Provided is an automated analyzer comprising a temperature regulator that can be made more compact in size while maintaining high-precision temperature regulation. In a temperature-regulating unit (20) of the automated analyzer, a first chemical reservoir (1) is constituted by a large-diameter spiral-shaped pipe, and a second chemical reservoir (2) is constituted by a large-diameter chemical reservoir container. The first chemical reservoir (1), which is positioned upstream of the second chemical reservoir (2), has an internal capacity that is set so as to be greater than the volume of a single discharge of each of syringe pumps (29, 30, 31), and the second chemical reservoir (2) also has an internal capacity (volume) that is set so as to be greater than the volume of a single discharge of each of the respective syringe pumps (29, 30, 31).

A high-throughput automatic analyzer integrates a biochemical analysis section and a blood coagulation analysis section. The analyzer is capable of achieving a reduction in size, system cost, and lifecycle cost. The automatic analyzer includes: a reaction disk; a first reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent to reaction cells on the reaction disk; a photometer that irradiates a reaction solution in the reaction cell with light; a reaction cell cleaning mechanism; a reaction vessel supply unit that supplies a disposable reaction vessel for mixing and reacting a sample and a reagent with each other; a second reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent to the disposable reaction vessel; a blood coagulation time measuring section that irradiates a reaction solution in the disposable reaction vessel with light to detect transmitted or scattered light; and a sample dispensing mechanism that dispenses a sample to the reaction cell and the disposable reaction vessel.

Provided are a quality control method, a quality control system, a management apparatus, an analyzer, and a quality control abnormality determination method in which measurement results of both a quality control substance and a specimen are sufficiently utilized to improve the quality of quality control. The quality control method used in a management apparatus which is connected via a network to an analyzer installed in each of a plurality of facilities includes obtaining, from an analyzer in each facility via a network, first quality control information obtained by measuring an artificially generated quality control substance, and second quality control information obtained by measuring a plurality of specimens by the analyzer in each facility; and outputting information concerning quality control of an analyzer in at least one facility, based on the obtained first quality control information and second quality control information.

Techniques for optical analysis of fluid samples using sensors and water enhancing agents for in-line measurements with a continuous flow of the fluid samples are provided. In one aspect, a device includes: at least one reagent dispenser located at an introduction point along a conduit, the conduit being configured to contain a flow of a fluid sample; at least one first detector located at a first detection point along the conduit downstream from the introduction point; and at least one second detector located at a second detection point along the conduit downstream from the first detection point, wherein the at least one first detector and the at least one second detector are configured to make optical measurements of the fluid sample. A method employing the device is also provided.

A system and method for dispense characterization is disclosed. According to particular embodiments of the dispense characterization system and method, volumes of dispensed liquids can be determined. In more particular embodiments, additional characteristics and combinations of characteristics of a liquid dispensing event can be determined. Examples of additional characteristics that can be determined include the shape of the dispensing event, the velocity of the dispensing event, and the trajectory of the dispensing event. The dispense characterization system and method can be employed in automated biological sample analysis systems, and are particularly suited for monitoring liquid reagent dispensing events that deliver liquid reagents to a surface of a microscope slide holding a biological sample.

An automatic analysis device includes a processing unit 3 which performs the treatment on a specimen before analysis of the specimen, supply equipment which supplies a reagent to a reaction vessel 11 disposed in the processing unit 3, a liquid temperature adjusting unit 1 which adjusts a temperature of the reagent supplied to the reaction vessel 11 by the supply equipment, a control unit 201, and a first temperature detection unit 4 which detects at least one temperature of a temperature of the air within the processing unit 3 and a temperature of the reagent supplied to the reaction vessel 11, in which the liquid temperature adjusting unit 1 and the control unit 201 execute temperature adjustment of the reagent based on a first temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit 4.

An automatic analyzer is equipped with a sterilization mechanism removably attached to an opening of a container that holds a reagent and having an ultraviolet light generation section that radiates ultraviolet light; a suction nozzle removably attached, together with the sterilization mechanism, to the opening of the container; an analysis section adding the reagent drawn in by suction from the container via the suction nozzle to the reagent, and executing an analysis operation; and a control section exercising variable control over an irradiation light intensity of the ultraviolet light generated by the ultraviolet light generation section.

The method for generating an index for managing the analytical accuracy of a sample analyzer includes a step of acquiring a determination result related to whether a sample is positive or negative from a plurality of sample analyzers, and a step of generating an index based on a ratio of a sample determined to be positive or negative by the plurality of sample analyzers from a plurality of determination results obtained from the plurality of sample analyzers.

A high-throughput automatic analyzer integrates a biochemical analysis section and a blood coagulation analysis section. The analyzer is capable of achieving a reduction in size, system cost, and lifecycle cost. The automatic analyzer includes: a reaction disk; a first reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent to reaction cells on the reaction disk; a photometer that irradiates a reaction solution in the reaction cell with light; a reaction cell cleaning mechanism; a reaction vessel supply unit that supplies a disposable reaction vessel for mixing and reacting a sample and a reagent with each other; a second reagent dispensing mechanism that dispenses a reagent to the disposable reaction vessel; a blood coagulation time measuring section that irradiates a reaction solution in the disposable reaction vessel with light to detect transmitted or scattered light; and a sample dispensing mechanism that dispenses a sample to the reaction cell and the disposable reaction vessel.

Compositions include an aqueous solution of an organic dye of molecular weight in the range of about 300 to about 1,000 and a density-enhancing material. An amount of the density-enhancing material in the aqueous solution is sufficient to achieve a density of about 1.0 to about 1.3 g/mL. The composition has a viscosity of about 3.5 to about 5.0 centipoise. The compositions are useful in assessing the adequacy of a liquid handling mixing device to mix a reaction mixture.