EP0409606A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Automatic immunoassay analyzer and method of using the same
Assignee: Tosoh Corp
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Filing: 1990-07-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-07-19
Abstract
Abstract An automatic immunoassay analyzer comprising an endless specimen vessel transfer conveyor equipped with a large number of support portions each for supporting a specimen vessel in a transfer direction, rotating endlessly through a suction stage at which the specimen inside each of said vessels is sucked by division-pouring means, first conveyor driving means for sequentially transferring and stopping said specimen vessels to and at said suction stage under the state where corresponding one of said specimen vessels corresponding to each support portion zone determined sequentially by zoning said support portions of said specimen vessel transfer conveyor by the number corresponding to the number n (n: a positive integer) of the measurement anayltes of each of said specimens is supported, a reaction vessel transfer conveyor equipped with a large number of support portions each for supporting a reaction vessel in the transfer direction, rotating through a division-pouring stage at which the specimen sucked from corresponding one of said specimen vessels is poured dividedly into said reaction vessel by said division-pouring means, then through a reaction-measurement stage at which an immunological reaction inside said reaction vessel and measurement of the reaction result are carried out, second conveyor driving means for sequentially transferring, stopping and feeding out said reaction vessels to, at and from said division-pouring stage, division-pouring means for sucking said specimen from said specimen vessel stopped at said suction stage and pouring it dividedly into said reaction vessel stopped at said division-pouring stage, and holding means for stopping and holding corresponding one of said specimen vessels transferred into said suction stage for the period in which said reaction vessels for said specimen are transferred and stopped sequentially into and stopped at said division-pouring stage.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshi Kagayama
- 👤 Shuji Iwasaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 05:13
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N35/021; G01N2035/00346; G01N2035/00356; G01N2035/00376; G01N35/00584; G01N35/00722; G01N35/00732; G01N2035/00742; G01N2035/00752; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0401; G01N2035/0406; G01N2035/0408; G01N35/10; G01N35/1009; G01N2035/1025; G01N35/1081; G01N35/1083; G01N2035/1086; G01N35/0098; G01N35/1004; G01N35/1079
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
An automatic method of analysis for analysing a plurality of specimens by reaction with one or more other materials, at least some of which specimens have a number of properties requiring different reactions for analysis, which comprises transferring in sequence the said plurality of specimens to a specimen transfer stage or zone, transferring to the said transfer stage or zone the appropriate number of reaction vessels for each specimen depending on the number of properties requiring analysis for that specimen, the said groups of reaction vessels being transferred sequentially, each specimen being held at the transfer zone whilst its group of reaction vessels are individually juxtaposed in sequence to the said specimen and a portion of the said specimen transferred to each reaction vessel which is thereafter transferred past one or more reaction measurement zones.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
An automatic method of analysis for analysing a plurality of specimens by reaction with one or more other materials, at least some of which specimens have a number of properties requiring different reactions for analysis, which comprises transferring in sequence the said plurality of specimens to a specimen transfer stage or zone, transferring to the said transfer stage or zone the appropriate number of reaction vessels for each specimen depending on the number of properties requiring analysis for that specimen, the said groups of reaction vessels being transferred sequentially, each specimen being held at the transfer zone whilst its group of reaction vessels are individually juxtaposed in sequence to the said specimen and a portion of the said specimen transferred to each reaction vessel which is thereafter transferred past one or more reaction measurement zones.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1 in which the specimens are mounted in conveying means having a plurality of holding locations equidistantly spaced apart, n-1 empty locations being left between a specimen where n is the number of properties to be analysed for the said downstream specimen, the control of the movement of the specimens and the reaction vessels being carried out by automatic sensing and counting of the specimen and its associated empty locations in the conveying means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
200 words
Apparatus for automatic analysis of a plurality of specimens by reaction with one or more other materials, at least some of which specimens have a number of measurement analytes (properties requiring different reactions for analysis) comprising a first or specimen vessel transfer conveyor arranged as a closed loop and provided with a plurality of specimen vessel support positions and drive means for the said first conveyor, the closed loop passing from a specimen vessel loading zone or first set stage to a specimen sampling and transfer zone or suction stage back to the first set stage; a second or reaction vessel transfer conveyor arranged as a closed loop and provided with a plurality of reaction vessel support positions and drive means for the said second conveyor, the closed loop passing from a reaction vessel loading zone or second set stage to a specimen transfer zone or division-pouring stage in which zone means are provided for withdrawing one or more samples from a specimen vessel and transferring them separately to each of a corresponding number of one or more reaction vessels, the conveyor then moving the reaction vessels to a reaction measurement zone and then back to the second set stage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
200 words
Apparatus for automatic analysis of a plurality of specimens by reaction with one or more other materials, at least some of which specimens have a number of measurement analytes (properties requiring different reactions for analysis) comprising a first or specimen vessel transfer conveyor arranged as a closed loop and provided with a plurality of specimen vessel support positions and drive means for the said first conveyor, the closed loop passing from a specimen vessel loading zone or first set stage to a specimen sampling and transfer zone or suction stage back to the first set stage; a second or reaction vessel transfer conveyor arranged as a closed loop and provided with a plurality of reaction vessel support positions and drive means for the said second conveyor, the closed loop passing from a reaction vessel loading zone or second set stage to a specimen transfer zone or division-pouring stage in which zone means are provided for withdrawing one or more samples from a specimen vessel and transferring them separately to each of a corresponding number of one or more reaction vessels, the conveyor then moving the reaction vessels to a reaction measurement zone and then back to the second set stage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
103 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 in which adjacent specimen vessel support positions and adjacent reaction vessel support positions are separated by the same distance and the specimen vessels are spaced from each other by 'n-1' support positions where 'n' is the number of measurement analytes for the specimen in question, the specimen being placed downstream of the n-1 empty positions and n reaction vessels are provided in the second conveyor, the conveyors being arranged so that the support positions in the two conveyors move in sequence with each other and are placed in proximity with each other in the specimen transfer zone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 in which means are provided for holding a specimen vessel in a single location in the specimen transfer zone while its associated reaction vessels are brought sequentially into proximity with it and samples of the specimen transferred to the said reaction vessels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 in which one or both of the conveyors is provided with means for enabling it to adopt a non-linear configuration or zigzag path whereby the conveyor can be halted at one position but continue to be moved upstream thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6 in which counter means are provided for counting the number of measurement analytes of each specimen vessel and the signal therefrom is used to control the movement of the two conveyors and the means for holding a specimen vessel in a single location.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7 in which the specimen vessels and the reaction vessels are provided with machine readable indicia and readers capable of reading the said indicia are disposed along the paths of the first and second conveyors whereby the measurement results can be automatically output with identification of the specimen, the analyte measured and the value thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 8 in which the means for withdrawing a sample from a specimen vessel and transferring it to a reaction vessel comprise pipette means mounted for movement between a specimen vessel location in the specimen transfer zone and a reaction vessel location in the said specimen transfer zone.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 9 in which the second conveyor transfers the reaction vessels sequentially past one or more reagent addition zones and/or reaction manipulation zones prior to the reaction measurement zone.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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