Automated analyzer and programmer therefor

Claim 2

The structure of claim 2 in which said fingers are flexible and are formed of electrically conductive material, said fingers when in contact with said surface being flexed and engaging said surface under tension created by such flexure.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 2 in which said driving means operates intermittently to drive and stop said transport means and said shaft at regularly timed intervals, said treatment station comprising a stopping station at which said treatment means is located.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 2 in which there are a plurality of additional treatment stations in spaced series with respect to said first-mentioned treatment station, additional treatment means at said additional stations substantially identical with said first-mentioned treatment means but adapted to perform individually distinctive treatment to a sample, said transport means being adapted to convey a series of samples in succession through said plurality of treatment stations, and a control unit comprising said programmer and a plurality of additional and substantially identical programmers each corresponding with one of said treatment means and each having electrical contact means engageable by a spring finger in said second position wherein the interval for moving said finger of each programmer from said first position to said second position is the same as the interval for conveying a sample from said loading station to the treatment station of the treatment means corresponding with each said programmer.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 5 in which said samples are fluid and are contained in open-topped sample tubes, said treatment means including a plurality of pumps and conduits for delivering fluid to or extracting fluid from selected sample tubes, said driving means operating intermittently to drive and stop said transport means and said tubes at regularly timed intervals, said treatment stations comprising stopping stations for said tubes where fluid is delivered to or extracted therefrom.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 6 in which said conduits are partially supported by a reciprocable carriage equipped with a plurality of solenoid-actuated conduit gripping devices, each of said conduits being extensible and retractable and being adapted to be extended into and retracted from a sample tube at a treatment station when the solenoid-actuated gripping device associated therewith is energized during reciprocation of said carriage, and power means for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with the intermittent drive of said transport means, whereby, a conduit is extended into a sample tube at a treatment station only if the solenoid gripping device therefor is energized by a signal produced by engagement between a finger and the electrical contact means of the programmer corresponding with such treatment station.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 6 in which said treatment means includes a reciprocable pump carriage supporting a plurality of electromagnets each connected to a one of said pumps, each of said pumps being operated by reciprocation of said pump carriage only if the particular electromagnet associated therewith is energized, and power means for reciprocating said pump carriage in timed relation with the intermittent drive of said transport means, whereby, a pump is actuated to deliver fluid to or extract fluid from a sample tube at a treatment station only if the electromagnet therefor is energized by a signal produced by engagement between a finger and the electrical contact means of the programmer corresponding with such treatment station.

Claim 8

In combination, a transporter for conveying sample tubes in succession from a loading station through a series of treatment stations, electrically actuated treatment units for selectively treating samples in said tubes at said treatment stations, the sample treatment at each of said stations being different than at the other of such stations, and programming means for automatically actuating certain of the treatment units when a tube reaches the appropriate treatment station in accordance with a selection made upon introducing such tube at said loading station, said programming means consisting of a plurality of programming devices each corresponding with and energizing certain of said treatment units, each programming device comprising: a. a rotatable member having a plurality of radially extending fingers, b. a plate having a surface parallel with said rotatable member and adapted to be engaged by said fingers, c. each of said fingers being movable upon rotation of said member between a first position upon said plate corresponding with the introduction of a sample tube at said loading station and a plurality of additional circumferentially spaced positions corresponding with the arrival of the same sample tube at subsequent treatment stations, d. electrical contacts at each of said additional positions engageable by said fingers for producing electrical signals for activating the treatment means associated with said programming device, e. means for normally maintaining said fingers spaced from said plate and from the electrical contacts provided thereon, f. transfer means for selectively shifting any one of said fingers into contact with said plate at said first position when a sample requiring the treatment associated with said program device is introduced into said loading station, g. means for withdrawing a finger from contact with said plate after said finger has traveled substantially a full revolution from said first position, and driving means for driving said transporter and for simultaneously rotating all of said rotatable members of said programming devices in timed relation with said transporter so that the intervals for conveying any given sample tube from said loading station to the required treatment stations are the same as for advancing a finger of the corresponding programming device from said first position to the respective additional contAct positions.

Claim 9

The structure of claim 9 in which said rotatable member comprises a hub portion mounted on a shaft provided by said driving means, said fingers being formed of flexible material and being flexed and tensioned when in contact with said surface.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 10 in which said means for normally maintaining said fingers spaced from said plate comprises a second plate upon which the ends of said fingers normally ride, said second plate being insulated from said first plate and having an opening therein smaller in diameter than the diameter of the fingers of said member.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 11 in which said second plate has a recess communicating with said opening and extending radially outwardly therefrom at a point overlying said first position of said first-mentioned plate, whereby, a spring finger entering said recess will be released from contact with said second plate and will flex into contact with said first plate at said first position.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 12 in which said transfer means comprises a retractable panel normally extending over said recess and preventing spring fingers riding upon said second plate from flexing into contact with said first plate.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 13 in which a solenoid-operated lever is connected to said panel for selectively retracting the same to permit a spring finger engaging said panel to flex through said recess into engagement with said first plate at said first position.

Claim 14

The structure of claim 13 in which said first panel is provided with a ramp adjacent said first position for returning spring fingers which have executed substantially a full revolution in contact with said first plate back into riding surface engagement upon said second plate.

Claim 15

The structure of claim 9 in which said driving means operates intermittently to drive and stop said transport means and said rotatable members at regularly timed intervals.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 9 in which said treatment means includes a plurality of pumps and conduits for delivering fluid to or extracting fluid from selected sample tubes, said driving means operating intermittently to drive and stop said transport means and said tubes at regularly timed intervals, said treatment stations comprising stopping stations for said tubes where fluid is delivered to or extracted therefrom.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 17 in which said conduits are partially supported by a reciprocable carriage equipped with a plurality of solenoid-actuated conduit gripping members, each of said conduits being extensible and retractable and being adapted to be extended into and retracted from sample tubes at a treatment station when the solenoid-actuated gripping member associated therewith is energized during a reciprocatory stroke of said carriage, and power means for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with the intermittent drive of said transporter, whereby, a conduit is extended into a sample tube at a treatment station only if the solenoid gripping member therefor is energized by a signal produced by engagement between a finger and the electrical contact of the programming device corresponding with such treatment station.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 17 in which said treatment units comprise a reciprocable pump carriage supporting a plurality of electromagnets each connected to one of said pumps, each of said pumps being operated by reciprocation of said pump carriage only if the particular electromagnet associated therewith is energized, and power means for reciprocating said pump carriage in timed relation with the intermittent drive of said transporter, whereby, a pump is actuated to deliver fluid to or extract fluid from a sample tube at a treatment station only if the electromagnet therefor is energized by a signal produced by engagement between a finger and an electrical contact of the programming device corresponding with such treatment station.