Conventionally, an analyzer for suctioning a reagent from a plurality of reagent containers mounted on a reagent table and analyzing a sample is known. The user needed to remove the reagent container to be replaced from the reagent table and mount a new reagent container to a predetermined position of the reagent table in such analyzer when reagent replacement was necessary. However, the user had to put his/her hand inside the accommodating unit of the reagent container in such analyzer, and thus the replacement task of the reagent was troublesome.
An analyzer that facilitates reagent replacement by the user is thus known (see e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-36658 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-37171).
An analyzer including a rotatable reagent storage in which reagent bottles are arranged, a reagent bottle supply mechanism for supplying the reagent bottle to the reagent storage, and a reagent bottle discharge mechanism for discharging the reagent bottle from the reagent storage is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-36658. Such analyzer enables automatic replacement of the reagent bottle during analysis.
An analyzer including a reagent disc for installing a reagent, a replenishing reagent cabinet arranged at a position different from the reagent disc, and a reagent holding means for conveying the reagent from the replenishing reagent cabinet to the reagent disc is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-37171. Such analyzer facilitates reagent replacement.
However, the analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-36658 has a complicating configuration since a belt line mechanism for conveying the reagent from a reagent bottle set yard to the reagent storage, and a belt line mechanism for conveying the reagent from the reagent storage to a reagent bottle discharge yard are necessary. Furthermore, in the analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 4-36658, a space for arranging the reagent bottle set yard, the belt line mechanisms, and the reagent bottle discharge yard is necessary, which enlarges the device.
The analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-37171 has a complicating configuration since a mechanism (reagent holding means) for conveying the reagent in three-dimensional directions (XYZ directions) is necessary to convey the reagent from the replenishing reagent cabinet to the reagent disc. Furthermore, in the analyzer disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-37171, a space for arranging the reagent holding means and the replenishment reagent cabinet is necessary, which enlarges the device.