Centrifuge for performing medical analyses

Claim 1

A centrifuge for performing analyses, in particular medical and biological analyses of samples contained in a test pack which comprises an optical cuvette for spectrophotometric absorbance measurement, the centrifuge comprising: a rotor driven in rotation by a motor means, the rotor having on a periphery thereof several individual holders for the various test packs which themselves rotate relative to the rotor, means for holding and spinning said holders, causing each individual holder to spin relative to the rotor, in order to direct centrifugal force relative to each test pack, a spectrophotometric measurement unit, the optical path of which is perpendicular to the plane of the rotor, oriented so as to pass through the optical cuvette of each test pack, in a pre-determined position of each test pack in rotation, said holding and spinning means comprising: a plate fixed relative to the rotor, fitted under said rotor, including a peripheral guide and having a projecting connection external to the fixed plate and linked to the peripheral guide, a spinning portion, coplanar with the fixed plate, one end of said spinning portion being articulated about said fixed plate including at least one guiding rail with a bending radius which coincides with that of the peripheral guide of the fixed plate, the spinning portion being movable between a first position, where the guiding rail fits with the peripheral guide of the fixed plate, and a second position, where the guiding rail fits with the free end of said a projecting connection, several spinning axes orthogonal to the rotor, mounted rotation-free on the rotor, on the upper ends of which said individual holders are fitted, and on the bottom ends of which rods are mounted parallel to the fixed plate, each rod including at its ends two coplanar rollers which abut the peripheral guide of the fixed plate, means to move the spinning portion between said first and second positions.