Patent ID: 8545757

Claim:
An automatic analyzer comprising: a reaction vessel adapted to receive a sample from a sample vessel and a reagent from a reagent vessel; a reaction vessel retention mechanism for holding the reaction vessel; means to subject the sample and the reagent in the reaction vessel to analysis; a sample dispensing mechanism to draw a sample from the sample vessel into a cavity in the sample dispensing mechanism and to discharge the sample into the reaction vessel; a nozzle in the sample dispensing mechanism for dispensing the sample, the nozzle having a nozzle cavity; a pressure altering mechanism in the sample dispensing mechanism for changing the pressure inside the nozzle cavity to discharge the sample into the reaction vessel; a nozzle transfer mechanism for transferring the nozzle between the sample vessel and the reaction vessel; a pressure detecting mechanism in the sample dispensing mechanism for detecting the pressure inside the nozzle cavity; and a control mechanism; wherein the control mechanism includes: a liquid-sway detecting function for detecting a liquid sway of the liquid inside the nozzle cavity based on the output from the pressure detecting mechanism; and a control function for controlling the operation of the pressure altering mechanism based on the output from the liquid-sway detecting function.