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Automatic analysis apparatus with liquid level detection function
| Details |
Inventors: Ishizawa, Masato; Inagaki, Akira; Tao, Ryuji;
Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
Primary Examiner: Snay; Jeffrey
Assistant Examiner: Bex; Kathryn
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mattingly, Stanger & Malur, P.C.
An automatic analysis apparatus with a liquid level detection function includes a pipetting device for pipetting a liquid sample from a sample cup to a reaction container by using a pipetting probe that serves as a first capacitor electrode. A sample cup holding means serves as a second capacitor electrode having a ground potential. The conductor material is arranged along a direction in which the pipetting probe moves down for pipetting and is separate from the pipetting device. The conductor material has the same ground potential as that of the sample cup holding means and also serves as a second electrode whereby at any one time either of the sample cup holding means and the conductive material serves as a second capacitor electrode in combination with the first capacitor electrode. An a electrical detector is provided for detecting a change of electrode static capacitance between the pipetting probe and the sample cup holding means and between the pipetting probe and the conductive material as of level detection of the liquid sample. Measurement means are also provided for measuring an ingredient of the reaction container. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the automatic analysis apparatus stated above, the sample cup pipetted with the sample liquid corresponding to the pipetting object is mounted on a sample disc as one embodiment of the container holding means.
When all of the sample cups are set to the sample disc, a detecting signal on the basis of the change of the electrostatic capacitance between the pipetting probe and the sample disc is a big value, and the liquid level detection error is very small.
On the other hand, several kinds of the sample cups having different size are used usually.
An especially small sample cup may be set on the sample disc directly, and other containers or supporting holding tools are set on the container loading region of the sample disc, or the small sample cup may be mounted indirectly on the top of the other containers or the supporting holding tools.
When a small-sized sample cup having a short overall length is set on the sample disc indirectly, the spatial distance between the sample liquid in the sample cup and the sample disc serving as the electrode for detecting liquid level becomes large, and it becomes impossible to obtain a sufficient detecting signal to recognize the liquid level with which the pipetting probe contacts, such that the liquid level detection is not executed surely.
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analysis apparatus which is capable to surely detect a liquid level of the sample liquid of the sample cup, even if the height of the sample cup is different from the height location arranged for the sample cup holding means.
In the automatic analysis apparatus comprising a pipetting device for pipetting a sample liquid from a sample cup to a reaction container by using a pipetting probe that serves as an electrode for detecting a liquid level of the liquid sample, the sample cup holding means serving as another electrode for detecting the liquid level, an electric detecting element for detecting a change of an electrostatic capacitance between said pipetting probe and said sample cup holding means and a measurement means for measuring the contents of the reaction container, the present invention is characterized by comprising a construction such that a conductive material is arranged along a direction to which the pipetting probe is disposed, and said conductive material has an isopotential to the other electrode
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