Analyzer with automatically actuated movable closure of pipetting openings
First Claim
1. A clinical chemistry analytical apparatus for automatically analyzing a plurality of samples of biological fluids, wherein aliquots of said samples are mixed with aliquots of selected reagent liquids in reaction cuvettes for forming sample-reagent-mixtures contained in a plurality of reaction cuvettes, said apparatus comprising:
- an array of reagent containers and an array of reaction cuvettes, each of said reagent containers and reaction cuvettes having an opening at its upper end;
an automatic pipetting unit having a pipetting needle for taking an aliquot of reagent from one of said reagent containers and for delivering said aliquot into one of said reaction cuvettes, said automatic pipetting unit having a transport device for moving said pipetting needle to at least one pipetting position, said transport device being adapted for moving said pipetting needle along a first axis which extends in vertical direction and along a second axis which is perpendicular to said first axis;
a movable cover covering a chamber in which reagent containers are stored, said cover having a closed position at which it closes said chamber, said cover having at least one pipetting opening which allows insertion of said pipetting needle therethrough, the center of said at least one pipetting opening being located at said at least one pipetting position;
a closure mechanism mounted on said cover, said closure mechanism being adapted for being brought into a first state and into a second state, said at least one pipetting opening being closed when said closure mechanism is in said first state and said at least one pipetting opening being open when said closure mechanism is in said second state;
a conveyor configured to automatically transport each of said reagent containers to a pipetting position, at which the opening at the upper end of the reagent container is aligned with said at least one pipetting opening of said cover; and
an actuation mechanism configured to automatically actuate said closure mechanism to bring said closure mechanism into the second state before introducing said pipetting needle through said at least one pipetting opening and to automatically actuate said closure mechanism to bring said closure mechanism into the first state after withdrawal of said pipetting needle from said at least one pipetting opening,wherein said actuation mechanism is adapted for being actuated by a displacement of said transport device associated with the motion thereof that moves said pipetting needle along said second axis to said at least one pipetting position, and respectively away from said at least one pipetting position.
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Abstract
A clinical chemistry analytical apparatus for automatically analyzing a plurality of biological fluids samples is disclosed. The apparatus provides a movable cover having a pipetting opening which allows insertion of a pipetting needle therethrough, a closure mechanism which in a first state closes the pipetting opening and in a second state leaves it open, a conveyor automatically transporting a reagent container to a pipetting position, at which an opening of the reagent container is aligned with the pipetting opening, and an actuation mechanism which automatically brings the closure mechanism into the second state before introducing the pipetting needle through the pipetting opening and which brings the closure mechanism into the first state after withdrawal of the pipetting needle from the pipetting opening. The actuation mechanism is adapted to actuate the closure mechanism by a displacement of a transport device that moves the pipetting needle to and from the pipetting position.
21 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A clinical chemistry analytical apparatus for automatically analyzing a plurality of samples of biological fluids, wherein aliquots of said samples are mixed with aliquots of selected reagent liquids in reaction cuvettes for forming sample-reagent-mixtures contained in a plurality of reaction cuvettes, said apparatus comprising:
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an array of reagent containers and an array of reaction cuvettes, each of said reagent containers and reaction cuvettes having an opening at its upper end; an automatic pipetting unit having a pipetting needle for taking an aliquot of reagent from one of said reagent containers and for delivering said aliquot into one of said reaction cuvettes, said automatic pipetting unit having a transport device for moving said pipetting needle to at least one pipetting position, said transport device being adapted for moving said pipetting needle along a first axis which extends in vertical direction and along a second axis which is perpendicular to said first axis; a movable cover covering a chamber in which reagent containers are stored, said cover having a closed position at which it closes said chamber, said cover having at least one pipetting opening which allows insertion of said pipetting needle therethrough, the center of said at least one pipetting opening being located at said at least one pipetting position; a closure mechanism mounted on said cover, said closure mechanism being adapted for being brought into a first state and into a second state, said at least one pipetting opening being closed when said closure mechanism is in said first state and said at least one pipetting opening being open when said closure mechanism is in said second state; a conveyor configured to automatically transport each of said reagent containers to a pipetting position, at which the opening at the upper end of the reagent container is aligned with said at least one pipetting opening of said cover; and an actuation mechanism configured to automatically actuate said closure mechanism to bring said closure mechanism into the second state before introducing said pipetting needle through said at least one pipetting opening and to automatically actuate said closure mechanism to bring said closure mechanism into the first state after withdrawal of said pipetting needle from said at least one pipetting opening, wherein said actuation mechanism is adapted for being actuated by a displacement of said transport device associated with the motion thereof that moves said pipetting needle along said second axis to said at least one pipetting position, and respectively away from said at least one pipetting position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification