Liquid container and an analyzer equipped therewith

• US 20030000225A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sysmex Corporation
• Inventors: Nagai, Takaaki, Tobimatsu, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,694,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/6
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1883 using thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/00 Heating or cooling apparatus autoclaves B01J3/04; Heat insulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00376 Conductive heating, e.g. heated plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers

Abstract

A liquid container comprising a base having openings that communicate from the front surface to the back surface, and first and second sealing plates that seal the openings from both sides of the base to form internal spaces, wherein the sealing plates comprise a first heat exchanging member for heating or cooling the internal space from the front surface of the base and a second heat exchanging member for heating or cooling the internal space from the back surface of the base.

Claims

1. A liquid container, comprising:

a base having an opening that communicates from a front surface to a back surface; and

first and second sealing plates that seal the opening from both sides of the base to form an internal space;

wherein the first and second sealing plates comprise a first heat exchanging member for heating or cooling the internal space from the front surface of the base; and

a second heat exchanging member for heating or cooling the internal space from the back surface of the base.

2. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein said base comprises a supply port for supplying liquid to the internal space and a discharge port for discharging liquid from the internal spaces.

3. The liquid container of claim 2, wherein said supply port comprises a first communicating hole communicating from the internal space to a first end of the base, and said discharge port consists of a second communicating hole communicating from the internal space to a second end of the base.

4. The liquid container of claim 3, wherein the first communicating hole is located on a bottom surface of the base and the second communicating hole is located on a top surface of the base.

5. The liquid container of claim 3, wherein the first and second communicating holes comprise nipples.

6. The liquid container of claim 2, wherein said opening comprises multiple openings each of which comprises a supply port and a discharge port.

7. The liquid container of claim 6, wherein one sealing plate seals the multiple openings.

8. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein each sealing plate comprises a heat conductive plate and each heat-exchanging member comprises a film-like heater.

9. The liquid heater of claim 1, wherein said base comprises a chemical resistant material.

10. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein each sealing plate comprises a chemical resistant film, and each sealing plate is installed on the base via said film.

11. The liquid container of claim 1, further comprising a packing member installed between the base and the first and second sealing plates.

12. The liquid container of claim 1, further comprising a heat insulation member wherein said heat insulation member covers at least a portion of the first heat-exchanging member and the second heat-exchanging member.

13. An analyzer equipped with the liquid container of claim 1.

14. The liquid container of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the internal space; and

a control circuit for controlling operation of the first and second heat exchanging member based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

15. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein said first and second heat-exchanging members are heating members that heat the internal space.

16. The liquid container of claim 1, wherein said first and second heat-exchanging members are cooling members that cool the internal space.

18. The liquid container of claim 17, wherein said base comprises a supply port for-supplying liquid to the internal space and a discharge port for discharging liquid from the internal space.

19. The liquid container of claim 18, wherein said opening comprises multiple openings each of which comprises a supply port and a discharge port.

20. The liquid container of claim 17, wherein each sealing plate comprises a chemical resistant film, and each sealing plate is installed on the base via said film.

17. A liquid container, comprising:

a base having an opening that communicates from a front surface to a back surface;

first and second sealing plates that seal the opening from both sides of the base to form an internal space; and

an electric power supply circuit for supplying electric power for heating and cooling a liquid contained in the internal space, wherein

each of the first and second sealing plates comprises;

a first Peltier element for supplying heat to the internal space and absorbing heat from the internal space via the front surface of the base; and

a second Peltier element for supplying heat to the internal space and absorbing heat from the internal space via the back surface of the base; and

the electric power supply circuit changes the direction of current being supplied to the first and second Peltier element.