Patent EP0193016A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0193016A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Cuvette handling
Assignee: Fisher Scientific Co LLC
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Filing: 1986-02-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-02-10
Abstract
Abstract An analysis system of the concurrent type has a multicuvette unit supply station, a loading station, an analysis station, and transport mechanism for transporting cuvette units in correlated orientation between the several stations. Each cuvette unit includes mechanical interlock structure that cooperates with orientation structure at each of the several stations and with orientation structure carried by the transport mechanism so that continuity of cuvette orientation information is maintained throughout loading and concurrent analysis of the several samples in the cuvette unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Larry A. Nelson
- 👤 Norman G. Kelln
- 👤 Thomas O. Tiffany
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:12
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N2035/00178; G01N2035/00306; G01N2035/00316; G01N2035/00465; G01N2035/00495; G01N35/00584; G01N35/00722; G01N35/00732; G01N2035/00742; G01N2035/00752; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0439; G01N2035/0446; G01N2035/0448
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
246 words
A chemical analysis system characterized by a cuvette supply station (78) for furnishing a series of multicuvette units (28), each said multicuvette unit including interlock structure (36, 40, 42, 48), first cuvette orienting means (210, 212) at said supply station (78) for engaging interlock structure of said multicuvette units for maintaining said cuvette units in predetermined orientation, a cuvette unit loading station (82), second cuvette orienting means (300) at said loading station (82) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette units for positioning a multicuvette unit in predetermined orientation relative to loading apparatus at said loading station; means (110) at said loading station for loading a cuvette unit with sample and reagent materials, an analysis station (70) for performing analyses on the contents of a plurality of cuvette (30) of a multicuvette unit concurrently, third cuvette orienting means (300A, 308A) at said analysis station (70) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette unit for positioning a cuvette unit in predetermined orientation relative to said analysis station, means (74, 76) at said analysis station for concurrently analyzing the contents of the cuvette unit at said station, and transport mechanism (98) movable between said supply (78), loading (82) and analysis (70) stations for transporting cuvette units (28) in correlated orientation between said stations, said transport mechanism having fourth cuvette orienting means (142) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette units for providing cuvette unit orientation correlated to the cuvette unit orientations at said supply, loading and analysis stations.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
246 words
A chemical analysis system characterized by a cuvette supply station (78) for furnishing a series of multicuvette units (28), each said multicuvette unit including interlock structure (36, 40, 42, 48), first cuvette orienting means (210, 212) at said supply station (78) for engaging interlock structure of said multicuvette units for maintaining said cuvette units in predetermined orientation, a cuvette unit loading station (82), second cuvette orienting means (300) at said loading station (82) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette units for positioning a multicuvette unit in predetermined orientation relative to loading apparatus at said loading station; means (110) at said loading station for loading a cuvette unit with sample and reagent materials, an analysis station (70) for performing analyses on the contents of a plurality of cuvette (30) of a multicuvette unit concurrently, third cuvette orienting means (300A, 308A) at said analysis station (70) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette unit for positioning a cuvette unit in predetermined orientation relative to said analysis station, means (74, 76) at said analysis station for concurrently analyzing the contents of the cuvette unit at said station, and transport mechanism (98) movable between said supply (78), loading (82) and analysis (70) stations for transporting cuvette units (28) in correlated orientation between said stations, said transport mechanism having fourth cuvette orienting means (142) for engaging interlock structure of said cuvette units for providing cuvette unit orientation correlated to the cuvette unit orientations at said supply, loading and analysis stations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The analyzer system of claim 1 wherein said cuvettes are centrifugal analyzer rotors, and each said rotor (28) has centrally located interlock structure (48) and peripherally located interlock structure (36,40,42), said fourth cuvette orienting means (142) being adapted to engage one of said interlock structures to maintain orientation of the rotor between stations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
144 words
The system of claim 2 wherein each said rotor (28) defines a circumferential array of elongated radially extending cuvettes (30), each said elongated cuvette including structure defining a first chamber for receiving a first constituent and a loading port (32) through which said first constituent is introduced into said first chamber, structure defining a second chamber region for receiving a second constituent, a second loading port (34) through which said second constituent is introduced into said second chamber region, divider structure between said first and said chamber regions that defines a transfer passage between said first and second chamber regions through which said first constituent may be flowed into said second chamber region for forming a reaction product with said second constituent, and structure defining an analysis region adjacent the radially outer wall of said cuvette where said reaction product is subjected to analysis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
The system of claim 3 wherein said analysis station (70) includes a table (72) for receiving a cuvette rotor (28), said third cuvette orienting means (300A, 308A) being adapted to engage said interlock structure (36) to maintain orientation of the rotor at said analysis station, and sensor means (342A, 344A) for providing output signals indicative of the angular position of said rotor at said analysis station.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 1 further including feeder means (80) for supporting said cuvette units (28) in stacked relation at said supply station (78), and release means (220) responsive to said transport mechanism (98) for releasing said cuvette units sequentially from said feeder means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system of claim 5 wherein said first cuvette orientation means (210, 212) includes rail structure (201, 203) that extends along the length of said feeder means (80) for engagement with interlock structure (40, 42) of said cuvette units (28) to maintain the cuvette units in the stack at said supply station in oriented relation one to another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said cuvette units (28) are centrifugal analyzer rotors, and each said rotor has centrally located interlock structure (48) and peripherally located interlock structure (40,42), said rail structure and said fourth cuvette orienting means (142) being adapted to engage said peripherally located interlock structure
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system of claim 1 further including drive means (84) at said loading station (82) for indexing the cuvettes (30) of a multicuvette unit (28) past said loading means (110) for sequential loading of sample and reagent materials into compartments of said cuvette unit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
83 words
The system of claim 8 wherein said loading station (82) includes a table (72L) for receiving a cuvette rotor (28), and each said rotor (28) has centrally located interlock structure (48) and peripherally located interlock structure (40, 42), said second cuvette orienting means (300) being adapted to engage one of said interlock structure to maintain orientation of the rotor at said loading station, and sensor means (344L) for providing output signals indicative of the angular position of said rotor at said loading station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 1 and further including a discard station (88) and said transport mechanism is movable between said loading (82) and analysis stations (70) and said discard station for disposing of cuvette units (28) after analysis of their contents.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
89 words
The system of claim 10 wherein said multicuvette units (28) are centrifugal analyzer rotors, and each said rotor has centrally located interlock structure (48), said used rotor receiving means (90) includes an elongated shaft portion (262) having orientation structure (254) corresponding to the interlock structure (48) of said rotors so that said plurality of rotors may be stored on said shaft in angularly aligned relation, latch structure (256) at one end of said shaft, and latch release structure (264) for releasing the stack of rotors (28) on said shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
The analyzer system of claim 11 wherein each said rotor (28) has a body portion with at least one orientation element (40,42) at the periphery of said body portion, said transport mechanism (98) includes a rotor support mechanism (30) and said fourth cuvette orienting means (142) includes an orientation member for mechanically engaging said orientation element (40,42) to maintain the rotor in desired orientation during transport of said rotor by said support means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 12 wherein said rotor support mechanism (130) includes a pair of support arms (136), and said system includes acutator mechanism (160) at each of a plurality of said station for operating said support arms (136) to grasp and release rotors (28).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
107 words
A multicuvette rotor (28) for use in a centrifugal chemical analysis system characterized by said rotor having a body portion that defines a circumferential array of elongated cuvettes (30) disposed about a centrally located aperture (48), interlock structure (40, 42) at the periphery of said body portion for engaging alignment structure, and spacer structure (46) carried by said body portion so that, when said rotors are in stacked relation with said interlock structure engaged with said alignment structure, the body portions of said rotors are spaced apart to allow circulation of air between said body portions and the cuvettes of said stacked rotors are in aligned orientation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
107 words
A multicuvette rotor (28) for use in a centrifugal chemical analysis system characterized by said rotor having a body portion that defines a circumferential array of elongated cuvettes (30) disposed about a centrally located aperture (48), interlock structure (40, 42) at the periphery of said body portion for engaging alignment structure, and spacer structure (46) carried by said body portion so that, when said rotors are in stacked relation with said interlock structure engaged with said alignment structure, the body portions of said rotors are spaced apart to allow circulation of air between said body portions and the cuvettes of said stacked rotors are in aligned orientation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The rotor of claim 14 wherein said alignment structure is a rail (210, 212) and said interlock structure is a recess (40,42) that receives said rail.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
72 words
In a centrifugal chemical analysis system, storage structure for storing rotors 28 of claim 14 characterized by the storage structure including tower means (80) for supporting said rotors in stacked spaced relation, orientation structure extending (210, 212) along the length of said tower means for engaging said interlock structure (40, 42) at the periphery of said rotor body portions, and release means (220) for releasing said rotors sequentially from said tower means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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