Fluid analyzer

• US 20040081583A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Thomas, Berndt, Manfred, Senf, Manuela, Mora-Fillat, Jose-Angel
• Application Number:
  US10/653,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20040081583A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid analyzer 20, in particular, a fluid analyzer for use in microfluid analysis, preferably for use in bioanalysis. The fluid analyzer 20 comprises a sturdy base on which instrumentation modules are rigidly mounted, said instrumentation modules include an analysis device for conducting fluid analyses which is preferably configured in the form of a microfluidic chip, and a handling device 32, by means of which a storage device, in particular, a well plate 43, incorporating wells for accommodating fluids may be repositioned from a first position to a second position, in which a transport of the fluids from the wells to the analysis device is possible. Another instrumentation module 24 in the form of a device that is also rigidly attached to the base 28 is provided for the purpose of adding fluids to, and/or extracting fluids from, the wells of the storage device 33 and/or adding fluids to, and/or extracting fluids from, the analysis device. It is also provided that a first section or part of that instrumentation modules is arranged on one side of the base 28 and that a second section or part thereof is arranged on the opposite side of the base 28.

Claims

1. A fluid analyzer, in particular, a fluid analyzer for use in microfluid analysis, preferably for use in bioanalysis, having a sturdy base on which instrumentation modules are rigidly mounted, said instrumentation modules include an analysis device for conducting fluid analyses which is preferably configured in the form of a microfluid chip, and a handling device, by means of which a storage device, in particular, a well plate, incorporating wells for accommodating fluids may be moved from a first position to a second position, in which a transport of the fluids from the wells to the analysis device is possible,

characterized in that

an additional instrumentation module (24) is provided in the form of a device (34) for adding fluids to, and/or extracting fluids from, the wells of the storage device (33) and/or adding fluids to, or extracting fluids from, the analysis device (31) that is also rigidly mounted on the base (28), and that a first part or section (51) of the instrumentation modules is arranged on one side of the base (28) and a second part or section (52) of the instrumentation modules is arranged on the opposite side of the base (28).

2. A fluid analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the base (28) is a supporting frame (38) having at least one opening (39, 40) through which a part or section (53, 54) of the respective instrumentation modules (24, 25) extends.

3. A fluid analyzer according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein other instrumentation modules (25, 26, 27) that are rigidly attached to the base (28) are provided with a detector (35) for detecting an analytical parameter related to the fluid involved, and/or a transfer device (36) for transferring the storage device (33) from an external location to the vicinity of the first position of the handling device (32) and/or back to its original location, and/or a storage device (37) for accommodating and storing the storage device (33) and/or the analysis device (31).

4. A fluid analyzer according to claim 3, wherein the detector (35) is a laser-induced-fluorescence spectrometer (45) and/or a mass spectrometer.

5. A fluid analyzer according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the transfer device (36) is a pivoting carousel (46).

6. A fluid analyzer according to any of claims 3-5, wherein the storage device (37) has a storage compartment (47) for storing the storage device (33) and/or analysis device (31) that preferably may be cooled down to low temperatures.