To provide an automated analyzer capable of shortening analysis time. The automated analyzer includes a vessel which contains a mixed solution of a specimen and a reagent; and a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer before the second operation, in which the control unit performs the first operation and the third operation in parallel. Alternatively, the automated analyzer includes a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer after the first operation, in which the control unit performs the second operation and the third operation in parallel.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method and/or a device for carrying out chemical, biochemical and/or immunochemical analyses of liquid samples, which are present in a sample store of an automatic analyzer, with the aid of liquid reagents which are present in at least one reagent store of the analyzer. In one example embodiment, the automatic analyzer includes cuvettes, a first pipettor, a device with an optical measurement unit, a device for heterogenous immunoassays, a cuvette washing unit, a needle washing unit, a temperature control unit.

Provided is an automatic analyzer capable of reducing risks such as infection, injury, and damage to the device caused by manual operation of a user. In the automatic analyzer according to the present disclosure, an unused vessel holding unit is configured to be able to hold a cleaning member that cleans a hole for mounting a reaction vessel, and a reaction vessel transport unit or a specimen probe picks up the cleaning member from the unused vessel holding unit, transports the cleaning member to the reaction vessel mounting unit, and inserts and removes the cleaning member into and from the hole, thereby cleaning the inner surface of the hole.

The automatic analyzer includes a storage unit storing the reaction containers of cleaning target by day unit in such a manner that all the reaction containers mounted on a reaction disk are to be cleaning target within a plurality of days, and a control unit exerts a control in such a manner that during an operation state after the sample of analysis object is dispensed to the reaction containers, a sample of analysis object in each of the reaction containers is analyzed, and not the sample but a detergent is dispensed to the reaction containers of cleaning target of an appointed day, the reaction containers of cleaning target of the appointed day being stored in the storage unit, to soak and wash the reaction containers for a certain time.

The present invention reduces the turnaround time of an automated analyzer. During a period when cyclic measurement by a measurement unit is unnecessary, a controller washes a reaction vessel using a washing cycle having a cycle time shorter than that of an analysis cycle. A single analysis cycle and a single washing cycle both include a reaction disc stopping period and rotation period. In the washing cycle, there is no time during the stopping period when a sample dispensing mechanism, reagent dispensing mechanism, or stirring mechanism operates but there is a time when a washing mechanism operates. The washing cycle stopping period is shorter than the analysis cycle stopping period. The amount of rotation of the reaction disk in the analysis cycle rotation period is the same as the amount of rotation of the reaction disk in the washing cycle rotation period.

According to one embodiment, an automatic analyzing apparatus includes a feeder and a mixer unit. The feeder is configured to feed a first liquid and a second liquid. The mixer unit includes an inflow part, an internal space, and an outflow part. The mixer unit is configured so that the first liquid and the second liquid fed from the feeder enter through the inflow part, the first liquid and the second liquid entering through the inflow part flow inside the internal space, and the first liquid and the second liquid flowing inside the internal space exit through the outflow part according to an inflow entering through the inflow part.

A maintenance method in an automatic analysis apparatus includes: a recognition step of recognizing an integrated rack 301A, 301B, 301C mounted with a cleaning solution container containing a cleaning solution, and a calibrator container containing a calibrator or a QC specimen container containing a QC specimen containing a sample having a known concentration; a cleaning solution supply step of aspirating a cleaning solution; and a supply step of aspirating the calibrator or aspirating the QC specimen, in which the cleaning solution supply step and the supply step are continuously performed from the cleaning solution container and the calibrator container or the QC specimen container mounted on the integrated rack 301A, 301B, 301C. Accordingly, an automatic analysis apparatus and a maintenance method in the automatic analysis apparatus that can reduce a burden on a user in calibration and the like during maintenance are provided.

An automatic analyzer controls a sequence including optical measurement and cleaning and includes a discharge mechanism including a discharge nozzle for discharging a liquid into a reaction vessel; and an overflow suction mechanism including an overflow suction nozzle for sucking an overflow amount of the liquid in the reaction vessel. In a liquid discharge step included in a cleaning process and interposed between a preceding step using a detergent and a succeeding blank value measurement step, the automatic analyzer establishes a first state where a lower end of the discharge nozzle is located in a height-wise lower part of the reaction vessel and a lower end of the overflow suction nozzle is located in an upper part of the reaction vessel, and provides control to carry out the discharge of liquid from the discharge nozzle and the suction of the overflow amount of liquid through the overflow suction nozzle.

The disclosure concerns a method for operating an automated analyzer, including transporting a liquid containing a plurality of particles into a chamber, such as a reactor chamber and/or measuring cell chamber of the analyzer, introducing a gas or gas mixture, for example, air into the chamber, such as through the liquid present in the chamber so that the particles in the liquid are stirred up, and subsequently draining at least part of the liquid from the chamber through a fluid line ending in the chamber and an open valve arranged in the fluid line.

Provided is an automatic analyzer in which an abnormality of a flow path including malfunction of an electromagnetic valve or a pressure change portion can be detected using an existing sensor that measures a liquid amount in a container. A syringe 103, a first electromagnetic valve 104, and a second electromagnetic valve 105 are operated such that a predetermined liquid aspirating and discharging operation is performed in a container 101, a liquid discharging unit 108, and flow path systems 113 and 114 and whether or not an abnormality occurs in the flow path system is determined based on a liquid amount measured by the sensor 102.