Particle measuring aparatus

Claim 2

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said sample storage means comprises: a supporting member (301, 2102) for supporting a series of plural sample vessels (3, 21) for each storing the sample; a supporting member driving means (501, 2104) for driving said supporting member so as to successively move said sample vessels to a sample supply position to said flow cell; and a sample supplying means (6, 2103) for supplying only a constant amount of samples from the sample vessels which have been moved to the sample supply position by said supporting member drive means, to said second input port of the flow cell.

Claim 3

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said sample supplying means is a sample pipetter means (6) for sucking a constant amount of samples and for exhausting a predetermined amount of samples to said second input port of the flow cell.

Claim 4

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said sample pipetter means is arranged by: a sample suction pipe (601) one end of which is opened and which transports a sample sucked inside; pipetter driving means (603 - 606) for moving said sample suction pipe between the sample fluid in the sample vessel positioned at the sample supply position and the second input port of the flow cell; a suction/discharge pump (608) for sucking/discharging a sample fluid; a tube (609) which extends from an outlet of said suction/discharge pump, and is connected to the other end of said sample suction pipe; a pipetter driver (614) for performing in predetermined operation of said pipetter driving means in response to a signal from said drive instruction means; and a sample suction/discharge driver (615) for performing a predetermined operation of said sample suction pump in response to a signal derived from said drive instruction means.

Claim 5

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said storage means is a means for storing at least one of the following series of operations: a) the sample suction/discharge pump (608) is driven to fill with a dispensing hydraulic fluid up to an opening end of the sample suction pipe, or a place just before the opening end thereof; b) the pipetter drive means is driven to move the opening end of the sample suction pipe to a position of the sample vessel present at the sample supply position, whereby said opening end is dipped into the sample; c) the sample suction/discharge pump is driven to suck a predetermined amount of sample fluid; d) the pipetter drive means is driven to move the opening end of the sample suction pipe toward a position of the second input port of the flow cell and to connect the opening end therewith; e) the sheath fluid supply means is driven to supply the sheath fluid to the flow cell; and f) the sample suction/exhaust pump is driven to exhaust the sucked sample at a predetermined flow rate.

Claim 6

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said sensing means is a means (701, 704) for projecting light to particles which flow through the first flow path of the flow cell and for sensing scattering rays and fluorescent light from each of the particles.

Claim 7

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said sensing means is a means for sensing an electric resistance when the particles pass through a very small hole formed at the down stream of the first flow path of the flow cell.

Claim 8

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said sample storage means includes: a sample supporting member (301, 2102) for supporting a series of plural sample vessels (3, 21) each for storing the sample; reagent storage means (1001) for storing at least one sort of reagent; sample-supporting-member drive means (501, 2104) for driving said sample supporting member so as to successively move said sample vessel from said reagent storage means to a reagent addition position; and reagent supplying means (8, 2103) for adding said reagent to the sample vessel which has been moved to the reagent supply position by said sample-supporting-member drive means.

Claim 9

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, said reagent storage means includes: a reagent supporting member (1002) for supporting a series of plural reagent vessels (1001) each for storing the reagent; and reagent-supporting-member driving means (1004) for driving said reagent supporting member so as to move a predetermined vessel within said plurality of reagent vessels to a position where the reagent is sucked by said reagent supplying means.

Claim 10

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, said sample storage means includes: a sample supporting member (1102) for supporting a series of plural sample vessels (1101) each for storing the sample; and sample-supporting-member driving means (1103, 1104) for driving said sample supporting member so as to sequentially move said sample vessels to the sample sucking position.

Claim 11

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, wherein said sample storage means further includes: sample-supporting-member driving means (1004) for driving said sample supporting member so as to move a predetermined sample vessel among said plurality of sample vessels to said sample adding position; and sample pipetter means (9) for sucking a constant amount of sample stored in the sample vessel at said sample sucking position and for exhausting a predetermined amount of sample into the sample vessel at said sample adding position.

Claim 12

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said sample storage means further includes sample pipetter means for supplying the sample in the sample vessel at a predetermined position to said second input port of said flow cell.

Claim 13

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein said sample pipetter means includes: a sample suction pipe (901) for sucking/exhausting the sample; sample sucking/exhausting means (908) for performing a sucking/exhausting drive of said sample suction pipe; and sample pipetter drive means (903 - 906) for moving said sample suction pipe between the sample vessel at said sample sucking position and the sample vessel at the sample exhausting position; and also, said reagent supplying means includes: a reagent suction pipe (801) for sucking/exhausting the reagent; reagent sucking/exhausting means (808) for performing the suction/exhaust drive of the reagent suction pipe; and reagent pipetter drive means (803 - 806) for moving said reagent suction pipe the reagent vessel at said reagent sucking position and the sample vessel at the reagent adding position, and furthermore, said sample pipetter means includes: a sample suction pipe (601) for sucking/exhausting the sample; sample sucking/exhausting means (608) for exciting the sucking/exhausting drive of said sample suction pipe; and sample-pipetter driving means (603 - 606) for moving said sample suction pipe between the sample vessel at a predetermined position and said second input port.

Claim 14

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said storage means is a means for storing at least one of the following operations: (Operation 1) this operation 1 is constructed of the following sequences and is to add a single reagent to a sample; a) the sample sucking/exhausting means is driven, a suspending hydraulic fluid is filled up to an opening end of the sample suction pipe or a place just before the opening end thereof, and similarly the suspending hydraulic fluids are filled into each of suction pipes for the reagent pipetter and sample pipetter; b) the sample pipetter drive means is driven to move the opening end of the sample suction pipe to the sample sucking position, whereby the opening end is dipped into the sample stored in the sample vessel present at this sample suction position; c) the sample sucking/exhausting means is driven so as to suck a predetermined amount of sample fluid; d) the sample pipetter driving means is driven to move the opening end of the sample suction pipe to the position of the sample storage means whereby a predetermined amount of sample fluid is exhausted into the opening end; e) the supporting member driving means is driven to move the sample storage means to the reagent exhausting position; f) the reagent pipetter driving means is driven to move the opening end of the reagent suction pipe to the position of the sample storage means; g) the reagent sucking/exhausting means is driven to exhaust a predetermined amount of sucked reagent; h) the sample-pipetter driving means is driven so as to dip the opening end of the sample suction pipe into the sample of the sample storage means; i) the sample sucking/exhausting means is driven so as to suck a predetermined amount of sample fluid; j) the pipetter driving means is driven in order to move the opening end of the sample suction pipe to a position of the second input portion of the flow cell, which is connected thereto; k) the sheath fluid driving means is driven so as to supply the sheath fluid to the flow cell; and, also, l) the sample sucking/exhausting means is driven so as to exhaust the sucked sample at a predetermined flow rate; (Operation 2) the operation 2 is such an operation that a plurality of reagents are successively added, and the operations as defined after "h" are carried out after the above-described operations "f" and "g" are repeated in accordance with the reagents; (Operation 3) the operation 3 is such an operation that a processed sample is employed as a sample, and this sample is directly conducted into a flow cell, and furthermore, the sample storage means is directly moved to a sucking position of the sample suction pipe by the sample-supporting-member driving means and also the operations as defined after "h" are performed with omitting the operations "f" and "g"; (Operation 4) the operation 4 is such an operation that a reagent is added to a sample, a portion of the sample to which the reagent has been added is collected by a sample pipetter, and also a reagent is furthermore added to the portion of this sample; (Operation 5) the operation 5 is such an operation that the single reagent adding operation of the operation 1 is continuously performed; and (Operation 6) the operation 6 is such an operation that the two-stage mixing operation of the operation 4 is continuously performed.

Claim 15

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, said sample storage means includes: a sample supporting member (1102) for supporting a series of plural sample vessels (1101) each for storing the sample; and sample-supporting-member driving means (1103, 1104) for driving said sample supporting member so as to sequentially move said sample vessels to the sample sucking position.

Claim 16

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said sample storage means comprising: a plurality of mixing pipetter (21) having: a suction pipe (2102) for sucking at least the sample; a chamber for mixing fluids with each other by utilizing an eddy occurring in the fluids sucked by said suction pipe and by forming a taper which partially and rapidly expands at a portion thereof connected to said suction pipe; and sample sucking/discharging means (808, 908) driven to suck or discharge a predetermined amount of fluid via said suction pipe; a pipetter supporting member (2102) for supporting these mixing pipetters; and pipetter-supporting-member drive means (2103, 2104) for successively moving these mixing pipetters to a sample sucking position of said sample storage means and also for moving these mixing pipetters to the position of said second input port.

Claim 17

A particle measuring apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said storage means is a means for storing at least one of the following operations: a) the sample sucking/discharging means is operated to suck the dispensing hydraulic fluid from the opening end of the sample suction pipe to a position where a predetermined amount of the dispensing hydraulic fluid is returned; b) the pipetter drive means is operated so as to move the pipetter to the position of the sample storage means, whereby the opening end of the sample suction pipe is dipped into the sample; c) a predetermined amount of sample is sucked via the sample sucking/discharging driver by the sample sucking/discharging means; d) the pipetter-supporting-means drive means is driven in order that the sample suction pipe is moved to the position of the reagent storage means and the opening end of the pipe is dipped into the reagent; e) the sample sucking discharging means is driven so as to suck a predetermined amount of reagent; f) the sample sucking/discharging means is driven in order to reciprocate both the sample and reagent several times; g) the pipetter driving means is driven and the opening end of the sample suction pipe is connected to the second input port of the flow cell; h) the sheath fluid supplying means is driven to supply the sample fluid at a predetermined time and at a predetermined flow rate; and i) the sample sucking/discharging means is driven to supply the sample fluid at a predetermined time and at a predetermined flow rate.

Claim 18

A particle measuring system comprising: a plurality of particle measuring apparatuses according to Claim 6, and a controller for wholly these particle measuring apparatuses, different sorts of particles being measured.

Claim 19

A particle measuring apparatus comprising: a plurality of particle measuring apparatuses according to Claim 6, and a controller for wholly these particle measuring apparatuses, different sorts of particles being measured.

Claim 20

A particle measuring apparatus comprising: at least one of the particle measuring apparatus according to Claim 1; at least one of the particle measuring apparatus according to Claim 16; and a controller for wholly controlling these particle measuring apparatuses; different sorts of particles being measured.