US 12,292,453 B2
Automatic analysis apparatus
Takeshi Ishida, Tokyo (JP); Yoshihiro Yamashita, Tokyo (JP); Hisashi Yabutani, Tokyo (JP); and Koshin Hamasaki, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 16/764,178
Filed by Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 31, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/040545
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 14, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/107055, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 6, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-231975 (JP), filed on Dec. 1, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0378994 A1, Dec. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/00663 (2013.01) [G01N 2035/00673 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automatic analysis apparatus, comprising:
a reagent disk in which a plurality of reagent vessels holding a plurality of reagents are arranged, the plurality of reagent vessels including a first reagent vessel and the plurality of reagents including a first reagent;
a suction nozzle which sucks the first reagent held in the first reagent vessel positioned on the reagent disk in a reagent suction position;
an analysis unit which executes an analysis operation by adding the first reagent sucked from the first reagent vessel to a specimen via the suction nozzle;
a sterilizing mechanism detachably attached to each of the plurality of reagent vessels via a fixing portion and having an ultraviolet ray source which is configured to sterilize the first reagent by ultraviolet irradiation, and an electrode or a substrate as a power supply unit which is configured to supply electric power to the ultraviolet ray source, the ultraviolet ray source comprising a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs configured to emit ultraviolet rays having different wavelengths, each of which has a wavelength that sterilizes one of the plurality of reagents, wherein the plurality of ultraviolet LEDs are disposed in the fixing portion;
a heat insulation structure which is arranged between the sterilizing mechanism and the first reagent within the suction nozzle; and
a control unit configured to variably control an ultraviolet irradiation dose from each of the ultraviolet LEDs to be used in the ultraviolet irradiation of each of the plurality of reagents by controlling the wavelength and an emission time of an ultraviolet ray emitted from each of the ultraviolet LEDs into each of the plurality of reagent vessels from above a mouth thereof,
wherein the heat insulation structure is arranged between the sterilizing mechanism and the first reagent in the suction nozzle in order to heat-insulate the sterilizing mechanism from the first reagent in the suction nozzle.