The automatic analyzer includes a suction nozzle; a liquid transfer syringe; a suction channel which connects the suction nozzle and the liquid transfer syringe; a flow cell which is arranged in the middle of the suction channel; a detector for sample analysis which is arranged in the flow cell; a reaction auxiliary liquid vessel and a cleaning liquid vessel which store liquids to be sucked in by the suction nozzle; means for supplying a diluting fluid to the vessels; a cleaning tank for dumping liquid remaining in the vessels; and a controller for supplying the diluting fluid to the vessels when the remaining liquid is discharged from the vessels and thereafter having the diluted remaining liquid sucked into the flow cell via the suction nozzle and having the sucked remaining liquid discharged to the cleaning tank.

A multi-well fluid container that includes a container body is provided for use in an in vitro diagnostics automation system. The container body includes a first well having a first well size configured to hold a first fluid and an openable first well closure that covers a first well opening. The first well opening provides access to the first fluid in the first well when the openable first well closure is opened. The container body also includes a second well having a second well size configured to hold a second fluid and having an openable second well closure that covers a second well opening. The second well opening provides access to the second fluid in the second well when the openable second well closure is opened. The first well size of the first well is different than the second well size of the second well.

A specimen inspection automation system includes holder orientation adjustment mechanisms that adjust the orientations of specimen container holders that each holds one specimen container. The holder orientation adjustment mechanisms each includes: a stopper mechanism that is disposed above a conveyance line that conveys a specimen container holder and restricts the downstream movement of the specimen container holder by abutting, at the same height as a notched part provided on one side of a base of the specimen container holder, an outer circumferential part other than the notched part in the circumferential direction of the base; and a holder rotation mechanism that restricts the movement of the specimen container holder away from the stopper mechanism and rotates the specimen container holder in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to appropriately adjust the orientation of a specimen container in which a specimen is accommodated and reduce work complexity.

Method and associated system for reading machine-readable labels on a plurality of sample receptacles held by a sample rack. In the method, a machine-readable label associated each of the plurality of sample receptacles is read with a first label reader when the rack is at a first location. The sample rack is then moved from the first location to a second location, where a rack identifier on the sample rack is sensed with a sensor separate from the first label reader. Finally, the rack identifier is associated with the machine-readable labels of the plurality of sample receptacles.

To suppress generation of dew condensation in temperature control space when heating temperature control is performed. In an apparatus, an air temperature control part for cooling or heating air in temperature control space has a first temperature control element for performing at least cooling of air, and a second temperature control element for performing at least heating of air downstream of the first temperature control element. In this manner, when heating temperature control is performed, cooling and dehumidification of air taken in from an air intake portion can be performed by the first temperature control element, and then heating of the dehumidified air can be performed by the second temperature control element.

A sample testing system comprising: a transporting apparatus; a testing apparatus for obtain a sample and performing testing on the obtained sample; and a controller. The controller executes operation of: controlling the transporting apparatus so as to transport the sample rack in first direction, such that each sample container held in a sample rack is transported to a obtaining position on which the testing apparatus obtains a sample and then the sample rack is transported toward the second position; changing, when retesting of a sample contained in a sample container is necessary, the transporting direction from the first direction to second direction, and then controlling the transporting apparatus so as to transport the sample container accommodating the sample, for which retesting is necessary, to the obtaining position again. Sample testing method and a computer program product are also disclosed.

A detection method according to one or more embodiments may include transporting a rack holding a reaction vessel along a first axis toward a sample dispensing position, linearly moving the sample dispensing pipette above the rack along a second axis intersecting the first axis and dispensing a sample into the reaction vessel located at the sample dispensing position, transporting the rack along the first axis toward a reagent dispensing position; linearly moving a reagent dispensing pipette above the rack along a third axis intersecting the first axis, and dispensing a reagent into the reaction vessel located at the reagent dispensing position, and detecting a detection target in a measurement specimen prepared from the sample and the reagent.

Provided is an automatic analyzer that can perform a reagent preparation/disposal operation comfortably and smoothly as when printing a reagent list such as a reagent preparation/disposal list on paper even without printing the reagent list. The automatic analyzer that performs analysis using a sample and a reagent, the automatic analyzer including: a storage unit that stores reagent information related to a reagent remaining amount or a reagent expiration date of each of reagent containers; and a display unit that displays a reagent list in which reminder information that gives a reminder to an operator is assigned to each of setting positions of the reagent containers based on the reagent information stored in the storage unit. The reagent managing unit updates display of the reagent list such that a reagent container selected by the operator is visually identifiable while the reagent list is displayed.

A specimen rack transferring device and an automatic analyzer using it are provided which can suppress vibration during transportation of a specimen rack.

In a specimen rack transferring device 200 transferring a specimen rack 4 which places a plurality of specimen containers 5 accommodating specimens, in a side-by-side manner in a longitudinal direction and can carry the plurality of specimen containers, the specimen rack transferring device includes a transport path 201 for transferring the specimen rack 4 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a transport arm 6 pushingly advancing the specimen rack 4 from an upstream side toward a downstream side of the transport path 201, and a rack lock mechanism provided at the transport arm 6 and fixing at least a relative position of the specimen rack 4 in a transport direction with respect to the transport arm 6.

A method for introducing a sample rack holding a plurality of sample receptacles into a receiving bay in a housing of an automated analytical system is disclosed. The method is carried out by manually moving the sample rack from a loading position towards a processing position along a lane in the receiving bay, pausing the movement when the rack reaches a focusing position, moving a reader to focuse onto the lane, resuming the movement of the sample rack and detecting features of the sample rack during the movement, positioning, detecting, and locking the sample rack in the processing position, and processing the content of the sample receptacles.