US 12,345,724 B2
Sample measuring apparatus, reagent container, and method of measuring sample
Yutaka Kawamoto, Kobe (JP); Tomohiro Kuroiwa, Kobe (JP); and Shingo Kaida, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed by SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed on Jul. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/937,797.
Application 16/937,797 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2018/045091, filed on Dec. 7, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-010334 (JP), filed on Jan. 25, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0355714 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. G01N 35/02 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/025 (2013.01) [G01N 35/04 (2013.01); G01N 35/1002 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00356 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0403 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample measuring apparatus comprising:
a container holder that is configured to hold a reagent container comprising an openable/closable lid portion that covers an opening of the reagent container;
a reagent cooler that stores the container holder;
a reagent dispenser that includes an aspiration tube configured to aspirate a reagent in the reagent container with the lid portion being in an opened state and dispense the aspirated reagent into a reaction container;
a pressing unit that includes a pressing piece configured to seal the opening, by pressing by the pressing piece, toward the opening, the lid portion laid over the opening; and
a measuring unit that includes a detector that is configured to measure components contained in a measurement specimen prepared from a sample and the reagent dispensed in the reaction container, wherein
the reagent cooler comprises a top surface portion having a hole portion through which the pressing piece and the aspiration tube advance from an outside of the reagent cooler to an inside of the reagent cooler,
the hole portion of the top surface portion of the reagent cooler comprises: a first hole portion provided at a position where the pressing piece passes through the top surface portion; and a second hole portion is provided at a position where the aspiration tube of the reagent dispenser passes through the top surface portion,
the sample measurement apparatus further comprises a shutter mechanism configured to open and close the first hole portion and the second hole portion of the top surface portion of the reagent cooler,
the shutter mechanism is configured, in response to the pressing piece coming into contact with the shutter mechanism along with a downward movement of the pressing piece from the outside of the reagent cooler toward the inside of the reagent cooler, to open the first hole portion and the second hole portion of the reagent cooler so as to allow the pressing piece and the aspiration tube to advance into the reagent cooler,
the shutter mechanism comprises a pair of shutters adjacent to each other and movable in directions away from each other,
the pressing piece is arranged between the pair of shutters and movable upward and downward,
each of the pair of shutters comprises a pole-shaped member pivotably joined, by a shutter hinge, at one of end portions of the shutter,
the first hole portion of the top surface portion of the reagent cooler is located in a position closer to the one end portion of the shutter than the second hole portion, and
the second hole portion of the top surface portion of the reagent cooler is located in a position closer to the other end portion of the shutter than the first hole portion and has a size greater than a size of the first hole portion.