US3909201A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Analysis apparatus
Assignee: Centre Regional de Transfusion Sanguine
•
Filing: 1973-07-09
•
Granted: 1975-09-30
•
Expires: 1993-07-09
Abstract
Abstract Analysis apparatus for carrying out particle agglutination, flocculation or precipitation for liquid samples, in particular blood samples. Supports provided with a plurality of microcontainers, in which reactions between samples and analysis reagents are carried out, are transferred from a sample and reagent dispensing station to a reaction observation station. Each support, having received a predetermined quantity of sample for analysis and of analysis reagents, is rotated about its axis in a plane at an angle comprised between 75* and 85* in relation to the horizontal, the rotation speed being about from 0.5 to 10 rpm.
Inventors
- 👤 Claude Matte
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 10:51
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N35/00; G01N35/02; G01N35/028; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/25; G01N21/251; G01N21/253; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/24; G01N29/2412; G01N2035/00465; G01N2035/00495; G01N2035/00504; G01N35/04; G01N2035/0401; G01N2035/0418; G01N2035/0425; G01N35/10; G01N2035/1027; G01N2035/1034
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
ANALYSIS APPARATUS COMPRISING A SAMPLE AND REAGENT DISPENSING STATION AT WHICH REACTION MEDIA ARE DISPENSED, A REACTION OBSERVATION STATION AT WHICH REACTION TAKING PLACE BETWEEN SAID SAMPLE AND REAGENT CAN BE OBSERVED, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTS OF PLANAR CONFIGURATION, EACH SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MICRO-CONTAINERS FOR INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVING, AT SAID DISPENSING STATION, A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID SAMPLE TO BE ANALYSED AND A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID ANALYSIS REAGENT, AND TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID SUPPORTS FROM SAID DISPENSING, STATION TO SAID REACTION OBSERVATION STATION, SAID TRANSFERRING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING EACH SAID SUPPORT SO THAT THE PLANE OF THE SUPPORT FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECTS TO THE VERTICAL AND FOR IMPARTING TO EACH SAID SUPPORT A LOW SPEES ROTATION IN SAID PLANE ABOUT AN AXIS OF ROTATION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID SUPPORT.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
ANALYSIS APPARATUS COMPRISING A SAMPLE AND REAGENT DISPENSING STATION AT WHICH REACTION MEDIA ARE DISPENSED, A REACTION OBSERVATION STATION AT WHICH REACTION TAKING PLACE BETWEEN SAID SAMPLE AND REAGENT CAN BE OBSERVED, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTS OF PLANAR CONFIGURATION, EACH SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MICRO-CONTAINERS FOR INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVING, AT SAID DISPENSING STATION, A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID SAMPLE TO BE ANALYSED AND A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF LIQUID ANALYSIS REAGENT, AND TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING SAID SUPPORTS FROM SAID DISPENSING, STATION TO SAID REACTION OBSERVATION STATION, SAID TRANSFERRING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING EACH SAID SUPPORT SO THAT THE PLANE OF THE SUPPORT FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECTS TO THE VERTICAL AND FOR IMPARTING TO EACH SAID SUPPORT A LOW SPEES ROTATION IN SAID PLANE ABOUT AN AXIS OF ROTATION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID SUPPORT.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising, between the first sample and reagent dispensing station and the reaction medium observation station, at least one station for loading the micro-containers with additional analysis reagents, said station comprising a removable, interchangeable modular unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the transfer means include, at each station, a housing designed to receive a plurality of micro-container supports, each said housing being driven in rotation about an axis perpendicular to one face thereof, and a support pusher means for conveying the supports in said housing from said face to the opposite face.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acute angle is in the range from about 5* to 15*.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
Analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for transferring the supports from said dispensing station to said reaction observation comprises a plurality of rotary drum devices disposed in a staircase configuration with the axis of rotation of each drum device forming an acute angle with respect to the horizontal, said drum devices being offset with respect to one another vertically and along the horizontal, and each said device comprising means for maintaining a multiplicity of said supports in parallel relationship to one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transfer means comprise rack means, disposed between the output side of one drum device and the input side of the following drum device for advancing the micro-container supports in a stepwise manner beneath reagent dispensing devices.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the transfer means include, at the input side of a rotary drum device, a pusher device for introducing a micro-container support into said drum device when the latter is immobilized between two successive rotation phases.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the photometric device includes a radiation source, optical means for transmitting the flux from said source through each micro-drop of reaction medium and focussing means for concentrating the rays emitted by the micro-drop on a photosensitive sensor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the observation station includes means for cleaning the reaction zones of a plate, after the plate, loaded with reaction media, has moved past the photometric device and prior to the re-charging of said zones with fresh reaction media.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sample and reagent dispensing station includes dispensing means for depositing a drop of reaction medium on a plate having at least one reaction zone comprising an alveole of precisely defined depth and shape and said reaction observation station includes photometric means for evaluating the results of the sample reagent reaction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein means for flushing the pipes of the pumps and the nozzles and for sampling the reaction media in the micro-containers are provided at the observation station.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for displacing said plate in translation past said dispensing means so that said alveole is presented thereto, said dispensing means comprising a peristalic pump, at least one outlet pipe associated with said pump, a pivotable nozzle located at the free end of said outlet pipe, and means for abruptly stopping the pivotable movement of said nozzle so that a drop of said reaction medium which has welled up in the free end of said nozzle is deposited in said alveole.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support comprises a plate and the micro-contaiNers are grouped in rows and columns on said plate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support comprises a thin glass plate and the micro-containers are bonded to said plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the transfer means includes retractable ratchet wheels, cooperating with columns of micro-containers not filled with reaction media, for extracting a support from a housing at one station and introducing said support into the housing of an adjacent station.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the transfer means include push-button devices for extracting a support from a housing at one station and introducing said support into the housing of an adjacent station and retractable lock means for maintaining the support in the housing of one station during the rotation of said housing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the support pusher means is displaced at right angles to the plane by an amount approximately equal to half the thickness of a support in order to maintain the support in the housing of a station during the rotation of said housing.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sample and reagent dispensing station includes pump means for dispensing a said reaction medium, said pump means including an outlet tube having a pivotable nozzle at the free end thereof, and means for abruptly stopping the pivoting movement of said nozzle so as to cause the deposit of a micro-drop of said reaction medium into a said micro-container.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means at said sample and reagent dispensing station for washing and flushing the pipes of said peristaltic pumps.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
Analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample and reagent dispensing station comprises a plurality of peristaltic pumps for dispensing said samples, said pumps being mounted on a movable base adapted to be reciprocally displaced in a plane parallel to the plane of said supports when located at said sample and reagent dispensing station.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
72 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 further including a programmer means for controlling, in accordance with a predetermined cycle, sample and reagent dispensing operations at said sample and reagent dispensing station, transferring by said transfer means of said supports from one station to another with rotation about their said axes of rotation, the programmer being operative to selectively interrupt the rotation of the supports about their said axes at at least one station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3775058A
Cited
US3526480A
Cited
US3617222A
Cited
US3722790A
Cited
US3695842A
Cited
US3796544A
Cited
US3728081A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-29 | 1979-03-31 | 1979-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-29 | 1983-03-31 | 1983-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-29 | 1987-03-31 | 1987-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |