Automated handling and treating apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HANDLING AND TREATING A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE SAMPLES TO PERFORM PRESELECTED OPERATIONS THEREON, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS, EACH OF WHICH CONTAINS ONE OF SAID SAMPLES; MEANS FOR HOLDING STATIONARY SAID CONTAINERS, SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVING A PARTICULAR LOCATION THEREIN FOR EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS, SAID LOCATIONS BEING POSITIONED IN A DESIRED ARRANGEMENT; 1 MEANS FOR SENSING WHICH LOCATONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVE CONTAINERS HELD THEREIN; A PLURALITY OF FIRST MEANS FOR STORING REAGENTS USED FOR RELATIVELY PERMANENT STORAGE OF SAID REAGENTS USED FOR A PLURALITY OF SECOND MENS FOR STORING REAGENT USED FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE OF SAID REAGENTS, THE NUMBER AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID PLURALITY OF SECOND STORAGE MEANS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID LOCATIONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A PRESELECTED QUANTITY OF THE REAGENTS STORED IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST STORAGE MEANS INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS TO FORM A DESIRED DOSAGE IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS, SAID REAGENT TRANSFERRING MEANS TRANSFERRING REAGENTS INTO AND FORMING A DOSAGE ONLY IN THE ONE OR ONES OF THE SECOND STORAGE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCATIONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVING CONTAINERS HELD THEREIN; MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM EACH OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS AND SAID DOSAGES TEMPORARILY STORED THEREIN TO SAID CONTAINERS HELD IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; A PLURALITY OF MEANS FOR PERFORMING DESIRED OPERATIONS ON SAID PLURALITY OF SAMPLES, EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SAMPLE CONTAINERS HELD IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY TRANSPORTING EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS INTO A DESIRED OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID STATIONARY SAMPLE CONTAINERS AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID PERFORMING MEANS IN SAID RELATIONSHIP SO THAT EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS MAY PERFORM ITS PARTICULAR OPERATION; AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND STORAGE MEANS, SAID REAGENT TRANSFER MEANS, SID DOSAGE TRANSFER MEANS, EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS AND SAID TRANSPORTING MEANS ACCORDING TO A PRESELECTED SET OF INSTRUCTIONS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HANDLING AND TREATING A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE SAMPLES TO PERFORM PRESELECTED OPERATIONS THEREON, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS, EACH OF WHICH CONTAINS ONE OF SAID SAMPLES; MEANS FOR HOLDING STATIONARY SAID CONTAINERS, SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVING A PARTICULAR LOCATION THEREIN FOR EACH OF SAID CONTAINERS, SAID LOCATIONS BEING POSITIONED IN A DESIRED ARRANGEMENT; 1 MEANS FOR SENSING WHICH LOCATONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVE CONTAINERS HELD THEREIN; A PLURALITY OF FIRST MEANS FOR STORING REAGENTS USED FOR RELATIVELY PERMANENT STORAGE OF SAID REAGENTS USED FOR A PLURALITY OF SECOND MENS FOR STORING REAGENT USED FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE OF SAID REAGENTS, THE NUMBER AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID PLURALITY OF SECOND STORAGE MEANS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID LOCATIONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING A PRESELECTED QUANTITY OF THE REAGENTS STORED IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST STORAGE MEANS INTO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS TO FORM A DESIRED DOSAGE IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS, SAID REAGENT TRANSFERRING MEANS TRANSFERRING REAGENTS INTO AND FORMING A DOSAGE ONLY IN THE ONE OR ONES OF THE SECOND STORAGE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCATIONS IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS HAVING CONTAINERS HELD THEREIN; MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM EACH OF SAID SECOND STORAGE MEANS AND SAID DOSAGES TEMPORARILY STORED THEREIN TO SAID CONTAINERS HELD IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; A PLURALITY OF MEANS FOR PERFORMING DESIRED OPERATIONS ON SAID PLURALITY OF SAMPLES, EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SAMPLE CONTAINERS HELD IN SAID CONTAINER HOLDING MEANS; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY TRANSPORTING EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS INTO A DESIRED OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID STATIONARY SAMPLE CONTAINERS AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID PERFORMING MEANS IN SAID RELATIONSHIP SO THAT EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS MAY PERFORM ITS PARTICULAR OPERATION; AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND STORAGE MEANS, SAID REAGENT TRANSFER MEANS, SID DOSAGE TRANSFER MEANS, EACH OF SAID PERFORMING MEANS AND SAID TRANSPORTING MEANS ACCORDING TO A PRESELECTED SET OF INSTRUCTIONS.

Claim 5

An apparatus for automatically handling and treating a plurality of discrete samples to perform preselected operations thereon, comprising: means for holding the plurality of samples, the samples and the holding means remaining stationary during the performance of the desired operations on the samples; the holding means comprising: a plurality of containers, each of which contains one of the samples, and means for holding stationary the containers, the container holding means having a particular location therein for each of the containers, the locations being positioned in a desired arrangement; a plurality of means for performing the preselected operations on the plurality of samples, each of the performing means being movable with respect to the sample holding means and the samples; and means for selectively transporting each of the performing means into a preselected operational relationship with the stationary sample holding means and the samples and for maintaining the performing means in the relationship so that the performing means may perform its particualr operation; one of the performing means performing the operation of adding a desired dosage to each of the plurality of samples and comprising: a plurality of first means for storing reagents, the first storage means being used for relatively permanent storage of the reagents, a plurality of second means for storing a dosage of reagents, the second storage means being used for temporary storage of the reagents, the number and general arrangement of the plurality of second storage means corresponding to the number and arrangement of locations in the container holding means, each of the second storage means having an opening therein above the normal storage level of the dosage temporarily stored therein, means for transferring a desired quantity of the reagents stored in at least one of the first storage means into at least one of the second storage means to form the desired dosage of reagents in at least one of the second storage means, and means for transferring simultaneously from the second storage means the dosages temporarily stored therein to the containers held in the container holding means, each of the second storage means being associated with a particular location in the container holding means and transferring the dosage temporarily stored therein to a particular one of the containers held in the particular location, the dosage transfer means including: means for tilting simultAneously each of the plurality of second storage means so that the dosage contained therein is released through the opening, and means for funneling the dosages into the containers, the second storage means, the funneling means, and the containers being arranged with respect to each other so that the dosages flow by force or gravity from the second storage means through the funneling means to the containers;

Claim 6

An apparatus for automatically handling and treating a plurality of discrete samples to perform preselected operations thereon, comprising: means for holding the plurality of samples, the samples and the holding means remaining stationary during the performance of the desired operations on the samples; the holding means comprising: a plurality of containers, each of which contains one of the samples, and means for holding stationary the containers, the container holding means having a particular location therein for each of the containers, the locations being positioned in a desired arrangement; a plurality of means for performing the preselected operations on the plurality of samples, each of the performing means being movable with respect to the sample holding means and the samples; and means for selectively transporting each of the performing means into a preselected operational relationship with the stationary sample holding means and the samples and for maintaining the performing means in the relationship so that the performing means may perform its particualr operation; one of the performing means performing the operation of adding a desired dosage to each of the plurality of samples and comprising: a plurality of first means for storing reagents, the first storage means being used for relatively permanent storage of the reagents, a plurality of second means for storing a dosage of reagents, the second storage means being used for temporary storage of the reagents, the number and general arrangement of the plurality of second storage means corresponding to the number and arrangement of locations in the container holding means, each of the second storage means having an opening therein above the normal storage level of the dosage temporarily stored therein, means for transferring a desired quantity of the reagents stored in at least one of the first storage means into at least one of the second storage means to form the desired dosage of reagents in at least one of the second storage means, and means for transferring simultaneously from the second storage means the dosages temporarily stored therein to the containers held in the container holding means, each of the second storage means being associated with a particular location in the container holding means and transferring the dosage temporarily stored therein to a particular one of the containers held in the particular location, the dosage transfer means including: means for tilting simultAneously each of the plurality of second storage means so that the dosage contained therein is released through the opening, and means for funneling the dosages into the containers, the second storage means, the funneling means, and the containers being arranged with respect to each other so that the dosages flow by force or gravity from the second storage means through the funneling means to the containers;