Sample analysis apparatus

• US 20040020310A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIAGYR
• Original Assignee: DIAGYR
• Inventors: Escal, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 6,945,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/864.21
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2011/046 Loading, unloading, manipulating sample containers
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 5/0421 pivotably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00504 combined with carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

An apparatus for analysing liquid samples packed in tubes (6) closed with a top (7) capable of being perforated, includes a support (4) for the tubes and a unit (8) for sampling an aliquot from each tube and delivering it into a receptacle for treatment and/or analysis, the unit (8) including a hollow needle (45) connected to a suction/delivery device and vertically mobile; the support (4) has a circular tray provided with several tube-holders (5) on its periphery and capable of rotating about a vertical axis to bring a position successively and selectively the tubes (6) borne by the tube-holders (5) in line with the unit (8); each tube-holder (5) is connected to the tray (4) through a linkage (31) with two degrees of freedom.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the analysis of liquid samples in sample tubes (6) closed by a pierceable stopper (7), comprising a support (4) adapted to support in vertical position the sample tubes, a removal and distribution unit (8) to remove from each sample tube carried by the support a portion of the liquid sample contained in the sample tube and to distribute at least a fraction of the removed portion of liquid sample into at least one receptacle (74) for treatment and/or analysis of said distributed fraction, said removal and distribution unit comprising a hollow needle (45) which is connected to an aspiration/delivery means (47) and fixed in vertical position to a vertically movable needle carrier (48), and drive means (53, 54, 57, 58, 59, 61) to move the needle carrier and needle vertically between a first position in which the lower end of the needle is located at a higher level than that of the stopper of said sample tube carried by the support, and a second position in which the lower end of the needle is located within the liquid contained in said sample tube carried by the support, characterized in that said support (4) is constituted by a circular plate provided with several tube carriers (5) which are disposed at intervals about its periphery and which each comprise a recess with a vertical access to receive and support a sample tube, said circular plate being adapted to turn about a vertical axis to bring in position successively and selectively the tube carriers (5) to a workstation where the removal and distribution unit (8) is located, such that this latter can act on the sample tube (6) supported by the tube carrier brought to and positioned in the workstation, and in that each tube carrier (5) is connected to the circular plate (4) by a connection (31) with two degrees of freedom, namely freedom of vertical translatory movement and freedom of movement of rotation about a horizontal axis oriented tangentially relative to the circular plate, and in that at the workstation is disposed a support means (44) adapted to support from below the tube carrier (5) brought to and positioned in the workstation.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each tube carrier (5) is constituted by a cylindrical sleeve (24) which is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end, and which comprises, adjacent its upper end, two aligned pivots (25) which define the horizontal axis of the connection (31) with two degrees of freedom.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the end of each cylindrical sleeve (24) is disposed between two legs (26, 27) of a mounting member (28) in the form of a fork, which is secured to the circular plate (4) and whose two legs extend radially outwardly of said circular plate, the two pivots (25) of the cylindrical sleeve (24) being supported respectively by the leges of the mounting member (28) by means of the connection (31) with two degrees of freedom.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that each leg (26, 27) of the mounting member (28) comprises a vertical notch (32), in which is engaged one of the two pivots (25) of the cylindrical sleeve (24).

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each of the two pivots (25) is resiliently supported in the corresponding vertical notch (32) by a flexible spring (33).

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that each vertical notch (32) is formed in the upper surface of the corresponding leg (26 or 27) of the mounting member (28) and the flexible spring (33) is disposed in the vertical notch (32) between the bottom of the latter and the pivot (25).

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the mounting member (28) carries the removable retaining means (34) which, in service, retains the two pivots (25) in the corresponding vertical notches (32).

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that each vertical notch (32) is formed in the lower surface of the corresponding leg (26 or 27) of the mounting member (28) and the flexible spring (33) is constituted by a flexible blade, of which one end is fixed to the lower surface of said corresponding leg and of which the other end resiliently supports and retains the pivot (25) in the corresponding vertical notch.

9. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the support means (44) is constituted by a fixed stop disposed below the lower end of the cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve (24) brought to and positioned in the workstation, at a vertical distance (d) from said lower end which is smaller than the maximum breadth of vertical movement which is permitted said cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve by said connection (31) with two degrees of freedom and by the flexible spring (33) when the needle (45) of the removal and distribution unit (8) exerts a vertical penetration force, directed downwardly, on the stopper (7) of the sample tube (6) installed in said cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve (44).

10. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that each vertical notch (32) is formed in the upper surface of the corresponding leg (26 or 27) of the molding member (28) and each pivot (25) rests on the bottom of the corresponding vertical notch.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the support means (44) is constituted by a wedge, which can be moved by an actuator (113) between a first position in which said wedge does not interfere with the cylindrical tube-carrying sleeves (24) when the circular plate (4) is rotated, and a second position in which said wedge is in contact with the lower end of the cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve brought to and positioned in the workstation and supports said cylindrical sleeve in a vertical position such that its two pivots (25) no longer rest on the bottom of corresponding vertical notches (32) in the legs (26, 27) of the mounting member (28).

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that said wedge (44) is constituted by a piece in the form of a wedge which can slide, under control of the actuator (113), over a fixed support and horizontal guidance surface (11a).

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that each mounting member (28) comprises an abutment means (114) adapted to prevent the cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve (24) from pivoting about the horizontal axis defined by the two pivots (25) and to hold said cylindrical sleeve in a vertical position when the wedge (44) is moved from its first to its second position by the actuator (113) and comes in the course of this movement into contact with the lower end of said cylindrical sleeve.

14. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the circular plate (4) is connected to drive means (19, 21, 22, 23) adapted to turn said circular plate selectively at a first relatively high speed to submit to centrifugation the liquid samples contained in the sample tubes (6) carried by the circular plate, and at a second substantially slower speed than the first speed, to bring and position successively and selectively said sample tubes to and in the workstation.

15. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that the cylindrical tube-carrying sleeves (24) are of a transparent material so as to permit reading an individual identification code (39) carried by a label (38) fixed to each sample tube (6) by a code reader (41) installed at a predefined angular position relative to the vertical axis of rotation of the circular plate (4).

16. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that each cylindrical tube-carrying sleeve (24) comprises, in its cylindrical wall, a wide window (42) permitting reading an individual identification code (39) carried by a label (38) fixed to each sample tube (6) by a code reader (41) installed at a fixed station in a predetermined angular position relative to the vertical axis of rotation of the circular plate (4).