CA1146775A - Sample and stat feeding system and sample tray - Google Patents
Sample and stat feeding system and sample trayInfo
- Publication number
- CA1146775A CA1146775A CA000369576A CA369576A CA1146775A CA 1146775 A CA1146775 A CA 1146775A CA 000369576 A CA000369576 A CA 000369576A CA 369576 A CA369576 A CA 369576A CA 1146775 A CA1146775 A CA 1146775A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sample
- tray
- reagent
- pick
- locations
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N35/10—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
- G01N35/1009—Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N35/00584—Control arrangements for automatic analysers
- G01N35/0092—Scheduling
- G01N35/0095—Scheduling introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N2035/00346—Heating or cooling arrangements
- G01N2035/00435—Refrigerated reagent storage
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N2035/00346—Heating or cooling arrangements
- G01N2035/00455—Controlling humidity in analyser
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
- G01N35/04—Details of the conveyor system
- G01N2035/0439—Rotary sample carriers, i.e. carousels
- G01N2035/0453—Multiple carousels working in parallel
- G01N2035/0455—Coaxial carousels
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N35/10—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
- G01N35/1009—Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids
- G01N2035/1025—Fluid level sensing
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
- G01N35/10—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices
- G01N35/1081—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices characterised by the means for relatively moving the transfer device and the containers in an horizontal plane
- G01N35/1083—Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices characterised by the means for relatively moving the transfer device and the containers in an horizontal plane with one horizontal degree of freedom
- G01N2035/1086—Cylindrical, e.g. variable angle
Abstract
SAMPLE AND STAT FEEDING SYSTEM AND SAMPLE TRAY
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A sample and stat feeding system for sequentially supplying a renewable supply of cuvettes with aliquots of sample liquids in a continuous processing mode. The sample liquids are contained in a annular sample tray having a plurality of sample vessels molded into the tray. The sample containers form two or more annular rows on the outer edge of the tray in which routine samples are maintained in an ordered sequence. Emergency samples (stats) and controls (standards) are maintained in separate auxiliary locations or arrays of locations which may be molded or separate cups placed in tray cavities. A sample pick up mechanism has a pick up probe which is rotated to define an arc across at least a substantial portion of the tray and at least one stat location. The tray is rotated to align the sample, stat and control cavities with the arc of the probe.
Sample aliquots are picked up and dispensed into the cuvettes in a programed operation sequence, with each sample fluid being related to a particular patient and programed for one or more analytical tests such as measuring the chemical reaction resulting from the addition of one or more reagents from a reagent supply. The program sequencing includes inserting a control aliquot in some of the cuvettes at a predetermined frequency to monitor the accuracy of the machine. When a stat test occurs, the stat is inserted in the tray and the programed sequence is interrupted to load the stat into the reaction vessel. The order of sample locations is not disturbed since the stats and controls are maintained in separate locations. The sample tray preferably will be molded of inexpensive material so it may be thrown away after all sample aliquots have been loaded into respective cuvettes for testing.
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A sample and stat feeding system for sequentially supplying a renewable supply of cuvettes with aliquots of sample liquids in a continuous processing mode. The sample liquids are contained in a annular sample tray having a plurality of sample vessels molded into the tray. The sample containers form two or more annular rows on the outer edge of the tray in which routine samples are maintained in an ordered sequence. Emergency samples (stats) and controls (standards) are maintained in separate auxiliary locations or arrays of locations which may be molded or separate cups placed in tray cavities. A sample pick up mechanism has a pick up probe which is rotated to define an arc across at least a substantial portion of the tray and at least one stat location. The tray is rotated to align the sample, stat and control cavities with the arc of the probe.
Sample aliquots are picked up and dispensed into the cuvettes in a programed operation sequence, with each sample fluid being related to a particular patient and programed for one or more analytical tests such as measuring the chemical reaction resulting from the addition of one or more reagents from a reagent supply. The program sequencing includes inserting a control aliquot in some of the cuvettes at a predetermined frequency to monitor the accuracy of the machine. When a stat test occurs, the stat is inserted in the tray and the programed sequence is interrupted to load the stat into the reaction vessel. The order of sample locations is not disturbed since the stats and controls are maintained in separate locations. The sample tray preferably will be molded of inexpensive material so it may be thrown away after all sample aliquots have been loaded into respective cuvettes for testing.
Description
:.
BACKGROuND OF TE~E IN~IENTION
.
The invention relates ~o a system and method for sequentially supplying a plurality of cuvettes with aliguots of sample liquids in a continuous processing mode. More particularly, this in~ention concerns the supplying of samples and stats each of which may provlde a single aliquot or pluralit~ o~ ali~uots which are subjected to :
chemical reactions wi~h di~erent reagents; which reactions .
are then analyzed~
The term "auxiliary sample" is lls.ed herein to encompass control or standard san~les, emerge~cy-t~p~ samples, and similar fluids in distinction from a normally sequenced arrangement ~rom patient samples~
The term "aliquot" was emplo~ed herein is a noun meaning a portion o a sample. The system supplies the aliquots to reaction vessels to which a reagent or xeagents then may be added prior to testing ~f the ali~uots~ ~he testing ~ be performed by monitoring the absorbance of electro-magnetic radiation at a particular wavelen~th or wavelengths by the analyteO
~ One disadvantage of prior ar~ analyæ~ng systems is the inabilit~ easily to handle an em~ryency situatlon as it arises without destro~in~ the total sequence of operations ' of the system. Xn such systems the samples are l~id out I in a pxedetermined order to-be tested, such as 1 through ~0 .
¦ 25 with the identi~ication and position of each o~ ~he samples ~ beiny fixea. If during the sequencing of the s~mples and i the tests run on the samples an emergency situation or stat test is desired, a position is robbed of its sample. The ¦ emer~ency situation or stat test is a sample which must be - ~ .
-:
. ~ ` "~
~46775 analyzed immediately and thus the programed sequence o~
testing in progress must be interrupted~ Each of these stat tests changes the programminy of the tests and samples alread~ in the programed test se~uence in the analyzer.
Each change in the p.redetermined ordex or pr~gr~mming o the tests and sample locations correctly must be en~ered and correlated so that the alteration of the seguencing is , correctly noted in the s~stem. This may resu~t in the mis-matching of a test and a sample resulting in ~n impropex-analysis related to a particular patient and all those following the mismatch in the'sequence. It is extremel~
critical that a system accura~ely observe each sample , ' reaction mixture being tested as well.as have the flexibility to handle an emergency or stat situation should it arise 15 . durin~ a sequence of testing without endangering,the correct correlation of the test and samples alxead~ in the testing sequence.
- A second problem encountered by the prior art devices is ca~sed by deaicated reagent posi~ions and typically .
a dedicated reagent dispensing mechanism for each position,' . In this case the array of cuve-~tes is se~men~ed or divided .. . . . .
into the number of p~sitions re~uired by the dedicated -reagent positions. For example, 100 cuvette posi~.ions with ' 10 reagent positions results in sampl~ from on~y 10 patients being tested without regard to the number of tests to be conducted on the sample from each patient. Patient No. 1 might re~uire only one test, but all ten posi$ions have to be alloted for that patient's sample in the device. Each of , the nine ~mpty ~ositions may not be utiliæed so that the hundrea posi~ion machine only is efective as a ten sample ~. , .
~ ' ' ' ' .; .
~, . . .
;77S
machine. If this problem is doubled by including ten second reagents, then the one hundred position machine would be divided in hal again such that samples from only five patients could be analyzed at one time. This xesults in a great increa~e in elapsed time for a given throughpu~ -as well as a corresponding decrease in the ef f iciency o~ the -.
operation.
.
;775 SUMMARY OF I~ INVEN~ION
The above and other disadvantages of prior art sample and stat feeding systems and techniques are overcome in accordance with the present invention by providiny a single pick up position for each of a plurality of samples, stats, controls, first reagents and second reagents which are mo~ed to respective pick up positions. A renewable supply of cuvettes sequentially is stepped or moved first to a dispensing position for the sample~ stats and controls and then to one or more reayent dispensing positions.
Each sample in the sample tray supplies one or more aliquots to the reaction vessels in a predetermined sequence inter-spersed with controls so-that the operatlon of the machine accurately may be monitored for proper operation. The sample - tray ~ncludes a separate stat position into which stats may be loaded and then the program seguence interrupted to insert one or more aliquots from the stat or stats lnto the renewable cuvette array before preceding to the next regular sample without destroying the location sequence of the samples. ~ ~
.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~IE DR:~WINGS
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the sample and stat ~eeding apparatus of the inventioni Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of the sample tray with a portion broken away to show the positioning code wheel of the tray;
Figure 3 is a top plan ~iew with parts broken away showing the operat~onal relationships ~etween ~he sample tray~ xeagent tray and cuvette array;
. Figure 4 is a side sectional view of one embodi-ment o~ the cuvette tray and its associated positioning mechanism; and Figure 5 is a side sectional vie~ of the reagent trays and their respective positioning mechanisms.
.. . . .
r .. . . . .
., .
.
- -, ' -, ~L4~7~
. : , DESC~IPT~OM OF THE PREFERRhl) EMEIO!:)IMENTS
Referring now to Figure 1, an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inven-tion is designated generally by the re~erence character 10. The major units of the sample ~ and stat eeding system 10 include a sample supply 12 and a reagent suppl~ 14~ The samples from the supply 12 and the reagents rom the reagent- supply 14 are transferred to and observed in a chemical reaction analyzer 16. Any . .
type of analyzer 16 may be utilized with the sample and . stat feeding system 10 of the invention; however, for..ease in describing the system 10 one particular ana~yzer 16 will be described.
The anal~zer 16 includes a cuvette rotor 18 which includes a pluralit~ of cuvettes or cuvette cavities 20 in which the sample aliquots are dispensed and mixed with reagent ali~uots which are then analyzed by the analyzer 16.
:.~ The sample supply 12 includes samples, stats and controls or blanks which are picked up frQm the sample supply, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cuvettes 20 by a sample dispensing arm 22. The reagent supply 14 typically will ~o have a first reagent ring 24 containing a plurality of first reagents in separate containers 26 and a .second reagent ring 28 containing a second plurality of reage~ts in second : reagent containers 30. The first reagents are picked up from the first reagent ring 24, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cuvettes 20 by a first reagent dispensing arm 32. The second reagents are picked up fxom the second reagent ring 28, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cavities b~ a second reagent dispensing arm 34~ .
, --7-- .
~14~5 The cuvette xotor 18 is rotated o~ step~ed .to present an endless suppl~ of cuVettes 20 into wh:ich :the sample aliquots and reayents may be pl~ced to be analyzedO
The cuvette rotor is not essential and could ~e xepl~ced by an endless chain or belt if desired; Re~err~ng to Figures 1 and 3~ the picking up and dispensin~ o~ t~e samples, controls, stats and first reagents ~nto ~he cu~ettes 20 may.most clearly be.seen. The number of cuvettes is not.
critical, for example, there may be a hundred and twenty cuvettes spaced circumferentially, preferabI~ equiangula~
around the rotor 18. The cuvettes 20 are light transmissive and the various reactions and other operations taking place therein may be monitored by one or more photometers (not shown). The photometers will include a bea~ of l~ght which .~. 15 passes through the cuvettes 20 one at a ti~e and the liquids therein .(if any) following which the tran$mitted light is .. sensed by a photodetector. -The light beam preferably is rotated relative ~o the disc 18 to sëquentially :scan each of the cuvettes 20 and its ~ontents~ The analyzer 16 then may measure the reaction in each vessel 20, either for a rate of reaction test or an end point: condition ox for both,.
~ if desired. . .
; - Referxing first to the sample dispen5in~ operation, ~ the sample arm 22 ~s pivoted around an axis ~8 and carries ~ 25 -the pick up and dispensing probe 36 extending d-ownwardly at. its distal end. The movement o~ the probe 36 on the anm 22 f describes an arc B when the arm 22 is rotated between the sample suppl~ snd the cuvettes 20. The spec.ific structure of the arms, 22, 32 and 34 is not critical; however, each of the arms or their respective probes must have the .
77~
capability of being pivoted upon an axis and raised ana lowered to pick up and dispense the fluid guantities. The associated valving and conduits is not shown, but would be readily provided b~ conventional techniques.
Each of the arms 22, 32 and 34 is shown lowered with the respecti~e probes in the dispensing position in a respective cuvette 20 in Figure l~ As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the main element of the supply 12 is a samplç disc . or tray 50. The sample tray 50 includes at least two arrays of fluid cavities 52 and 54. The first array of cavities 52 includes at least two concentric rows of cavities 56 and 58. In the specific embodiment shown, a third row ~0 is also included in the array 52 which may . contain samples or controls. The array o~ cavities 54 may lS include one or more rows of cavities, only one of which is shown in this specific example.
Further, although the size of the cavities 52 and S4 is not critical, the cavities 54.will typically be larger than tha cavities S2 and may be larye enough for .separate containers of stats or blanks and controls to be placed therein~ If row 60 is utilized for the blanks and.controls the cavities therein preferably would be larger than those in rows 56 and 58. All the cavities preferabl~ will be molded into the tray 50. As shown in Figure 2, the tray 50 has associated with it a code wheel 62 which allows the precise positioning of the sample tray in the supply 12.
The code wheel has any conventional type of binary coding, which may be metallic strips or holes through the code wheel or disc 62 which may be read by an optical reader tFigure 4~. .
. _g_ ~416~S
Each of th~ cavities will be filled with a particular sample fluid related to a particular patient for the cavities 52 and the cavities 54 may include the controls and blanks or may be empty awaiting a stat or emergency situation. The tray 50 is positioned in the supply 12 so ~
that each of the cavities 52 and 54 has a specific l~cation indicated by the oode wheel 62, The indi~idual samples are identified by position when they are loaded into the tray 50 and the identity and location is programmed in~ the analyzer 1~ 16 or system 10 so that the identity of the sample aliquot loaded into each cuvette 20 and the tests for each aliquot are maintained in sequence. Each of the samples located in the cavities 52 may have one or more aliquots placed in one or more of the cuvettes 20 fox different reagents to be added to for different tests to be run on the fluid. The tray 52 may include one or more troughs or cavi~ies 64 which will hold fluid, such as water, to maintain the humidity under a cover 66 to keep the sample, stats and controls from evaporating while they are ~eing ~oaded into the cuvettes. ~over 66 preferably will have a slot 68 which has an arcuate opening,the center of which is aligned with the arc B to allow the sample probe to pass through the ~ ~ cover to the respective cavities in the rows 56, 58, 60 or i the array 54~ Thus the desired one of the cavities 52 or 54 lS rotated to the slot 68 prior to being picked up by the arm 22, which then transfers the ali~uot from the cavity to the cuvette 20 for analyzing.
Once the sample aliquot has been placed in the cuvette 20 it is moved by the rotor 18 to the first reagent dispensing position 44. At that position the arm 32 will operate in a manner similar to the dispensing arm 22 and ~146775 will rotate to a reagent cavity or bottle 26 containing the specified reagent for that aliauot in the first reagent ring 2~. The reagenk supply 14 also will include a cover 70 to prevent the reagents fxom evaporatin~. The reagent cover 70 also may have a slot (no~ shown) similar to the sample cover slot 68 or it may onl~ have a small hole since each of t~e containers or cavities 26 in the ring 2~
will be concentric with the center of xotation of the ~ing 24~ Not all sample ali~uots will of course xeceive a ~irs~
~- 10 reagent at the first reagent dispensing location 44 and some may receive only the second reagent in a ~ milar manner rom the second rea~ent disp~nsing arm 34 at the second reagent dispensing position 46. I~ some cases the sa~ple aliquot may receive a second rea~ent at location ~6 in addition to the irst reagent at location 44 for th~
particular reaction to be analyzed. The second rea~ent . ring 28 also has a hole in the cover 70 (not shown3.
To descri~e the operation o ~he ~ystem 10, the operations or one ali~uot o~ sample fluid from cavi~ ~
; 20 will be dsscribed. Each o~ the fluids and their respective cavities îs precisely loca~ed with the code wheel 62 ~nd associated drive mechanisms ~Figures 4 and 5). Assuming for in~tance that there are thirty-two cavitles in each of rows --56 ~nd 58, then cavities 1 throug~ 32 will be in xow 56 -while cavit~s33through 64 will be in xow ~. Xn the - embodiment shown in Figure 3, cavities 65 thr~ugh 96 will be in row 60, while a les5er number will be in the txa~ 50 of Figure 2, ~he center of each of the cavities 1, 33, ~5 -and 97 (Figure 2) are aliyned such that ~hen the tray 5~
is rotated to align one of ~hem with the slot 68, each of '~ ~ ~, . .
~14~775 . . , them will be aligned on the arc B.
Following the picking up of the sample aliquot prior to the ~irst aliquot from cavity 2, the tray.52 will be rotated to align the cavity 2 with the slot 68~ After the prior aliquot is dispensed in location 42, the rotor will move the next empt~ cuvette into position at location ~2. ~t the same time, the arm 22 will be rotated to position the probe 36 above the cavity 2 in the slot 68 The probe 36 will be moved down into the fluid in cavity 2 - pick up the sample aliquot, he moved up and be rotated to location 42. The probe.36 then will be moved down into the cuvette 20, dispense the aliquot and be removed fxom the cuvette 20. While the sample aliguot is being dispensed, the first ~nd second reagent probes 38 also may be dispensing reagents in respective cuvettes in locations 44 and 46.
Assuming that the first aliquot from cavity 2 . ..... is progra~m~afor a test utilizing a reagent fxom the first reagent ring 24~ the reagent will be added w~en *he cuvette has been m~ved to the location 44~ Again, after dispensing the reagent into the prior aliquot ~if any) the xe~gent ring 24 will be rotated to position the programm~reagent into position aligned with an arc C défined by the rotation of the probe 38 on the arm 32. The probe 38 will pick up the - reagent aliquot and move and dispense it into the fixst aliquot in the cuvette now at location 44~ In a like manner, a second reagent ma~ be added to the first aliquot at location 46. The location of the dispensing positions is not critical and the dispensin5 arms could be placed on opposite sides of the respective sample and reagent supplies if desired.
. .
. -12- . .
;775 Control aliquots may be added to the cuvettes 20 - at location 42 at a predetermined frequency, such as every tenth cuvette to check the operation and accuracy of the analyzer 16. The system 10 and the analy2er 16 will operate S to pick up the control from the specified cavity in the array 54 ox row 60 as required, and then will reposition the tray 50 so the second aliquot may be picked up from the cavity 2.
. If a sta~ test is desired, for example, befo~e th~
third aliquot from the cavity 2; then the stat fluid will be placed into a specified empty location in the array 54, such as ca~ity 97. The tray 50 then is rotated, after the second - aliquot is picked up, to align cavity 97 with the slot 68 and arc B. The stat may be placed in the cavity 97 itself or may be in a separate container placed in the.cavity 97.
The probe 36 then will pick up and dispense the stat fluid in an identical manner to any other sample fluid. The : . . tray 50 is then repositioned with cavity 2 again aligned in the slot 68. Thus, the flexibility of the system 10 is - greatly enhanced by having the separate control and stat locations while maintaining accuracy of the sample fluid locations, hecause.they are not disturbed for either a ~
con~rol or stat operation. The stats also may be placed in : . any other location on the arc B such as a separate non-movable cavity 71. The location 71 would permit the tray 50 to remain in position for the-pick up of the next sequential aliquot, eliminating two movements of the tray - 50.
Referring now to Figure 4, the drive mechanism and locating mechanism for the sample s~pply 12 is best: 30 illustrated. The sample tray 50 preferably is a throw -13- .
, .
away tray which is moun-ted on a mounting disc 72. The tray preferably is a throw away tray, because the next tray can be prepared while the first tray is being operated on in the sample and stat feeding system 10 as described above.
The tray 50 may be monitored by the sample and stat feeding system 10 and may have a series of punch out tabs 7~ depending from a bottom rim 75 of the tray 50. These tabs may be removed when the tray is filled with samples so that the identification of each tray in the system 10 is assured.
When the tray 50 is loaded into the sample and stat ~eeding system 10 on the mounting plate 7?, it will he rotated and the tabs read by a reader 76 to identify the tray and the location of each of the samples, stats and blanks in the cavities 52 and 54 to assure the proper tests are taken on the samples and the results matched with the proper samples. The alignment with the slot 68 is controlled ~` by the analyzer 16 or the feeding system 10 u~ilizin~ the code wheel 62 which rotates with the mounting plate and is read by an optical reader 78. Each of the tra~s 50- will include an aperture 80 opening through the bottom thRreof into which will fit a locating pin 82 mounted in the mounting disc 72. Thus, the position of the tray S0 on -~ -the disc 72 is assured and the position of the tray 50 with respect to the pick up slot 68 then is controlled with the code wheel 62 and xeader 78.
The mounting disc 72 is mounted on an outwardly extending flange 84 of a drive shaft 86. The drive shaft 86 is rotated by a motor 88 through a drive shaft 90.
The motor is mounted to the bottom of a base plate 92 of the supply by a plurality of pins 93. ~he distal end of the shaft 90 carries a drive belt 96 which is engaged ~L46775 around the d~ive pulley 94 and a pulley ~ wh~ch.'is ~ounted on the drive shaft'86. The'code'wheel'6~ may be ~ounted on the upper end of the pulley 98~
A non rotating main shaft 100 is mounted t~ the base pla,te 92 by a screw or other mounting means 102.
The drive shaft 86 is ~paced from the main shaft by an upper and lower bearing 104 and 106 and rotates around the main sha~t 100. The shaft 100 includes a cover plate 1'08 which is affixed to the shaft by a screw 1~0. The cover plate prevents ~oreign matter from interfering with the bearings 104 and 106. The code wheal reader 78 is mounted on a block 112 on an outwardly extending flange 114 thereof.
.. The reader 78 may be mounted to the flange 114 by a sc~ew : 116 extending therethrough into the xeader 78~ The reader block 112 includes a lower flange 118 which extends to and passes around the shaft 110 to form a thrust bearing .
. for the drive shaft'86. The mounting o~ the block by the - flange 118 around the shaft 100 also precisely locates the - reader 78 w.ith respect to the code wheel 62!
. .
. 20 The drive assembly of the~suppl~ 12 preferabl~
: includes a cover member 120 to prevent for~elgn material from ~entering the drive assembly area and interfering with the code wheel 62 and reader 78 or other drive members of the supply assembly. The cover 120 may be mounted to the base, : 25 member 92 by a plurality of screws 122. Although only a single drive is shown for the s~mple tray 50, the sample , tray could,be divided into one or more rings with the samples preferabl~ in the outer rings 56 and 58, the controls in row 60 and the cavities 54 being reserved for' stat or ' microstaL (pre-mixed stats~ cup_. The rows 56 an~:58 coula '. . ' .
~4~775 .
be one separate txay and the xows 60 and t~e ~rray 54 could be a separate tray. The number and size of the cavities is not critical and ma~ vary depending upon the number of samples which are desired to be ret~ined in a singl`e loaded tray. ~'ox two separate sample rings the drive mechanism would be similar to the drive o the two reagents rings, as will he described next.
Referring now to Figure 5, the details of the reagent supply may best be seen. The first and second reagent rings 24 and 28 are separate~y controlled and driven for greater flexibility, since they each supply different arms 32 and 34. It would be possible for the reagents to be in unitary tray, such as that shown ~or the samples 50 with a single drive, for use in a system having - 15 only one reagent dispensing arm. Referring to Figure 3, this modification could be made by moving the reagent a~m 32 farther toward the reagent supply or extending -the length of the arm so that the arm would reach across the cuvettes 20 to have a dispensing position beyond point 44 and then return to the ~uvette row on an arc for the first dispensing position 44. Alternately, both reagents could be dispensed in the same dlspensing location whioh would re~ulre time for -~ both réagents to be picked up and dispensed with the cuvette 20 in the position 44 on the rotor 18.
The two reagent rings 24 and 28 may hav~ separate reagent containers placed into the respactive cavities, such as shown in Figure 1 or the reagents could be placed directly into the cavities i~ desired, in the same mannex as the samples. Again as shown in Figure 1 r the cover 70 noxmally would cover the reagent supply to eliminate -16~
.
excessî~e evapora~ion or contamination of the reagents and to maintain the temperature of the reagents. The top portion of the cover is broken away with onl~ a side wall 124 surrounding the peripher~ of the reagent rings 24 and 28 being shown in Figure S. The reagents preferably are kept at a substantially uni~orm temperature, generally chilled, such that the rings 24 and 28 preferably will be made from heat conductive metal which may be machined or cast. -The first rea~ent tray 24 is mounted to a rotating shaft 126 b~ a screw 128. The reagent supply 14 includes a base member 130 and a second lower mounting base 132 mounted to the base 130 by a plurality of pins 134. The pins 134 also may be enclosed by a cover (not shown) such as the cover 120.; The shaft 126 is ro~ated about a stationary shaft 136 which is mounted to the base plate 134, The shaft 126 is spaced from the shaft 136 by an upper bearing 138 and a lower thrust bearing 140. The ring 24 and shaft 126 are rota~ed by a motor 142 mounted on~a base 144 which is mounted to the base plate 132 by a piurality of pins 146.
The motor 14Z includes a drlve shaft 148 which extends through an opening 150 in the base 144. The motor shaft 148 includes a pulley 152 mounted on its distal end.
A drive belt 154 is mounted on the pulley 152 and abaut a pulley 156 mounted to the shaft 126. The position of the ring 24 with respect to its dispensing position on the arc - ' C is controlled by a code wheel 158 read by a optical reader 160. The optical reader is mounted on a mounting plate 162 extending from a mounting block 164 mounted to the base plate 132.
7~
The second inner reagent ring 28 is mounted on a central shaft 166 b~ a.set screw 168 and a ~ounting bl'ock 170. The shaft 1~6 is spaced fxom and xevolves ~nside the fixed shaft 136 by upper and lower bearings 172 and 174 The lower end of the shaft 166 extends throug~ the b.ase plate 132 and has a drive pulley 176 a~fixed to,its.lowex end. The drive pulley 17Ç ,is driven by a ~elt 178 w~ich, is driven b~.a motor (not shown) similar to.the motox 142 - The drive pulley 176 includes a code'wheel l80 sImilar to t~e code wheels 158 and 6~ to position the ring 28., The code wheel 180 is read b~ an optical reader 182 ~ounted on an adjustable plate 184 mounted on a mounting bloc~ 186 which is mounted to the base plate 13~. The b~se ~ember 13 0 may include a heat sink to provide the appropriate 15 ' cooling for the reagent rings 24 and 28~
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the tray 50 may be molded or machined xom any material which ~ill not react with the fluids placed therein~ One con.venient : ' material is plastic. ,In utilizing the s~stem 10 or tray 50 in an analyzer 16 which utiIizes small amounts of fluid and for accuracy in the system it may'be desirable to . eliminate as much fluid caxxyover by the'probes 36,.38 and 40 as possible. One method is to utilize. level.sens~ng - with the probes 36, 38 and 40 so that they are not Immersed in the fluids, but onl~ contact the surface thereof.
~ne method of level sensing, utiliz'es metallic probes.36, 38 and 40 or metallic.elements, such as stainless steel which provides one side of a capacitive level sensex. The path is completed through the fluid and container itsel~.
This is not a problem with the reagents since the rings ; . .. . -18- -26 and 28 are metal; however, a plastic tray 50 will not provide an elec~rical path. Therefor it is necessa~y to make the tray 50 conductive, but it still must be non-reactive with the fluids. One option is to mold graphite into the plastic tray 50, which is electrically conductive but non-react'i~e~ A second option is to paint the area surrounding the cavities with metallic paint. A third option is to pro,vide the molded cavities with a space around each cavity to which a metal ring or perforated plate may be mounted.
Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachinys.
The second reagents dispensed at the location ~6, preferably should be those which do not need as much reaction and observation time as those dispensed at the position 44.
The second'reagents may be added in combination with the first reagents or the first and second reagents may be added to separate sample aliquots to form separate reagent mixtures~ The situation also ma~ arise where the number of reagent positions in the first reagent ring 24 are insufficient for a particular reagent volume, in which case the second reagent ring 28 would contain additional, containers of the same reagent. This situation would arise where numerous tests are progran~d'to utilize the same reagent It is, thereforet'to be understood that within~the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
` .
-
BACKGROuND OF TE~E IN~IENTION
.
The invention relates ~o a system and method for sequentially supplying a plurality of cuvettes with aliguots of sample liquids in a continuous processing mode. More particularly, this in~ention concerns the supplying of samples and stats each of which may provlde a single aliquot or pluralit~ o~ ali~uots which are subjected to :
chemical reactions wi~h di~erent reagents; which reactions .
are then analyzed~
The term "auxiliary sample" is lls.ed herein to encompass control or standard san~les, emerge~cy-t~p~ samples, and similar fluids in distinction from a normally sequenced arrangement ~rom patient samples~
The term "aliquot" was emplo~ed herein is a noun meaning a portion o a sample. The system supplies the aliquots to reaction vessels to which a reagent or xeagents then may be added prior to testing ~f the ali~uots~ ~he testing ~ be performed by monitoring the absorbance of electro-magnetic radiation at a particular wavelen~th or wavelengths by the analyteO
~ One disadvantage of prior ar~ analyæ~ng systems is the inabilit~ easily to handle an em~ryency situatlon as it arises without destro~in~ the total sequence of operations ' of the system. Xn such systems the samples are l~id out I in a pxedetermined order to-be tested, such as 1 through ~0 .
¦ 25 with the identi~ication and position of each o~ ~he samples ~ beiny fixea. If during the sequencing of the s~mples and i the tests run on the samples an emergency situation or stat test is desired, a position is robbed of its sample. The ¦ emer~ency situation or stat test is a sample which must be - ~ .
-:
. ~ ` "~
~46775 analyzed immediately and thus the programed sequence o~
testing in progress must be interrupted~ Each of these stat tests changes the programminy of the tests and samples alread~ in the programed test se~uence in the analyzer.
Each change in the p.redetermined ordex or pr~gr~mming o the tests and sample locations correctly must be en~ered and correlated so that the alteration of the seguencing is , correctly noted in the s~stem. This may resu~t in the mis-matching of a test and a sample resulting in ~n impropex-analysis related to a particular patient and all those following the mismatch in the'sequence. It is extremel~
critical that a system accura~ely observe each sample , ' reaction mixture being tested as well.as have the flexibility to handle an emergency or stat situation should it arise 15 . durin~ a sequence of testing without endangering,the correct correlation of the test and samples alxead~ in the testing sequence.
- A second problem encountered by the prior art devices is ca~sed by deaicated reagent posi~ions and typically .
a dedicated reagent dispensing mechanism for each position,' . In this case the array of cuve-~tes is se~men~ed or divided .. . . . .
into the number of p~sitions re~uired by the dedicated -reagent positions. For example, 100 cuvette posi~.ions with ' 10 reagent positions results in sampl~ from on~y 10 patients being tested without regard to the number of tests to be conducted on the sample from each patient. Patient No. 1 might re~uire only one test, but all ten posi$ions have to be alloted for that patient's sample in the device. Each of , the nine ~mpty ~ositions may not be utiliæed so that the hundrea posi~ion machine only is efective as a ten sample ~. , .
~ ' ' ' ' .; .
~, . . .
;77S
machine. If this problem is doubled by including ten second reagents, then the one hundred position machine would be divided in hal again such that samples from only five patients could be analyzed at one time. This xesults in a great increa~e in elapsed time for a given throughpu~ -as well as a corresponding decrease in the ef f iciency o~ the -.
operation.
.
;775 SUMMARY OF I~ INVEN~ION
The above and other disadvantages of prior art sample and stat feeding systems and techniques are overcome in accordance with the present invention by providiny a single pick up position for each of a plurality of samples, stats, controls, first reagents and second reagents which are mo~ed to respective pick up positions. A renewable supply of cuvettes sequentially is stepped or moved first to a dispensing position for the sample~ stats and controls and then to one or more reayent dispensing positions.
Each sample in the sample tray supplies one or more aliquots to the reaction vessels in a predetermined sequence inter-spersed with controls so-that the operatlon of the machine accurately may be monitored for proper operation. The sample - tray ~ncludes a separate stat position into which stats may be loaded and then the program seguence interrupted to insert one or more aliquots from the stat or stats lnto the renewable cuvette array before preceding to the next regular sample without destroying the location sequence of the samples. ~ ~
.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~IE DR:~WINGS
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the sample and stat ~eeding apparatus of the inventioni Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of the sample tray with a portion broken away to show the positioning code wheel of the tray;
Figure 3 is a top plan ~iew with parts broken away showing the operat~onal relationships ~etween ~he sample tray~ xeagent tray and cuvette array;
. Figure 4 is a side sectional view of one embodi-ment o~ the cuvette tray and its associated positioning mechanism; and Figure 5 is a side sectional vie~ of the reagent trays and their respective positioning mechanisms.
.. . . .
r .. . . . .
., .
.
- -, ' -, ~L4~7~
. : , DESC~IPT~OM OF THE PREFERRhl) EMEIO!:)IMENTS
Referring now to Figure 1, an apparatus constructed in accordance with the inven-tion is designated generally by the re~erence character 10. The major units of the sample ~ and stat eeding system 10 include a sample supply 12 and a reagent suppl~ 14~ The samples from the supply 12 and the reagents rom the reagent- supply 14 are transferred to and observed in a chemical reaction analyzer 16. Any . .
type of analyzer 16 may be utilized with the sample and . stat feeding system 10 of the invention; however, for..ease in describing the system 10 one particular ana~yzer 16 will be described.
The anal~zer 16 includes a cuvette rotor 18 which includes a pluralit~ of cuvettes or cuvette cavities 20 in which the sample aliquots are dispensed and mixed with reagent ali~uots which are then analyzed by the analyzer 16.
:.~ The sample supply 12 includes samples, stats and controls or blanks which are picked up frQm the sample supply, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cuvettes 20 by a sample dispensing arm 22. The reagent supply 14 typically will ~o have a first reagent ring 24 containing a plurality of first reagents in separate containers 26 and a .second reagent ring 28 containing a second plurality of reage~ts in second : reagent containers 30. The first reagents are picked up from the first reagent ring 24, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cuvettes 20 by a first reagent dispensing arm 32. The second reagents are picked up fxom the second reagent ring 28, moved to and dispensed into the rotor cavities b~ a second reagent dispensing arm 34~ .
, --7-- .
~14~5 The cuvette xotor 18 is rotated o~ step~ed .to present an endless suppl~ of cuVettes 20 into wh:ich :the sample aliquots and reayents may be pl~ced to be analyzedO
The cuvette rotor is not essential and could ~e xepl~ced by an endless chain or belt if desired; Re~err~ng to Figures 1 and 3~ the picking up and dispensin~ o~ t~e samples, controls, stats and first reagents ~nto ~he cu~ettes 20 may.most clearly be.seen. The number of cuvettes is not.
critical, for example, there may be a hundred and twenty cuvettes spaced circumferentially, preferabI~ equiangula~
around the rotor 18. The cuvettes 20 are light transmissive and the various reactions and other operations taking place therein may be monitored by one or more photometers (not shown). The photometers will include a bea~ of l~ght which .~. 15 passes through the cuvettes 20 one at a ti~e and the liquids therein .(if any) following which the tran$mitted light is .. sensed by a photodetector. -The light beam preferably is rotated relative ~o the disc 18 to sëquentially :scan each of the cuvettes 20 and its ~ontents~ The analyzer 16 then may measure the reaction in each vessel 20, either for a rate of reaction test or an end point: condition ox for both,.
~ if desired. . .
; - Referxing first to the sample dispen5in~ operation, ~ the sample arm 22 ~s pivoted around an axis ~8 and carries ~ 25 -the pick up and dispensing probe 36 extending d-ownwardly at. its distal end. The movement o~ the probe 36 on the anm 22 f describes an arc B when the arm 22 is rotated between the sample suppl~ snd the cuvettes 20. The spec.ific structure of the arms, 22, 32 and 34 is not critical; however, each of the arms or their respective probes must have the .
77~
capability of being pivoted upon an axis and raised ana lowered to pick up and dispense the fluid guantities. The associated valving and conduits is not shown, but would be readily provided b~ conventional techniques.
Each of the arms 22, 32 and 34 is shown lowered with the respecti~e probes in the dispensing position in a respective cuvette 20 in Figure l~ As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the main element of the supply 12 is a samplç disc . or tray 50. The sample tray 50 includes at least two arrays of fluid cavities 52 and 54. The first array of cavities 52 includes at least two concentric rows of cavities 56 and 58. In the specific embodiment shown, a third row ~0 is also included in the array 52 which may . contain samples or controls. The array o~ cavities 54 may lS include one or more rows of cavities, only one of which is shown in this specific example.
Further, although the size of the cavities 52 and S4 is not critical, the cavities 54.will typically be larger than tha cavities S2 and may be larye enough for .separate containers of stats or blanks and controls to be placed therein~ If row 60 is utilized for the blanks and.controls the cavities therein preferably would be larger than those in rows 56 and 58. All the cavities preferabl~ will be molded into the tray 50. As shown in Figure 2, the tray 50 has associated with it a code wheel 62 which allows the precise positioning of the sample tray in the supply 12.
The code wheel has any conventional type of binary coding, which may be metallic strips or holes through the code wheel or disc 62 which may be read by an optical reader tFigure 4~. .
. _g_ ~416~S
Each of th~ cavities will be filled with a particular sample fluid related to a particular patient for the cavities 52 and the cavities 54 may include the controls and blanks or may be empty awaiting a stat or emergency situation. The tray 50 is positioned in the supply 12 so ~
that each of the cavities 52 and 54 has a specific l~cation indicated by the oode wheel 62, The indi~idual samples are identified by position when they are loaded into the tray 50 and the identity and location is programmed in~ the analyzer 1~ 16 or system 10 so that the identity of the sample aliquot loaded into each cuvette 20 and the tests for each aliquot are maintained in sequence. Each of the samples located in the cavities 52 may have one or more aliquots placed in one or more of the cuvettes 20 fox different reagents to be added to for different tests to be run on the fluid. The tray 52 may include one or more troughs or cavi~ies 64 which will hold fluid, such as water, to maintain the humidity under a cover 66 to keep the sample, stats and controls from evaporating while they are ~eing ~oaded into the cuvettes. ~over 66 preferably will have a slot 68 which has an arcuate opening,the center of which is aligned with the arc B to allow the sample probe to pass through the ~ ~ cover to the respective cavities in the rows 56, 58, 60 or i the array 54~ Thus the desired one of the cavities 52 or 54 lS rotated to the slot 68 prior to being picked up by the arm 22, which then transfers the ali~uot from the cavity to the cuvette 20 for analyzing.
Once the sample aliquot has been placed in the cuvette 20 it is moved by the rotor 18 to the first reagent dispensing position 44. At that position the arm 32 will operate in a manner similar to the dispensing arm 22 and ~146775 will rotate to a reagent cavity or bottle 26 containing the specified reagent for that aliauot in the first reagent ring 2~. The reagenk supply 14 also will include a cover 70 to prevent the reagents fxom evaporatin~. The reagent cover 70 also may have a slot (no~ shown) similar to the sample cover slot 68 or it may onl~ have a small hole since each of t~e containers or cavities 26 in the ring 2~
will be concentric with the center of xotation of the ~ing 24~ Not all sample ali~uots will of course xeceive a ~irs~
~- 10 reagent at the first reagent dispensing location 44 and some may receive only the second reagent in a ~ milar manner rom the second rea~ent disp~nsing arm 34 at the second reagent dispensing position 46. I~ some cases the sa~ple aliquot may receive a second rea~ent at location ~6 in addition to the irst reagent at location 44 for th~
particular reaction to be analyzed. The second rea~ent . ring 28 also has a hole in the cover 70 (not shown3.
To descri~e the operation o ~he ~ystem 10, the operations or one ali~uot o~ sample fluid from cavi~ ~
; 20 will be dsscribed. Each o~ the fluids and their respective cavities îs precisely loca~ed with the code wheel 62 ~nd associated drive mechanisms ~Figures 4 and 5). Assuming for in~tance that there are thirty-two cavitles in each of rows --56 ~nd 58, then cavities 1 throug~ 32 will be in xow 56 -while cavit~s33through 64 will be in xow ~. Xn the - embodiment shown in Figure 3, cavities 65 thr~ugh 96 will be in row 60, while a les5er number will be in the txa~ 50 of Figure 2, ~he center of each of the cavities 1, 33, ~5 -and 97 (Figure 2) are aliyned such that ~hen the tray 5~
is rotated to align one of ~hem with the slot 68, each of '~ ~ ~, . .
~14~775 . . , them will be aligned on the arc B.
Following the picking up of the sample aliquot prior to the ~irst aliquot from cavity 2, the tray.52 will be rotated to align the cavity 2 with the slot 68~ After the prior aliquot is dispensed in location 42, the rotor will move the next empt~ cuvette into position at location ~2. ~t the same time, the arm 22 will be rotated to position the probe 36 above the cavity 2 in the slot 68 The probe 36 will be moved down into the fluid in cavity 2 - pick up the sample aliquot, he moved up and be rotated to location 42. The probe.36 then will be moved down into the cuvette 20, dispense the aliquot and be removed fxom the cuvette 20. While the sample aliguot is being dispensed, the first ~nd second reagent probes 38 also may be dispensing reagents in respective cuvettes in locations 44 and 46.
Assuming that the first aliquot from cavity 2 . ..... is progra~m~afor a test utilizing a reagent fxom the first reagent ring 24~ the reagent will be added w~en *he cuvette has been m~ved to the location 44~ Again, after dispensing the reagent into the prior aliquot ~if any) the xe~gent ring 24 will be rotated to position the programm~reagent into position aligned with an arc C défined by the rotation of the probe 38 on the arm 32. The probe 38 will pick up the - reagent aliquot and move and dispense it into the fixst aliquot in the cuvette now at location 44~ In a like manner, a second reagent ma~ be added to the first aliquot at location 46. The location of the dispensing positions is not critical and the dispensin5 arms could be placed on opposite sides of the respective sample and reagent supplies if desired.
. .
. -12- . .
;775 Control aliquots may be added to the cuvettes 20 - at location 42 at a predetermined frequency, such as every tenth cuvette to check the operation and accuracy of the analyzer 16. The system 10 and the analy2er 16 will operate S to pick up the control from the specified cavity in the array 54 ox row 60 as required, and then will reposition the tray 50 so the second aliquot may be picked up from the cavity 2.
. If a sta~ test is desired, for example, befo~e th~
third aliquot from the cavity 2; then the stat fluid will be placed into a specified empty location in the array 54, such as ca~ity 97. The tray 50 then is rotated, after the second - aliquot is picked up, to align cavity 97 with the slot 68 and arc B. The stat may be placed in the cavity 97 itself or may be in a separate container placed in the.cavity 97.
The probe 36 then will pick up and dispense the stat fluid in an identical manner to any other sample fluid. The : . . tray 50 is then repositioned with cavity 2 again aligned in the slot 68. Thus, the flexibility of the system 10 is - greatly enhanced by having the separate control and stat locations while maintaining accuracy of the sample fluid locations, hecause.they are not disturbed for either a ~
con~rol or stat operation. The stats also may be placed in : . any other location on the arc B such as a separate non-movable cavity 71. The location 71 would permit the tray 50 to remain in position for the-pick up of the next sequential aliquot, eliminating two movements of the tray - 50.
Referring now to Figure 4, the drive mechanism and locating mechanism for the sample s~pply 12 is best: 30 illustrated. The sample tray 50 preferably is a throw -13- .
, .
away tray which is moun-ted on a mounting disc 72. The tray preferably is a throw away tray, because the next tray can be prepared while the first tray is being operated on in the sample and stat feeding system 10 as described above.
The tray 50 may be monitored by the sample and stat feeding system 10 and may have a series of punch out tabs 7~ depending from a bottom rim 75 of the tray 50. These tabs may be removed when the tray is filled with samples so that the identification of each tray in the system 10 is assured.
When the tray 50 is loaded into the sample and stat ~eeding system 10 on the mounting plate 7?, it will he rotated and the tabs read by a reader 76 to identify the tray and the location of each of the samples, stats and blanks in the cavities 52 and 54 to assure the proper tests are taken on the samples and the results matched with the proper samples. The alignment with the slot 68 is controlled ~` by the analyzer 16 or the feeding system 10 u~ilizin~ the code wheel 62 which rotates with the mounting plate and is read by an optical reader 78. Each of the tra~s 50- will include an aperture 80 opening through the bottom thRreof into which will fit a locating pin 82 mounted in the mounting disc 72. Thus, the position of the tray S0 on -~ -the disc 72 is assured and the position of the tray 50 with respect to the pick up slot 68 then is controlled with the code wheel 62 and xeader 78.
The mounting disc 72 is mounted on an outwardly extending flange 84 of a drive shaft 86. The drive shaft 86 is rotated by a motor 88 through a drive shaft 90.
The motor is mounted to the bottom of a base plate 92 of the supply by a plurality of pins 93. ~he distal end of the shaft 90 carries a drive belt 96 which is engaged ~L46775 around the d~ive pulley 94 and a pulley ~ wh~ch.'is ~ounted on the drive shaft'86. The'code'wheel'6~ may be ~ounted on the upper end of the pulley 98~
A non rotating main shaft 100 is mounted t~ the base pla,te 92 by a screw or other mounting means 102.
The drive shaft 86 is ~paced from the main shaft by an upper and lower bearing 104 and 106 and rotates around the main sha~t 100. The shaft 100 includes a cover plate 1'08 which is affixed to the shaft by a screw 1~0. The cover plate prevents ~oreign matter from interfering with the bearings 104 and 106. The code wheal reader 78 is mounted on a block 112 on an outwardly extending flange 114 thereof.
.. The reader 78 may be mounted to the flange 114 by a sc~ew : 116 extending therethrough into the xeader 78~ The reader block 112 includes a lower flange 118 which extends to and passes around the shaft 110 to form a thrust bearing .
. for the drive shaft'86. The mounting o~ the block by the - flange 118 around the shaft 100 also precisely locates the - reader 78 w.ith respect to the code wheel 62!
. .
. 20 The drive assembly of the~suppl~ 12 preferabl~
: includes a cover member 120 to prevent for~elgn material from ~entering the drive assembly area and interfering with the code wheel 62 and reader 78 or other drive members of the supply assembly. The cover 120 may be mounted to the base, : 25 member 92 by a plurality of screws 122. Although only a single drive is shown for the s~mple tray 50, the sample , tray could,be divided into one or more rings with the samples preferabl~ in the outer rings 56 and 58, the controls in row 60 and the cavities 54 being reserved for' stat or ' microstaL (pre-mixed stats~ cup_. The rows 56 an~:58 coula '. . ' .
~4~775 .
be one separate txay and the xows 60 and t~e ~rray 54 could be a separate tray. The number and size of the cavities is not critical and ma~ vary depending upon the number of samples which are desired to be ret~ined in a singl`e loaded tray. ~'ox two separate sample rings the drive mechanism would be similar to the drive o the two reagents rings, as will he described next.
Referring now to Figure 5, the details of the reagent supply may best be seen. The first and second reagent rings 24 and 28 are separate~y controlled and driven for greater flexibility, since they each supply different arms 32 and 34. It would be possible for the reagents to be in unitary tray, such as that shown ~or the samples 50 with a single drive, for use in a system having - 15 only one reagent dispensing arm. Referring to Figure 3, this modification could be made by moving the reagent a~m 32 farther toward the reagent supply or extending -the length of the arm so that the arm would reach across the cuvettes 20 to have a dispensing position beyond point 44 and then return to the ~uvette row on an arc for the first dispensing position 44. Alternately, both reagents could be dispensed in the same dlspensing location whioh would re~ulre time for -~ both réagents to be picked up and dispensed with the cuvette 20 in the position 44 on the rotor 18.
The two reagent rings 24 and 28 may hav~ separate reagent containers placed into the respactive cavities, such as shown in Figure 1 or the reagents could be placed directly into the cavities i~ desired, in the same mannex as the samples. Again as shown in Figure 1 r the cover 70 noxmally would cover the reagent supply to eliminate -16~
.
excessî~e evapora~ion or contamination of the reagents and to maintain the temperature of the reagents. The top portion of the cover is broken away with onl~ a side wall 124 surrounding the peripher~ of the reagent rings 24 and 28 being shown in Figure S. The reagents preferably are kept at a substantially uni~orm temperature, generally chilled, such that the rings 24 and 28 preferably will be made from heat conductive metal which may be machined or cast. -The first rea~ent tray 24 is mounted to a rotating shaft 126 b~ a screw 128. The reagent supply 14 includes a base member 130 and a second lower mounting base 132 mounted to the base 130 by a plurality of pins 134. The pins 134 also may be enclosed by a cover (not shown) such as the cover 120.; The shaft 126 is ro~ated about a stationary shaft 136 which is mounted to the base plate 134, The shaft 126 is spaced from the shaft 136 by an upper bearing 138 and a lower thrust bearing 140. The ring 24 and shaft 126 are rota~ed by a motor 142 mounted on~a base 144 which is mounted to the base plate 132 by a piurality of pins 146.
The motor 14Z includes a drlve shaft 148 which extends through an opening 150 in the base 144. The motor shaft 148 includes a pulley 152 mounted on its distal end.
A drive belt 154 is mounted on the pulley 152 and abaut a pulley 156 mounted to the shaft 126. The position of the ring 24 with respect to its dispensing position on the arc - ' C is controlled by a code wheel 158 read by a optical reader 160. The optical reader is mounted on a mounting plate 162 extending from a mounting block 164 mounted to the base plate 132.
7~
The second inner reagent ring 28 is mounted on a central shaft 166 b~ a.set screw 168 and a ~ounting bl'ock 170. The shaft 1~6 is spaced fxom and xevolves ~nside the fixed shaft 136 by upper and lower bearings 172 and 174 The lower end of the shaft 166 extends throug~ the b.ase plate 132 and has a drive pulley 176 a~fixed to,its.lowex end. The drive pulley 17Ç ,is driven by a ~elt 178 w~ich, is driven b~.a motor (not shown) similar to.the motox 142 - The drive pulley 176 includes a code'wheel l80 sImilar to t~e code wheels 158 and 6~ to position the ring 28., The code wheel 180 is read b~ an optical reader 182 ~ounted on an adjustable plate 184 mounted on a mounting bloc~ 186 which is mounted to the base plate 13~. The b~se ~ember 13 0 may include a heat sink to provide the appropriate 15 ' cooling for the reagent rings 24 and 28~
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the tray 50 may be molded or machined xom any material which ~ill not react with the fluids placed therein~ One con.venient : ' material is plastic. ,In utilizing the s~stem 10 or tray 50 in an analyzer 16 which utiIizes small amounts of fluid and for accuracy in the system it may'be desirable to . eliminate as much fluid caxxyover by the'probes 36,.38 and 40 as possible. One method is to utilize. level.sens~ng - with the probes 36, 38 and 40 so that they are not Immersed in the fluids, but onl~ contact the surface thereof.
~ne method of level sensing, utiliz'es metallic probes.36, 38 and 40 or metallic.elements, such as stainless steel which provides one side of a capacitive level sensex. The path is completed through the fluid and container itsel~.
This is not a problem with the reagents since the rings ; . .. . -18- -26 and 28 are metal; however, a plastic tray 50 will not provide an elec~rical path. Therefor it is necessa~y to make the tray 50 conductive, but it still must be non-reactive with the fluids. One option is to mold graphite into the plastic tray 50, which is electrically conductive but non-react'i~e~ A second option is to paint the area surrounding the cavities with metallic paint. A third option is to pro,vide the molded cavities with a space around each cavity to which a metal ring or perforated plate may be mounted.
Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachinys.
The second reagents dispensed at the location ~6, preferably should be those which do not need as much reaction and observation time as those dispensed at the position 44.
The second'reagents may be added in combination with the first reagents or the first and second reagents may be added to separate sample aliquots to form separate reagent mixtures~ The situation also ma~ arise where the number of reagent positions in the first reagent ring 24 are insufficient for a particular reagent volume, in which case the second reagent ring 28 would contain additional, containers of the same reagent. This situation would arise where numerous tests are progran~d'to utilize the same reagent It is, thereforet'to be understood that within~the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
` .
-
Claims (20)
1. A feeding system for multiple discrete samples comprising:
A. at least one reaction vessel;
B. a first tray assembly including a plurality of sequenced sample locations arranged in a first array, for containing liquid samples;
C. at least one auxiliary sample location for containing auxiliary sample liquid, said auxiliary location positioned separate from said first array of sample locations;
D. means for moving at least one of said sequenced and said auxiliary sample locations to a sample pick up station;
means for picking up and dispensing an aliquot of liquid positioned at said sample pick up station;
F. positioning means for moving said pick up and dispensing means to said sample pick up station and for then moving said aliquot to said reaction vessel to dispense said aliquot therein;
G. a plurality of reagent locations arranged in a second tray assembly;
H. means for moving one of said reagent locations to a reagent pick up station;
I. means for picking up and dispensing a reagent aliquot positioned at said reagent pick up station and J. reagent positioning means for moving said reagent pick up means to said reagent pick up station to pick up said reagent aliquot and then moving said reagent pick up means to said reaction vessel to dispense said aliquot therein.
A. at least one reaction vessel;
B. a first tray assembly including a plurality of sequenced sample locations arranged in a first array, for containing liquid samples;
C. at least one auxiliary sample location for containing auxiliary sample liquid, said auxiliary location positioned separate from said first array of sample locations;
D. means for moving at least one of said sequenced and said auxiliary sample locations to a sample pick up station;
means for picking up and dispensing an aliquot of liquid positioned at said sample pick up station;
F. positioning means for moving said pick up and dispensing means to said sample pick up station and for then moving said aliquot to said reaction vessel to dispense said aliquot therein;
G. a plurality of reagent locations arranged in a second tray assembly;
H. means for moving one of said reagent locations to a reagent pick up station;
I. means for picking up and dispensing a reagent aliquot positioned at said reagent pick up station and J. reagent positioning means for moving said reagent pick up means to said reagent pick up station to pick up said reagent aliquot and then moving said reagent pick up means to said reaction vessel to dispense said aliquot therein.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said sequenced sample locations include cavities formed within tray; and said auxiliary sample location including means for receiving a separate container for auxiliary sample.
said sequenced sample locations include cavities formed within tray; and said auxiliary sample location including means for receiving a separate container for auxiliary sample.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
said cavities are molded in said first tray, each said cavity having an opening with a width less than the depth of said cavity.
said cavities are molded in said first tray, each said cavity having an opening with a width less than the depth of said cavity.
4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said first array of sample locations is arranged in at least two annular rings of locations located one within the other.
said first array of sample locations is arranged in at least two annular rings of locations located one within the other.
5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein:
said auxiliary sample location has a center located substantially on an arc having a center point located outside said first tray, said arc passing through substantially the center of one sample location on each of said rings.
said auxiliary sample location has a center located substantially on an arc having a center point located outside said first tray, said arc passing through substantially the center of one sample location on each of said rings.
6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said auxiliary sample location is substantially surrounded by said first array of sample locations.
said auxiliary sample location is substantially surrounded by said first array of sample locations.
7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
a plurality of said auxiliary sample locations are formed in an annular array within said first tray substantially surrounded by said first sample array.
a plurality of said auxiliary sample locations are formed in an annular array within said first tray substantially surrounded by said first sample array.
8. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including:
orientation means for fixing the location of said sequenced and auxiliary sample locations.
orientation means for fixing the location of said sequenced and auxiliary sample locations.
9. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said first tray includes identification means adapted to be modified in use to separately identify said tray from other substantially identical trays.
said first tray includes identification means adapted to be modified in use to separately identify said tray from other substantially identical trays.
10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said first tray includes means for making said tray electrically conductive.
said first tray includes means for making said tray electrically conductive.
11. A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein:
said conductive means include said tray being molded from electrically conductive material.
said conductive means include said tray being molded from electrically conductive material.
12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:
said electrically conductive material is graphite-filled plastic.
said electrically conductive material is graphite-filled plastic.
13. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
said auxiliary sample location and said first sample array are formed in said first tray assembly being rotatable to said pick up stations.
said auxiliary sample location and said first sample array are formed in said first tray assembly being rotatable to said pick up stations.
14. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including:
a plurality of auxiliary sample locations arranged in a second array;
means for moving a predetermined one of said second array locations to an auxiliary sample pick up location; and said positioning means moving to said auxiliary sample pick up station to pick up an aliquot of auxiliary sample.
a plurality of auxiliary sample locations arranged in a second array;
means for moving a predetermined one of said second array locations to an auxiliary sample pick up location; and said positioning means moving to said auxiliary sample pick up station to pick up an aliquot of auxiliary sample.
15. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including:
a plurality of reaction vessels, and driving means for moving each of said vessels sequentially into said dispensing position to receive said aliquots.
a plurality of reaction vessels, and driving means for moving each of said vessels sequentially into said dispensing position to receive said aliquots.
16. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second tray assembly includes at least first and second annular structures carrying said reagent locations, and wherein said first and second annular structures are independently rotatable.
17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein said annular structures are concentric.
18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one of said annular structures includes a code wheel means rotatably coupled to said annular structure for identification of said reagent locations.
19. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
second means for picking up and dispensing a reagent aliquot from said second tray assembly, and second reagent positioning means for moving said second reagent pick up means from said second tray assembly to a reaction vessel spaced from said second tray assembly, to dispense said aliquot into said reaction vessel.
second means for picking up and dispensing a reagent aliquot from said second tray assembly, and second reagent positioning means for moving said second reagent pick up means from said second tray assembly to a reaction vessel spaced from said second tray assembly, to dispense said aliquot into said reaction vessel.
20. The system as claimed in claim 19 wherein said first reagent positioning means and said second reagent positioning means are capable of moving said first pick up and dispensing means and said second pick up and dispensing means, respectively, to dispense said aliquots into the same reaction vessel while said reaction vessel is held stationary at a position spaced from both said first and second tray assemblies.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/115,924 US4276258A (en) | 1980-01-28 | 1980-01-28 | Sample and stat feeding system and sample tray |
| US06/115,924 | 1980-01-28 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1146775A true CA1146775A (en) | 1983-05-24 |
Family
ID=22364170
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000369576A Expired CA1146775A (en) | 1980-01-28 | 1981-01-28 | Sample and stat feeding system and sample tray |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4276258A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0035320B1 (en) |
| JP (2) | JPS56119854A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1146775A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3172933D1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (78)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPS55136958A (en) * | 1979-04-14 | 1980-10-25 | Olympus Optical Co Ltd | Automatic analyzer |
| US4276051A (en) * | 1980-01-28 | 1981-06-30 | Coulter Electronics, Inc. | System and program for chemical reaction observation with a moving photometer |
| SE8004687L (en) * | 1980-06-25 | 1981-12-26 | Clinicon Ab | AUTOMATIC ANALYSIS |
| DE3133191C2 (en) * | 1980-08-22 | 1986-01-16 | Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokio/Tokyo | Automatic chemical analyzer |
| JPH0217341Y2 (en) * | 1981-02-10 | 1990-05-15 | ||
| DE3132702A1 (en) * | 1981-08-19 | 1983-03-03 | Tecan AG, 8634 Hombrechtikon | PIPETTING METHOD AND AUTOMATIC |
| CA1199859A (en) * | 1981-08-27 | 1986-01-28 | Kenneth F. Uffenheimer | Automated analytical system |
| US4699767A (en) * | 1982-02-24 | 1987-10-13 | Olympus Optical Company, Ltd. | Liquid transfer apparatus for automatic analyzers |
| US4512952A (en) * | 1982-07-01 | 1985-04-23 | Eastman Kodak Company | Apparatus for storing and dispensing analysis slides |
| DE3374605D1 (en) * | 1982-07-30 | 1987-12-23 | Corning Glass Works | Dilution cups for spectrophotometer analyzer |
| DE3242458A1 (en) * | 1982-11-12 | 1984-05-17 | Dr. Bruno Lange Gmbh, 1000 Berlin | SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION DEVICE |
| FI67265C (en) * | 1983-03-31 | 1985-02-11 | Kone Oy | METHOD OF ORDERING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVISION IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROCEDURE |
| US4902626A (en) * | 1983-03-31 | 1990-02-20 | Kone Oy | Procedure and apparatus for assuring positive identification of samples for analysis |
| JPH06100608B2 (en) * | 1984-03-08 | 1994-12-12 | 株式会社日立製作所 | Automatic analyzer |
| US4772453A (en) * | 1985-03-01 | 1988-09-20 | Lisenbee Wayne F | Luminiscence measurement arrangement |
| JPS61274268A (en) * | 1985-05-30 | 1986-12-04 | Toshiba Corp | Automatic chemical analyzer |
| AU596987B2 (en) * | 1985-08-30 | 1990-05-24 | Tosoh Corporation | Automated immunoassay analyser |
| US4736638A (en) * | 1985-12-20 | 1988-04-12 | Beckman Instruments, Inc. | Liquid level sensor |
| GB8601338D0 (en) * | 1986-01-21 | 1986-02-26 | Imp Group Plc | Chemical analysis system |
| JPH0690212B2 (en) * | 1986-02-21 | 1994-11-14 | 株式会社東芝 | Automatic chemical analyzer |
| JPS62278460A (en) * | 1986-05-28 | 1987-12-03 | Olympus Optical Co Ltd | Automatic analyzer |
| US4912976A (en) * | 1987-06-26 | 1990-04-03 | Beckman Instruments, Inc. | Liquid level sensing apparatus |
| AT392363B (en) * | 1987-07-06 | 1991-03-25 | Avl Verbrennungskraft Messtech | INPUT DEVICE FOR INPUTING LIQUID OR GASEOUS MEDIA |
| JPH01140165U (en) * | 1988-03-22 | 1989-09-26 | ||
| US5066135A (en) * | 1988-08-09 | 1991-11-19 | Beckman Instruments, Inc. | Rotatable vortexing turntable |
| US5008082A (en) * | 1988-08-25 | 1991-04-16 | Eastman Kodak Company | Analyzers using linear sample trays with random access |
| US5027075A (en) * | 1989-09-18 | 1991-06-25 | Nova Biomedical Corporation | Apparatus for determination of probe contact with a liquid surface |
| US5207987A (en) * | 1990-05-21 | 1993-05-04 | Pb Diagnostic Systems Inc. | Temperature controlled chamber for diagnostic analyzer |
| FR2666569B1 (en) * | 1990-09-10 | 1993-08-13 | Guignet Jean Daniel | DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND DISPENSING STERILE OBJECTS. |
| US20060013729A1 (en) * | 1991-02-14 | 2006-01-19 | Glen Carey | Fluid handling apparatus for an automated analyzer |
| US6436349B1 (en) * | 1991-03-04 | 2002-08-20 | Bayer Corporation | Fluid handling apparatus for an automated analyzer |
| US6498037B1 (en) * | 1991-03-04 | 2002-12-24 | Bayer Corporation | Method of handling reagents in a random access protocol |
| US5646049A (en) * | 1992-03-27 | 1997-07-08 | Abbott Laboratories | Scheduling operation of an automated analytical system |
| US5270210A (en) * | 1992-07-16 | 1993-12-14 | Schiapparelli Biosystems, Inc. | Capacitive sensing system and wash/alignment station for a chemical analyzer |
| US5350564A (en) * | 1993-06-28 | 1994-09-27 | Baxter Diagnostics Inc. | Automated chemical analyzer with apparatus and method for conveying and temporary storage of sample tubes |
| US5550059A (en) * | 1994-02-23 | 1996-08-27 | Bayer Corporation | Fluid sensing pipette |
| US5590052A (en) * | 1994-04-14 | 1996-12-31 | Abaxis, Inc. | Error checking in blood analyzer |
| DE19542921C2 (en) * | 1995-03-02 | 1997-11-27 | Bernd Dr Steinbrenner | Presentation station for providing objects for laboratory use |
| JP3063584B2 (en) * | 1995-09-05 | 2000-07-12 | 株式会社日立製作所 | Automatic analyzer |
| JP3326054B2 (en) * | 1995-09-05 | 2002-09-17 | 株式会社日立製作所 | Automatic analyzer |
| US5679309A (en) * | 1995-12-14 | 1997-10-21 | Beckman Instruments, Inc. | Automated random access analyzer |
| JPH09196925A (en) * | 1996-01-19 | 1997-07-31 | Hitachi Ltd | Automatic analyser |
| US5795784A (en) | 1996-09-19 | 1998-08-18 | Abbott Laboratories | Method of performing a process for determining an item of interest in a sample |
| US5856194A (en) | 1996-09-19 | 1999-01-05 | Abbott Laboratories | Method for determination of item of interest in a sample |
| US5861563A (en) * | 1997-03-20 | 1999-01-19 | Bayer Corporation | Automatic closed tube sampler |
| US6331437B1 (en) | 1998-07-14 | 2001-12-18 | Bayer Corporation | Automatic handler for feeding containers into and out of an analytical instrument |
| DE10020771A1 (en) * | 2000-04-28 | 2001-10-31 | Merck Patent Gmbh | Pipetting device |
| US20020064881A1 (en) * | 2000-11-30 | 2002-05-30 | Devlin William Jackson | Method for automatically storing and reprocessing patient specimen's in an automatic clinical analyzer |
| US20020064884A1 (en) * | 2000-11-30 | 2002-05-30 | Devlin William Jackson | Method for automatically storing and reprocessing patient specimen's in an automatic clinical analyzer |
| DE10117274B4 (en) * | 2001-04-06 | 2005-03-03 | Hte Ag The High Throughput Experimentation Company | Method for analyzing and archiving at least one material library |
| US6588625B2 (en) | 2001-04-24 | 2003-07-08 | Abbott Laboratories | Sample handling system |
| US7458483B2 (en) * | 2001-04-24 | 2008-12-02 | Abbott Laboratories, Inc. | Assay testing diagnostic analyzer |
| JP3740428B2 (en) * | 2002-03-29 | 2006-02-01 | アロカ株式会社 | Sample pretreatment system |
| JP4652717B2 (en) * | 2004-04-26 | 2011-03-16 | 株式会社ミツトヨ | Image processing apparatus and method, and program |
| DE102004045054A1 (en) * | 2004-09-15 | 2006-03-30 | Eppendorf Ag | Device for the suction-tight covering of a filter device |
| US7628954B2 (en) | 2005-05-04 | 2009-12-08 | Abbott Laboratories, Inc. | Reagent and sample handling device for automatic testing system |
| ATE409865T1 (en) * | 2005-09-21 | 2008-10-15 | Hoffmann La Roche | REAGENT CONTAINER ARRANGEMENT AND ANALYZER HAVING SUCH ARRANGEMENT |
| US7763467B2 (en) * | 2006-02-13 | 2010-07-27 | Gen-Probe Incorporated | Drip shield |
| EP1898221A3 (en) * | 2006-09-11 | 2008-10-29 | F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag | Analyzer with automatically actuated movable closure of pipetting openings |
| EP1898220A1 (en) * | 2006-09-11 | 2008-03-12 | F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag | Analyzer with automatically actuated movable closure of pipetting openings |
| WO2009046227A1 (en) | 2007-10-02 | 2009-04-09 | Theranos, Inc. | Modular point-of-care devices and uses thereof |
| WO2009076392A1 (en) | 2007-12-11 | 2009-06-18 | Tripath Imaging, Inc. | Sequential centrifuge |
| CA3097861A1 (en) | 2011-01-21 | 2012-07-26 | Labrador Diagnostics Llc | Systems and methods for sample use maximization |
| US9632102B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2017-04-25 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for multi-purpose analysis |
| US8840838B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2014-09-23 | Theranos, Inc. | Centrifuge configurations |
| US8475739B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2013-07-02 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for fluid handling |
| US9268915B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2016-02-23 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for diagnosis or treatment |
| US20140170735A1 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2014-06-19 | Elizabeth A. Holmes | Systems and methods for multi-analysis |
| US9619627B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2017-04-11 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for collecting and transmitting assay results |
| US9664702B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2017-05-30 | Theranos, Inc. | Fluid handling apparatus and configurations |
| US9250229B2 (en) * | 2011-09-25 | 2016-02-02 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for multi-analysis |
| US9810704B2 (en) | 2013-02-18 | 2017-11-07 | Theranos, Inc. | Systems and methods for multi-analysis |
| US10012664B2 (en) | 2011-09-25 | 2018-07-03 | Theranos Ip Company, Llc | Systems and methods for fluid and component handling |
| JP6034051B2 (en) * | 2012-04-25 | 2016-11-30 | 東芝メディカルシステムズ株式会社 | Automatic analyzer |
| JP5922799B2 (en) | 2012-05-30 | 2016-05-24 | エッペンドルフ アクチエンゲゼルシャフトＥｐｐｅｎｄｏｒｆ ＡＧ | Container positioning device and usage of container positioning device |
| EP2977767B1 (en) * | 2014-07-21 | 2021-08-25 | Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Products GmbH | Device for determining the position of an automatically moveable gauge |
| JP6783514B2 (en) * | 2015-11-13 | 2020-11-11 | 古野電気株式会社 | Analysis equipment |
| EP3754339B1 (en) * | 2018-02-13 | 2022-05-04 | Hitachi High-Tech Corporation | Automatic analysis device |
Family Cites Families (14)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3193358A (en) * | 1962-07-02 | 1965-07-06 | Warner Lambert Pharmacentical | Automated analytical apparatus |
| US3192968A (en) * | 1962-07-02 | 1965-07-06 | Warner Lambert Pharmaceutical | Apparatus for performing analytical procedures |
| US3723066A (en) * | 1968-06-14 | 1973-03-27 | Hycel Inc | Reagent dispensing means for chemical testing apparatus |
| FR1599279A (en) * | 1968-12-16 | 1970-07-15 | ||
| US3764268A (en) * | 1971-01-12 | 1973-10-09 | Damon Corp | Constituents measuring chemical analyzer having sample processing conduit feeding aliquot processing conveyor system |
| JPS4821668U (en) * | 1971-07-15 | 1973-03-12 | ||
| US3801283A (en) * | 1972-07-17 | 1974-04-02 | Union Carbide Corp | Automatic pipettor |
| US4058367A (en) * | 1976-05-19 | 1977-11-15 | Gilford Instrument Laboratories Inc. | Automatic asynchronous fluid processing apparatus |
| US4155978A (en) * | 1977-04-27 | 1979-05-22 | Nihon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha | Automatic chemical analyzer |
| US4234538A (en) * | 1977-10-28 | 1980-11-18 | Coulter Electronics, Inc. | Apparatus for monitoring chemical reactions and employing moving photometer means |
| IE46998B1 (en) * | 1977-06-20 | 1983-11-30 | Coulter Electronics | Apparatus for monitoring chemical reactions and employing moving photometer means |
| US4170625A (en) * | 1978-05-24 | 1979-10-09 | Welch Henry H | Automatic analyzer device for carrying out chemical-clinical and kinetic-enzymatic analyses on fluids, particularly biological fluids |
| JPS6057546B2 (en) * | 1978-06-07 | 1985-12-16 | 株式会社日立製作所 | automatic analyzer |
| JPS54161388A (en) * | 1978-06-10 | 1979-12-20 | Toshiba Corp | Automatic chemical analyzer |
-
1980
- 1980-01-28 US US06/115,924 patent/US4276258A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1981
- 1981-01-22 DE DE8181300282T patent/DE3172933D1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-01-22 EP EP81300282A patent/EP0035320B1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-01-28 JP JP1033281A patent/JPS56119854A/en active Pending
- 1981-01-28 CA CA000369576A patent/CA1146775A/en not_active Expired
-
1989
- 1989-11-20 JP JP1989133993U patent/JPH0277668U/ja active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE3172933D1 (en) | 1986-01-02 |
| JPH0277668U (en) | 1990-06-14 |
| EP0035320A2 (en) | 1981-09-09 |
| EP0035320A3 (en) | 1982-09-29 |
| US4276258A (en) | 1981-06-30 |
| EP0035320B1 (en) | 1985-11-21 |
| JPS56119854A (en) | 1981-09-19 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| CA1146775A (en) | Sample and stat feeding system and sample tray | |
| US4808380A (en) | Automatic chemical analyzing apparatus | |
| EP0289789B1 (en) | Automatic analysis apparatus | |
| EP0042338B1 (en) | Apparatus for processing an analysis slide | |
| CA1268692A (en) | Automatic analysis apparatus | |
| EP1498734B1 (en) | Automatic analyzer | |
| EP0895087B1 (en) | Universal apparatus for clinical analysis | |
| EP0098773B1 (en) | Apparatus for storing and dispensing analysis slides | |
| US6752967B2 (en) | Stackable aliquot vessel array | |
| US5863506A (en) | Automatic chemistry analyzer with improved heated reaction cup assembly | |
| US5250440A (en) | Cuvette delivery module and turntable for a chemical analyzer | |
| US7229592B2 (en) | Method for replacing used reaction cuvettes in an automatic analyzer depending upon next scheduled assay | |
| EP1402272B1 (en) | Multiple track incubator for clinical analyzer | |
| JP4199831B2 (en) | Automatic chemical analyzer with sample cup stopper piercing assembly | |
| JP2837920B2 (en) | Central annular cartridge trajectory analyzer on incubator and method of using the same | |
| US5089418A (en) | Analyzer featuring a circular track of cartridges centered on an incubator and method of use | |
| CA1299388C (en) | Liquid light tube end cap assembly | |
| AU2002346018A1 (en) | Multiple track incubator for clinical analyzer | |
| US5284624A (en) | Method of, and apparatus for, testing and measuring blood clotting time | |
| EP0576291A2 (en) | Automated clinical analyzer with temperature control | |
| CA1199859A (en) | Automated analytical system | |
| JPH0156706B2 (en) | ||
| JPH01287465A (en) | Apparatus and method of analysis in which liquid can be stirred | |
| CN112285370A (en) | Automatic loading assembly for reaction cup | |
| Lifshitz et al. | The COBAS MIRA |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |