An object is to provide an automatic analyzer that prevents an effect of various environmental changes on an equilibrium state of an immunological binding reaction. An automatic analyzer of an embodiment of the invention includes a B/F separation unit that executes a B/F separation step separating an unreacted component and a reacted component from a liquid in which a sample and a reagent are reacted, a detection unit that detects a reacted component in the liquid after the B/F separation step, and a temperature maintaining unit that maintains the B/F separation unit and the detection unit in substantially the same temperature environment.

One embodiment of the invention is directed to a sample processing system for analyzing a biological sample from a patient. The sample processing system comprises: a plurality of analyzers comprising at least one mass spectrometer, wherein each analyzer in the plurality of analyzers is configured to acquire at least one measurement value corresponding to at least one characteristic of the biological sample; at least one data storage component which stores (i) a list of parameters for the plurality of analyzers, and (ii) at least two condition sets, which contain data associated with completing one or more test orders. The condition sets contain data which differ by at least one variable; and a control system operatively coupled to the plurality of analyzers, and the at least one data storage component. The control system is configured to (i) determine which condition set of the at least two condition sets to use based on the determined condition set, (ii) determine which analyzer or analyzers of the plurality of analyzers to use to process each test order based on the determined condition set and one or more parameters from the list of parameters, and (iii) cause the determined analyzer or analyzers to acquire one or more measurement values for the biological sample.

Disclosed is a specimen measurement method for measuring platelet aggregation of a specimen, and the specimen measurement method includes: automatically preparing a diluted reagent solution that contains a platelet-aggregating reagent diluted with a diluent; preparing a measurement sample that contains a predetermined concentration of the platelet-aggregating reagent, from the diluted reagent solution and the specimen; and performing optical measurement of the measurement sample.

Clinical analyzers including cuvette loading assemblies are described. A clinical analyzer includes a first location and a second location. A chute extends between the first location and the second location, wherein the chute is configured to enable cuvettes to slide from the first location to the second location. The clinical analyzer includes a loading assembly including two gates, each moveable between a first position where cuvettes are enabled to slide along the chute and a second position where cuvettes are blocked from sliding along the chute. Methods of transporting cuvettes in a clinical analyzer are also disclosed.

Example automated diagnostic analyzers and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. An example apparatus described herein includes a first carousel rotatably coupled to a base and having a first axis of rotation. The example apparatus includes a second carousel rotatably coupled to the base and vertically spaced over the first carousel such that at least a portion of the second carousel is disposed over the first carousel. In the example apparatus, the second carousel has a second axis of rotation and a plurality of vessels. The example apparatus also includes a pipetting mechanism offset from the second axis of rotation. The example pipetting mechanism is to access the first carousel and the second carousel.

A system for automated microorganism identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing comprising a reagent cartridge, a reagent stage, a cassette, a cassette, stage, a pipettor assembly, an optical detection system, and a controller is disclosed. The system is designed to dynamically adjust motor idle torque to control heat load and employs a fast focus process for determining the true focus position of an individual microorganism. The system also may quantify the relative abundance of viable microorganisms in a sample using dynamic dilution, and facilitate growth of microorganisms in customized media for rapid, accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

A fully automated chemilumiescence immunoassay analyzer, including a sample and reagent receiving device for receiving a sample and a reagent, a dispensing device for aspirating and discharging the sample and the reagent, a mixing device for mixing the sample and the reagent in a reaction vessel, an incubation and luminescence detection device for incubation and luminescence detection, a magnetic separation cleaning device for separation cleaning an analyte and impurities in the reaction vessel, a reaction vessel grasping device for transferring the reaction vessel, and a liquid path device. The fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer has a simple structure and is convenient to operate, and also reduce the overall size such that the footprint thereof is small and the production cost is reduced, so that the analyzer is easy to achieve miniaturization, and is convenient for an operator to use.

Provided is an automated analysis device with which sufficient reaction process data can be acquired irrespective of the scale of the device, and with which it is possible to ensure freedom of the device configuration. An automated analysis device 100 is provided with: a reaction disk 1 which circumferentially accommodates a plurality of reaction vessels 2; a specimen dispensing mechanism 11 which dispenses a specimen into the reaction vessels 2; a reagent dispensing mechanism 7 which dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessels 2; a measuring unit 4 which measures a reaction process of a mixture of the specimen and the reagent in the reaction vessels 2; and a cleaning mechanism 3 which cleans the reaction vessels 2 after measurement. Further, the automated analysis device 100 includes a controller 21 which controls the drive of the reaction disk 1 such that in one cycle the reaction vessels 2 move by an amount A in the circumferential direction in such a way that N and A are mutually prime, B and C are mutually prime, and the relationship AB=NC1 holds, where N is the total number of reaction vessels 2 accommodated in the reaction disk 1, the reaction disk 1 moves through C (where C>1) rotations+an amount equivalent to one reaction vessel after B (where B>2) cycles, and the number of reaction vessels 2 moved in one cycle is A (where N>A>N/B+1).

The automatic analysis device 100 is provided with: a specimen dispensing mechanism 101 that dispenses subject blood plasma and/or normal blood plasma to be added to correct the coagulation time of the subject blood plasma, into a plurality of specimen containers 103; reaction containers 104 that contain the subject blood plasma and/or the normal blood plasma; a reagent dispensing mechanism 106 that dispenses a reagent into the reaction containers 104; and a detecting unit 113 which applies light from a light source 115 to the subject blood plasma and/or the normal blood plasma to which the reagent is added in the reaction containers 104, and which measures the coagulation time on the basis of the obtained scattered light and/or transmitted light.

[Task] To provide an automatic analysis apparatus including a photomultiplier tube which controls a sensitivity of the photomultiplier tube without adjusting a high voltage value. [Solution] An automatic analysis apparatus according to the present invention includes a photomultiplier tube which detects light from a reaction vessel; a determination unit which determines an output signal of the photomultiplier tube in a case where the photomultiplier tube is irradiated with first light; and a control unit which irradiates the photomultiplier tube with second light to lower a sensitivity of the photomultiplier tube in accordance with a determination result by the determination unit.