     The essential conditions for analyzing the item of a blood coagulation time with good reproducibility are stable reagent heating and dispensing of a reagent with good reproducibility. 
     With respect to the reagent heating, there was a problem that the control of the temperature of the reagent discharged becomes unstable because of the following reasons: (1) a change in the heating conditions due to a variation in the temperature outside the device; (2) a variation in the temperature of the tip end of a reagent nozzle due to a variation in the temperature outside the device; (3) a temperature fall of a temperature control section when the reagent nozzle is cleaned due to a variation in the temperature of supply water to the device, etc. 
     With respect to (1), in PTL 2 and PTL 3, a technique for changing the conditions for heating the reagent by monitoring the outside temperature is described. However, even when only the outside temperature is monitored, if the temperature of supply water is unstable, a problem arises that the discharge temperature becomes unstable or it takes time to stabilize the temperature of the heating section. 
     Further, with respect to (2), in PTL 4, the temperature is controlled with a heater up to the vicinity between the tip ends of the reagent nozzles, however, it is necessary to increase the size of a suction port of a reagent bottle because the tip end of the reagent nozzle is thickened, and therefore, there is a concern that the storage state of the reagent or the like may be affected. Further, in the case where the nozzle is exchanged due to the degradation over time or breakage of the nozzle, or the like, the nozzle is exchanged with an expensive nozzle. 
     With respect to (3), a technique for improving the dispensing accuracy by controlling the temperature of supply water to the device in the device is introduced by PTL 5, however, the technique is not related to the temperature control performance of the reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function, and therefore is not a technique for suppressing a dispersion of the variation in the temperature of the reagent heating section. 
     An object of the invention is to provide an automatic analyzer which can perform an analysis with high reproducibility by realizing stable reagent heating and high dispensing accuracy regardless of a variation in the temperature outside the device and the temperature of supply water to the device. 
     Solution to Problem 
     The automatic analyzer of the invention for achieving the above object is an automatic analyzer including: a reaction disk, on which reaction cells for allowing a sample and a reagent to mix and react with each other are arranged on the circumference thereof, and which alternately repeats rotation and stop; a thermostat bath for controlling the reagent or a reaction solution in the reaction cell to have a constant temperature; a first reagent dispensing mechanism which dispenses the reagent into the reaction cell; a photometer which detects transmitted light or scattered light by irradiating light onto the reaction solution in the reaction cell; a reaction container supply section which supplies a disposable reaction container for allowing the sample and the reagent to mix and react with each other; a second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function which dispenses the reagent into the disposable reaction container; a coagulation time detection section which detects transmitted light or scattered light by irradiating light onto the reaction solution in the disposable reaction container; a reaction container temperature control block which has the coagulation time detection section and is used for controlling the reagent or the reaction solution in the disposable reaction container to have a constant temperature; a reagent dispensing syringe which is connected to the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a heating function; and a fluid temperature control mechanism which controls the temperature of an internal fluid of the reagent dispensing syringe. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     According to the invention, an automatic analyzer which can perform an analysis with high reproducibility can be provided by realizing stable reagent heating and high dispensing accuracy regardless of a variation in the temperature outside the device and the temperature of supply water to the device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a system block diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer of a turn table system serving as a base according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an automatic analyzer provided with a biochemical analysis section of a turn table system and a coagulation time measurement section according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing a coagulation time measurement section cover according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a flow channel of a reagent dispensing mechanism with a heating function according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows one example of a coagulation time measurement sequence according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a view showing one example of a state of controlling the temperature around the reagent dispensing mechanism with a heating function according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 7( a ) to 7( d )  are views showing the flow of a dispensing operation in the case where segmental air is sucked inside the coagulation time measurement section cover according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 8( a ) to 8( d )  are views showing the flow of a dispensing operation in the case where segmental air is sucked inside a reaction cell according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a view showing a reagent dispensing mechanism provided with a block which makes the temperature around a reagent probe constant when discharging a reagent according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a view showing one example of an operation of the reagent dispensing mechanism provided with a block which makes the temperature around a reagent probe constant when discharging a reagent according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference signs throughout the drawings for describing the embodiments in principle, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted as much as possible. 
       FIG. 1  is a system block diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic analyzer of a turn table system serving as a base according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , an automatic analyzer  1  is mainly composed of a reaction disk  10 , a sample disk  20 , a first reagent disk  30   a,  a second reagent disk  30   b,  a light source  40 , a photometer  41 , and a computer  50 . 
     The reaction disk  10  is intermittently rotatably provided, and on the disk, a number of reaction cells  11  made of a light transmitting material are arranged along the circumferential direction. The reaction cells  11  are maintained at a predetermined temperature (for example 37° C.) by a thermostat bath  12 . The temperature of a fluid in the thermostat bath  12  is controlled by a thermostat device  13 . The thermostat bath  12  can control a reagent or a reaction solution in the reaction cell  11  to have a constant temperature. 
     On the sample disk  20 , a number of specimen containers  21  for storing a biological sample such as blood or urine are placed doubly along the circumferential direction in an example shown in the drawing. Further, a sample dispensing mechanism  22  is disposed in the vicinity of the sample disk  20 . This sample dispensing mechanism  22  is mainly composed of a movable arm  23  and a pipette nozzle  24  attached thereto. According to this configuration, in the sample dispensing mechanism  22 , the pipette nozzle  24  is appropriately moved to a dispensing position by the movable arm  23  when dispensing the sample, sucks a predetermined amount of the sample therein from the specimen container  21  positioned at a sucking-in position on the sample disk  20 , and discharges the sample into the reaction cell  11  present at a discharge position on the reaction disk  10 . 
     The first reagent disk  30   a  and the second reagent disk  30   b  are disposed inside a first reagent cool box  31   a  and a second reagent cool box  31   b,  respectively. In the first reagent cool box  31   a  and the second reagent cool box  31   b,  multiple first reagent bottles  32   a  and second reagent bottles  32   b,  each attached with a label displaying reagent identification information such as a bar code, are placed along the circumferential direction of the first reagent disk  30   a  and the second reagent disk  30   b,  respectively. In each of the first reagent bottles  32   a  and the second reagent bottles  32   b,  a reagent liquid corresponding to an analysis item which can be analyzed by the automatic analyzer  1  is stored. Further, to the first reagent cool box  31   a  and the second reagent cool box  31   b,  a first bar code reading device  33   a,  and a second bar code reading device  33   b  are attached, respectively, and these devices read the bar code displayed on the outer wall of each of the first reagent bottles  32   a  and the second reagent bottles  32   b  at the time of registration of the reagent. The read-out reagent information is registered in a memory  56  together with the positions thereof on the first reagent disk  30   a  and the second reagent disk  30   b.    
     Further, in the vicinities of the first reagent disk  30   a  and the second reagent disk  30   b,  a first reagent dispensing mechanism  34   a  and a third reagent dispensing mechanism  34   b,  each of which has substantially the same mechanism as that of the sample dispensing mechanism  22  are disposed, respectively. When dispensing the reagent, by a pipette nozzle provided in these mechanisms, the reagent is sucked therein from each of the first reagent bottles  32   a  and the second reagent bottles  32   b  corresponding to the test item positioned at reagent receiving positions on the reaction disk  10 , and is discharged into the corresponding reaction cell  11 . 
     A first stirring mechanism  35   a  and a second stirring mechanism  35   b  are disposed at positions surrounded by the reaction disk  10 , the first reagent disk  30   a,  the second reagent disk  30   b,  the first reagent dispensing mechanism  34   a,  and the third reagent dispensing mechanism  34   b.  The mixed solution of the sample and the reagent stored in the reaction cell  11  is stirred by the first stirring mechanism  35   a  or the second stirring mechanism  35   b  so as to accelerate a reaction. 
     Here, the light source  40  is disposed near a central portion of the reaction disk  10 , the photometer  41  is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the reaction disk  10 , and the line of the reaction cells  11  after the stirring is completed is rotationally moved so as to pass through a photometric position sandwiched between the light source  40  and the photometer  41 . Incidentally, the light source  40  and the photometer  41  constitute a light detection system. The photometer  41  is a photometer which detects transmitted light or scattered light. 
     The reaction solution of the sample and the reagent in each reaction cell  11  is subjected to photometry every time the reaction cell passes across the front of the photometer  41  during the rotational motion of the reaction disk  10 . An analog signal of scattered light measured for each sample is input to an A/D (analog/digital) converter  54 . The inside of the used reaction cell  11  is cleaned by a reaction cell cleaning mechanism  36  disposed in the vicinity of the reaction disk  10 , so that the reaction cell can be used repeatedly. 
     Next, a control system and a signal processing system in the automatic analyzer  1  shown in  FIG. 1  will be briefly described. The computer  50  is connected to a sample dispensing control section  52 , a reagent dispensing control section  53 , and the A/D converter  54  via an interface  51 . The computer  50  sends a command to the sample dispensing control section  52  so as to control the sample dispensing operation. Further, the computer  50  sends a command to the reagent dispensing control section  53  so as to control the reagent dispensing operation. A photometric value converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter  54  is put into the computer  50 . 
     A printer  55  for printing, a memory  56  and an external output medium  57 , each serving as a memory device, a keyboard  58  for inputting an operation command or the like, and a CRT display (display device)  59  for display on a screen are connected to the interface  51 . As the display device  59 , a liquid crystal display or the like can be adopted other than the CRT display. The memory  56  is composed of, for example, a hard disk memory or an external memory. The memory  56  stores information such as a password of each operator, a display level of each screen, an analysis parameter, an analysis item request content, a calibration result, and an analysis result. 
     Next, a sample analysis operation in the automatic analyzer  1  shown in  FIG. 1  will be described. The analysis parameter with respect to the item which can be analyzed by the automatic analyzer  1  is previously input via an information input device such as the keyboard  58  and is stored in the memory  56 . The operator selects a test item requested for each sample by using an operation function screen. 
     At this time, information such as a patient ID is also input from the keyboard  58 . In order to analyze the test item designated for each sample, the pipette nozzle  24  of the sample dispensing mechanism  22  dispenses a predetermined amount of the sample into the reaction cell  11  from the specimen container  21  in accordance with the analysis parameter. 
     The reaction cell  11  into which the sample has been dispensed is transported by the rotation of the reaction disk  10  and stops at the reagent receiving position. The pipette nozzles of the first reagent dispensing mechanism  34   a  and the third reagent dispensing mechanism  34   b  dispense a predetermined amount of the reagent liquid into the reaction cell  11  in accordance with the analysis parameter of the corresponding test item. The order of dispensing the sample and the reagent maybe opposite to this example, and the reagent may be dispensed prior to the sample. 
     Thereafter, by the first stirring mechanism  35   a  and the second stirring mechanism  35   b,  the sample and the reagent are stirred and mixed with each other. When the reaction cell  11  passes across the photometric position, the transmitted light or scattered light obtained from the reaction solution is photometrically measured by the photometer  41 . The photometrically measured transmitted light or scattered light is converted into a numerical value which is proportional to the light intensity by the A/D converter  54 , and the numerical value is put into the computer  50  via the interface  51 . 
     By using this converted numerical value, the concentration data is calculated based on a calibration curve previously measured by an analysis method specified for each test item. The component concentration data as the analysis result of each test item is output to the printer  55  or the screen of the CRT display  59 . 
     Before the above-described measurement operation is executed, the operator performs setting of various parameters and registration of the sample required for the analysis measurement via the operation screen of the CRT display  59 . Moreover, the operator confirms the analysis result obtained after the measurement by using the operation screen on the CRT display  59 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an automatic analyzer provided with a biochemical analysis section of a turn table system and a coagulation time measurement section according to an embodiment of the invention. The automatic analyzer is configured such that the sample dispensing mechanism  22  is shared by the biochemical analysis section and the coagulation time measurement section, and to the automatic biochemical analyzer of a turn table system shown in  FIG. 1 , a reaction container supply section  63  in which multiple disposable reaction containers  62  to be used for measurement are stocked, a reaction container temperature control block  60  provided with multiple coagulation time detection sections  61 , a reaction container transferring mechanism  65  which transfers the disposable reaction container  62 , a second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66 , a coagulation time sample dispensing position  64 , and a reaction container discarding section  67  are added. The reaction container temperature control block  60  has a coagulation time detection section  61  and can control the reagent or the reaction solution in the disposable reaction container  62  to have a constant temperature. 
     In  FIG. 3 , a coagulation time measurement section cover  68  according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The coagulation time detection section  61  irradiates light from a light source such as LED onto a mixed liquid of a sample and a reagent, and detects a change in scattered light or transmitted light by the deposition of fibrin, whereby a coagulation time is calculated. Therefore, in order to avoid the effect of ambient light such as indoor lighting or sunlight, the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  for the purpose of shielding light is provided. Further, in the invention, the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  also plays a role in blocking the outside air by covering the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66 . Inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68 , other than the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66 , many heat sources such as the reaction container temperature control block  60  and a motor for driving the respective mechanisms are present, and therefore, the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  is inevitably higher than the temperature outside the device. Therefore, when the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  is monitored by a cover&#39;s internal temperature sensor  70  disposed inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68 , and heat is exhausted by an exhaust fan  69  which exhausts air inside this cover, the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  can be maintained constant. For example, a predetermined threshold (for example 30° C.) is set for the cover&#39;s internal temperature sensor  70 , and when the sensor detects a temperature higher than this threshold, the exhaust fan  69  is driven, whereby the temperature can be controlled to be not higher than this threshold. 
     In  FIG. 4 , a schematic view of a flow channel of the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66  according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66  is composed of a reagent probe  71 , a reagent heating heat block  72 , a reagent dispensing syringe  73 , a plunger  74 , a solenoid valve  75 , and a fluid temperature control mechanism  76 , and the inside of the flow channel is filled with an internal fluid (for example, ion exchanged water). By moving the plunger  74  up and down in a state where the solenoid valve  75  is closed, the reagent can be discharged or sucked from the tip end of the reagent probe  71 . Further, when the solenoid valve  75  is opened, the pressurized internal fluid flows through the flow channel and flows out from the tip end of the reagent probe  71 , whereby the inside of the flow channel can be cleaned. 
     The fluid temperature control mechanism  76  controls the temperature of the internal fluid of the reagent dispensing syringe  73 , and is composed of, for example, a heater which heats the fluid in the flow channel and a control mechanism which controls this heater, and is configured to heat the fluid to a constant temperature and maintains the temperature. According to this configuration, even in the case where the temperature outside the device or the temperature of supply water to the device varies, during the course of discharge of the fluid heated to a constant temperature from the reagent probe  71 , the temperature of the flow channel can be maintained substantially constant up to the tip end of the reagent probe  71 , and thus, stable reagent heating and dispensing of the reagent with good reproducibility can be realized. 
     Further, the temperature of air around the flow channel from the reagent probe  71  of the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66  to the fluid temperature control mechanism  76  can be controlled to be a constant temperature by the coagulation time measurement section cover  68 , the exhaust fan  69 , and the cover&#39;s internal temperature sensor  70 . According to this configuration, more stable reagent heating and higher dispensing accuracy can be realized. 
     In  FIG. 5 , one example of a coagulation time measurement sequence according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The heating of the sample discharged into the disposable reaction container  62  is performed by the coagulation time detection section  61  provided for the reaction container temperature control block  60  of the coagulation time measurement section (b to d), and the reagent is preheated (to 37° C.) in the reaction cell  11  on the reaction disk  10  of the biochemical analysis section (i to j). By this preheating, the temperature of the reagent before sucking is controlled to be a constant temperature. The reagent preheated to 37° C. is further heated (to, for example, 39° C.) by the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66 , and discharged into the disposable reaction container  62  containing the sample having already been heated to 37° C., and a blood coagulation reaction is started (e). After the reaction is completed (f), a coagulation time is calculated (g), and the disposable reaction container  62  is discarded to the reaction container discarding section  67  (h). Further, in the reaction cell  11  after the preheated reagent is sucked, cleaning water or a cleansing agent is discharged by the third reagent dispensing mechanism  34   b  (k), and thereafter, the reaction cell is cleaned by the reaction cell cleaning mechanism  36  (l). 
     The measurement of a coagulation time shown in  FIG. 5  is performed as follows. The temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  is maintained to be constant at a temperature lower than 37° C. (for example, 30° C.), and the reagent preheated to 37° C. in the reaction cell  11  is drawn in the reagent heating heat block  72  from the reagent probe  71 , heated to a temperature higher than 37° C. (for example, 39° C.), and discharged into the disposable reaction container  62  whose temperature is controlled to be 37° C. together with the sample by the reaction container temperature control block  60 , and a coagulation time is measured in a state where the internal fluid is controlled to have a temperature lower than that of the reagent heating heat block  72  (for example, 30° C.) by the fluid temperature control mechanism  76 . In this manner, by controlling the temperature such that the control temperature of the fluid temperature control mechanism  76  is lower than the control temperature of the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66 , stable reagent heating and dispensing of the reagent with high accuracy can be achieved independent of the temperature outside the device and the temperature of supply water to the device. 
     In  FIG. 6 , one example of a state of controlling the temperature around the reagent dispensing mechanism with a heating function according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. It is desired to control the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  and the temperature of the internal fluid to be the same temperature for the purpose of maintaining the temperature of the internal fluid which has a great influence on the dispensing accuracy of the dispensing of the reagent to be constant. In the case of performing control to be the same temperature, it is desired to configure the device such that the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover and the temperature of the internal fluid can be controlled by one temperature setting as the setting of the device. In this embodiment, the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  and the temperature of the internal fluid are both controlled to be 30° C. Incidentally, the term “same” as used herein accepts a difference by up to about ±2° C. as an error. 
     It is desired that the preheating temperature of the reagent and the temperature of the reagent heating heat block  72  are as close as possible to each other and also the preheating temperature of the reagent is not higher than the temperature of the reagent heating heat block. In this embodiment, the preheating temperature of the reagent is controlled to be 37° C., and the temperature of the reagent heating heat block is controlled to be 39° C. 
     In  FIGS. 7( a ) to 7( d ) , the flow of the dispensing operation in the case where segmental air is sucked inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The segmental air is required for preventing the reagent from being thinned with the internal fluid, but has a great influence on the dispensing accuracy, reproducibility, and the like because the volume thereof is changed by a change in temperature, and therefore, it is very important to control the temperature of the segmental air when sucking and to control the amount of change in the temperature of the segmental air after sucking. In this embodiment, the change in the temperature of the segmental air is controlled to be from 30° C. to 39° C. 
     In  FIGS. 8( a ) to 8( d ) , the flow of the dispensing operation in the case where the segmental air is sucked inside the reaction cell according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The importance of the control of the temperature of the segmental air when sucking and the control of the amount of change in the temperature of the segmental air after sucking is as described above, however, by decreasing the amount of change in the temperature of the segmental air is as much as possible, the change in the volume of the segmental air can be decreased, and thus, it becomes possible to improve the dispensing accuracy. In this embodiment, by sucking the segmental air inside the reaction cell, that is, at a position which is lower than the opening surface of the reaction cell, the change in the temperature of the segmental air is decreased (from 37° C. to 39° C.) as compared with the change from 30° C. to 39° C. as shown in  FIG. 7 . Due to this, it can be expected to further improve the dispensing accuracy. Further, although the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  results in being controlled within the range of 30° C.±several degrees, the temperature of the thermostat bath  12  to be used for controlling the temperature of the reaction cell  11  is controlled to be 37±0.1° C., and therefore, it is possible to more stably control the temperature of the segmental air. 
       FIG. 9  is a view showing the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a heating function  66  provided with a block which makes the temperature around the reagent dispensing probe constant when discharging the reagent according to an embodiment of the invention. When the reagent is discharged into the disposable reaction container  62 , by discharging the reagent in a state where the reagent dispensing probe is inserted into a heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing, which has a through-hole capable of inserting the reagent dispensing probe therethrough, and is controlled to have a constant temperature (for example, 37±0.3° C.), it becomes possible to more accurately control the temperature as compared with the case where only the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  is controlled. Further, even in the case where the temperature inside the coagulation time measurement section cover  68  is not controlled, a reagent dispensing system which is less susceptible to the effect of the temperature outside the device can be constructed. Incidentally, this heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing is provided at a position different from the reagent sucking position, and therefore, the reagent is sucked without inserting the reagent dispensing probe into the heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing. This heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing may be provided also at the reagent sucking position, however, it is possible to decrease the number of components of the heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing as compared with the case where the heat block  77  is not provided. 
       FIG. 10  additionally shows an installation example of the heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing. The heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing is disposed at a midpoint between the reagent sucking position and the coagulation time detection section  61 . It takes several seconds (for example 3 to 4 seconds) to heat the reagent by the second reagent dispensing mechanism with a reagent heating function  66  after sucking the reagent, and therefore, by heating the reagent in a state where the reagent dispensing probe is inserted into the heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing, the variation in the temperature of the reagent dispensing probe can be suppressed. Further, by discharging the reagent while inserting the reagent dispensing probe into the disposable reaction container  62  whose temperature is controlled to be 37° C. by the reaction container temperature control block  60 , the temperature of the reagent when discharging the reagent can be stabilized. 
     Further, a configuration in which the reaction container temperature control block  60  and the heat block  77  for use prior to dispensing are commonized, the reagent dispensing probe is moved to the coagulation time detection section  61  promptly after sucking the reagent, and the heating and discharge of the reagent are performed in a state where the reagent dispensing probe is inserted into the disposable reaction container  62  whose temperature is controlled to be 37° C. can also be adopted. 
     According to the configuration as the embodiment, it is possible to provide an automatic analyzer capable of performing an analysis with high reproducibility regardless of a variation in the temperature outside the device and the temperature of supply water to the device. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       1 : automatic analyzer 
       10 : reaction disk 
       11 : reaction cell 
       12 : thermostat bath 
       13 : thermostat device 
       20 : sample disk 
       21 : specimen container 
       22 : sample dispensing mechanism 
       23 : movable arm 
       24 : pipette nozzle 
       30   a:  first reagent disk 
       30   b:  second reagent disk 
       31   a:  first reagent cool box 
       31   b:  second reagent cool box 
       32   a:  first reagent bottle 
       32   b:  second reagent bottle 
       33   a:  first bar code reading device 
       33   b:  second bar code reading device 
       34   a:  first reagent dispensing mechanism 
       34   b:  third reagent dispensing mechanism 
       35   a:  first stirring mechanism 
       35   b:  second stirring mechanism 
       36 : reaction cell cleaning mechanism 
       40 : light source 
       41 : photometer 
       50 : computer 
       51 : interface 
       52 : sample dispensing control section 
       53 : reagent dispensing control section 
       54 : A/D converter 
       55 : printer 
       56 : memory 
       57 : external output medium 
       58 : keyboard 
       59 : CRT display (display device) 
       60 : reaction container temperature control block 
       61 : coagulation time detection section 
       62 : disposable reaction container 
       63 : reaction container supply section 
       64 : coagulation time sample dispensing position 
       65 : reaction container transferring mechanism 
       66 : second reagent dispensing mechanism with reagent heating function 
       67 : reaction container discarding section 
       68 : coagulation time measurement section cover 
       69 : exhaust fan 
       70 : cover&#39;s internal temperature sensor 
       71 : reagent probe 
       72 : reagent heating heat block 
       73 : reagent dispensing syringe 
       74 : plunger 
       75 : solenoid valve 
       76 : fluid temperature control mechanism 
       77 : heat block for use prior to dispensing