Patent ID: 8658102

Claim:
A chemical analysis apparatus comprising: an analysis tank configured to hold fluid; reaction containers configured to contain therein a substance to be analyzed, the reaction containers being placeable in the fluid of the analysis tank; an agitating unit spaced from the substance to be analyzed, for mixing and agitating a solution mixture formed of the substance to be analyzed and a liquid together in a reaction container of the reaction containers, wherein the agitating unit has a multi-segmented sound supply portion, disposed at one lateral side in a vertical cross section extending throughout the analysis tank, adapted to irradiate sound waves unilaterally in one direction through the solution mixture to apply a lateral sound-wave force to the solution mixture, and a sound-reflecting portion provided with a reflecting surface for reflecting the sound waves downward and back into the solution mixture to apply a downward sound-wave force to the solution mixture, toward the bottom of the reaction container, where the sound-reflecting portion is disposed at a position so as to interpose the reaction container between the sound reflecting portion and the sound supply portion; a controlling unit and a driver circuit connected to each other, and configured to: receive data relating to a quantity of the solution mixture to be agitated, use the data to determine a height of a liquid surface of the solution mixture, determine a sound wave irradiating zone including the liquid surface, from which the lateral sound-wave force should be exerted, selecting and driving one or more segment of the multi-segmented sound supply portion to output the lateral sound-wave from the sound irradiating zone including the liquid surface, wherein the lateral sound-wave force and the downward sound-wave force are biased to induce a swirling circulation flow of the solution mixture of the liquid and the substance to follow a path along the liquid-surface of the solution mixture, down a lateral wall, across a bottom wall and up an opposite lateral wall, back to the liquid surface, of the reaction container, and wherein the sound supply portion includes a unit changing, in time, intensity of ultrasonic waves so as to apply pulsation to the swirling circulation flow in the reaction container.