Automatic analyzer

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an automatic analyzer includes dispenser, measurer, thermostat, cooler and cleaner. Dispenser dispenses a specimen and a reagent into a reaction vessel. Measurer measures a solution mixture of the specimen and the reagent in the vessel. Thermostat heats the mixture to a first temperature at which thermoresponsive polymers contained in the reagent aggregate. Cooler cools a cleaning fluid used to clean the vessel to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, at which the polymers contained in the reagent disperse. Cleaner cleans the vessel from which the mixture has been drained, using the cooled fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic analyzer comprising:
 a dispenser dispensing a specimen and a reagent into a reaction vessel;   a measurement unit measuring a solution mixture of the specimen and the reagent in the reaction vessel;   a thermostat unit heating the solution mixture to a first temperature at which thermoresponsive polymers contained in the reagent aggregate;   a cooler cooling a cleaning fluid used to clean the reaction vessel to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, at which the thermoresponsive polymers contained in the reagent disperse; and   a cleaner cleaning, using the cleaning fluid cooled to the second temperature, the reaction vessel from which the solution mixture has been drained.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic analyzer of  claim 1 , wherein an inspection item to be analyzed includes a biochemical inspection item and an immunoassay item. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic analyzer of  claim 1 , further comprising a magnet arranged on an outer surface of the reaction vessel or near the outer surface of the reaction vessel,
 wherein the reagent contains:   a primary reactant containing a magnetic particle and the thermoresponsive polymer that aggregates at a temperature not less than the first temperature and disperses at a temperature not more than the second temperature in the solution mixture containing no target substance; and   a secondary reactant configured to prevent aggregation of a bound body formed by binding to the target substance together with the primary reactant at the first temperature in the solution mixture containing the target substance, and   the magnet attracts an aggregate formed by aggregation of the primary reactants in surplus in the solution mixture containing the target substance in the reaction vessel heated to the first temperature.   
     
     
         4 . The automatic analyzer of  claim 3 , wherein the cleaner discharges the cleaning fluid cooled to the second temperature toward an inner surface of the reaction vessel to which the aggregate is attracted and sucks the discharged cleaning fluid, thereby cleaning the reaction vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic analyzer of  claim 1 , wherein the thermostat unit comprises:
 a constant temperature oven storing a heating medium used to heat the reaction vessel and the solution mixture in the reaction vessel to a measurement temperature; and   a drain pump draining the heating medium from the constant temperature oven, and   the cleaner cleans the reaction vessel using the cleaning fluid cooled to the second temperature after the heating medium is drained from the constant temperature oven.   
     
     
         6 . The automatic analyzer of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a reagent container storing the reagent;   a cleaning container storing the cleaning fluid;   a reagent storage keeping the reagent in the reagent container and the cleaning fluid in the cleaning container at a third temperature lower than the second temperature;   a reagent dispensing probe dispensing the reagent in the reagent container into the reaction vessel; and   a stirrer stirring the solution mixture in the reaction vessel,   wherein after the heating medium is drained from the constant temperature oven, the reagent dispensing probe sucks up the cleaning fluid in the cleaning container kept at the third temperature in the reagent storage and discharges the cleaning fluid into the reaction vessel from which the solution mixture has been drained,   the stirrer stirs the cleaning fluid in the reaction vessel discharged from the reagent dispensing probe, and   the cleaner cleans, using the cleaning fluid cooled to the third temperature, the reaction vessel from which the cleaning fluid stirred by the stirrer has been drained.