GAS SCRUBBER FOR AUTOMATED CLINICAL ANALYZER

• US 20090282932A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Whitt, James W., Fritchie, Patrick P., Blackwell, Gregory A., Rajagopal, Ganesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,486,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.210
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25125 Digestion or removing interfering materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

A device and method for extending the useful life of a bulk liquid used in an automated clinical analyzer. Air from the atmosphere surrounding the automated clinical analyzer that displaces the bulk liquid consumed from a container is routed through a gas scrubber in order to remove or at least reduce the quantity of at least one contaminant present in that air. The gas scrubber is positioned between the bulk liquid in the container and the atmosphere surrounding the container. The gas scrubber contains a reagent that is capable of reacting with a contaminant in the atmosphere, whereby a required characteristic(s) of the bulk liquid does (do) not change excessively prior to the date that the bulk liquid is consumed. For example, if the contaminant is carbon dioxide, and the required characteristic of the bulk liquid is the level of pH of the bulk liquid, the reagent in the gas scrubber prevents the level of pH of the bulk liquid from changing excessively prior to the date that the bulk liquid is consumed.

Claims

1. An automated clinical analyzer comprising a container containing a bulk liquid, the bulk liquid containing a material subject to deterioration, said material capable of deteriorating as the result of reaction with a contaminant in a gas present in the atmosphere surrounding the container, said container having a straw assembly that is connected to a gas scrubber, said gas scrubber having an inlet and an outlet.

2. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 1, wherein said gas scrubber comprises a container positioned between the bulk liquid in the container and the atmosphere surrounding the container.

3. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 1, wherein said container of said gas scrubber has an inlet and an outlet, said inlet communicating with the atmosphere surrounding the automated clinical analyzer, said outlet connected to a first end of a fluid line, the second end of the fluid line connected to a vent of the container containing the bulk liquid.

4. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 3, wherein a check valve is positioned upstream of the inlet of the gas scrubber.

5. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 1, wherein said gas scrubber contains a reagent that is capable of reacting with the contaminant, whereby the value of pH of the bulk liquid does not decrease to such an extent that the bulk liquid cannot be used in the automated clinical analyzer.

6. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 5, wherein the reagent is an alkaline material.

7. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 6, wherein the alkaline material is sodium hydroxide.

8. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 1, wherein the automated clinical analyzer is an automated diagnostic analyzer.

9. The automated clinical analyzer of claim 8, wherein the automated diagnostic analyzer in an automated immunoassay analyzer.