Automatic chemical analysis apparatus

Abstract

Abstract AUTOMATIC CHEMICAL ANALYSIS APPARATUS INCLUDING A PLUTALITY OF SAMPLING HEADS OPERABLE TO WITHDRAW SAMPLES FROM SAMPLE CUPS IN A SAMPLE CUP HOLDER, TO MIX THE SAMPLES WITH REAGENTS AND THEN TO DEPOSIT THE SAMPLES IN SPECIFIC REACTION TUBES CARRIED BY BEAMS IN A BATH. THE SAMPLING HEAD INCLUDES A PROBE AND A VALVE MECHANISM. AN OPERATING MECHANISM FUNCTIONS TO MOVE THE PROBE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY OPERATE THE VALVE MECHANISM. THE BEAMS ARE ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO THE SAMPLE CUP HOLDERS AND MOVED IN SYNCHRONIZED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BEAMS WHEREBY A SENSING DEVICE CAN SENSE AND CORRELATE INDICIA ON EACH HOLDER WITH TESTS PERFORMED ON THE SAMPLES IN THE REACTION TUBE IN THE BEAM RELATED TO THAT HOLDER. THE BEAMS ARE MOVED THROUGH THE BATH FROM AN ENTRANCE END TO AN EXIT END THREEOF BY RAM AND ARE REMOVE INTO AND OUT OF THE BATH BY CHAINS MOUNTED ON SPROCKETS. THE XIT END PAST A COLORIMETER STATION WHERE COLORIMETRIC TESTS ARE PERFORMED. THE RESULTS OF THE TESTS AND THE INDICIA SENSED ARE FED TO A COMMPUTER WITH PROCESSES THEM AND WHICH PROVIDES A PRINTOUT OF THE RESULTS WITH IDENTIFICATION OF THE SOURCE OF THE SAMPLE OBTAINED FROM THE INDIDIA. AFTER THE COLORIMETRIC TEST HAVE BEEN PERFORMED, THE BEAMS ARE TRANSPORTED BY THE CHAINS UNDER NEATH THE BATH TO THE ENTRANCE END DURING WHICH TRANSPORTING THE TUBES ARE EMPTIED, WASHED, RINSED AND DRIED.

Inventors

• 👤 A Jones

Bibliographic Details