Incubator

Abstract

An incubator includes a rotating incubator rotor. The incubator rotor is provided with a plurality of element chambers which are arranged along the outer periphery of the incubator rotor and each of which accommodates a dry analysis element spotted with a sample and incubates the dry analysis element. A light measuring system has a light measuring head which measures the optical density of the dry analysis element. The light measuring system is provided with a correction system which compensates for fluctuation in the value of the optical density of the dry analysis element in each of the element chambers as measured by the light measuring head generated due to fluctuation in the distance between the light measuring head and the element chamber on the basis of a correction value which has been stored in the correction system element chamber by element chamber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An incubator comprising a rotating incubator rotor provided with a plurality of element chambers which are arranged along the outer periphery of the incubator rotor and each of which accommodates a dry analysis element spotted with a sample and incubates the dry analysis element and a light measuring means having a light measuring head which measures the optical density of the dry analysis element, wherein the improvement comprises that 
 the light measuring means is provided with a correction means which compensates for fluctuation in the value of the optical density of the dry analysis element in each of the element chambers as measured by the light measuring head generated due to fluctuation in the distance between the light measuring head and the element chamber on the basis of a correction value which has been stored in the correction means element chamber by element chamber.    
     
     
         2 . An incubator as defined in  claim 1  in which the correction means sets the correction value for each element chamber by inserting a calibration element whose optical density is known into each of the element chambers of the incubator rotor, measuring the optical density of the calibration element with the light measuring head and determining the correction value for the element chamber on the basis of the difference between the known optical density of the calibration element and the measured optical density of the same.  
     
     
         3 . An incubator comprising a rotating incubator rotor provided with a plurality of element chambers which are arranged along the outer periphery of the incubator rotor and each of which accommodates a dry analysis element spotted with a sample and incubates the dry analysis element, wherein the improvement comprises that 
 the incubator rotor is provided with a cone-like slant surface which is formed below the element chambers and tapers downward toward the axis of rotation of the incubator rotor, a cylindrical rotating shaft which is connected to the lower end of the slant surface and the inner space of which opens to the space defined by the cone-like slant surface so that the dry analysis element in each element chamber can be discarded outside the incubator through the space defined by the cone-like slant surface and the inner space of the cylindrical rotating shaft, and a bearing member which supports the cylindrical rotating shaft for rotation about the axis of rotation of the incubator rotor.    
     
     
         4 . An incubator as defined in  claim 3  in which the slant surface is at an angle not smaller than 30° to the horizontal.