Patent ID: 8048374

Claim:
A reagent transfer apparatus of an automatic analyzer comprising: a rotary reagent cassette transfer mechanism having a first rotating mechanism for rotating reagent cassettes to a reagent dispensing position; a rotary reagent cassette changing mechanism for holding at least one reagent cassette having a second rotating mechanism for rotating said at least one reagent cassette held by said reagent cassette changing mechanism; a reagent cassette sliding mechanism for moving said reagent cassette held by said reagent cassette changing mechanism to said reagent cassette transfer mechanism; and a control mechanism configured to control said first and second rotating mechanisms in a transfer operation of said at least one reagent cassette held by said reagent cassette changing mechanism such that a same relative positional relationship is maintained between said reagent cassette changing mechanism and said reagent cassette transfer mechanism, and said control mechanism being further configured to align said reagent cassette sliding mechanism with an empty position of said reagent cassette transfer mechanism wherein said reagent cassette sliding mechanism transfers said at least one reagent cassette held by said reagent cassette changing mechanism to said empty position of said reagent cassette transfer mechanism from said reagent cassette changing mechanism wherein said reagent cassette changing mechanism includes a lift for transferring a reagent cassette in up and down directions between a position supporting said at least one reagent cassette on said reagent cassette changing mechanism and a position supporting said at least one reagent cassette on said reagent cassette transfer mechanism.