US 11,796,550 B2
Sample analyzer, sample analyzing method, and reagent container holder
Takuya Fujii, Kobe (JP); Hironori Katsumi, Kobe (JP); and Akio Toyoda, Kobe (JP)
Assigned to SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed by SYSMEX CORPORATION, Kobe (JP)
Filed on Feb. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/785,688.
Application 16/785,688 is a continuation of application No. 15/379,549, filed on Dec. 15, 2016, granted, now 10,591,500.
Claims priority of application No. 2015-246614 (JP), filed on Dec. 17, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0174031 A1, Jun. 4, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 35/02 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01); B01L 9/06 (2006.01); G01N 35/04 (2006.01); G01N 21/59 (2006.01); G01N 33/49 (2006.01); G01N 33/86 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/025 (2013.01) [B01L 9/06 (2013.01); G01N 21/59 (2013.01); G01N 33/4905 (2013.01); G01N 33/86 (2013.01); G01N 35/00732 (2013.01); G01N 35/04 (2013.01); G01N 35/1002 (2013.01); G01N 35/1009 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00752 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0406 (2013.01); G01N 2035/046 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0443 (2013.01); G01N 2201/08 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample analyzer comprising:
a controller;
a carousel rotatably supporting a plurality of reagent container holders in a circular arrangement in a horizontal plane about a central axis, each reagent container holder comprising a lever and configured to hold a reagent container at an adjustable tilt with respect to the horizontal plane;
a code scanner configured to read a code attached to the reagent container held by the reagent container holder;
a drive unit configured to adjust the tilt of one of the reagent container holders by moving a position of the lever under control of the controller;
a reagent dispenser configured to aspirate a reagent in the reagent container; and
a detector configured to detect a signal of analyte in a sample which is mixed with the reagent aspirated by the reagent dispenser; wherein
the controller determines an appropriate tilt for each of the plurality of reagent container holders based on a result of reading by the code scanner of the respective code attached to each of the plurality of reagent containers held by the plurality of reagent container holders, and controls the drive unit to adjust the tilt of at least one of the plurality of reagent container holders according to the determined appropriate tilt based on the result of reading the respective code.