APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HANDLING TUBES, IN PARTICULAR AN AUTOMATIC BLOOD ANALYSIS APPARATUS

• US 20100064826A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C2 Diagnostics
• Original Assignee: C2 Diagnostics
• Inventors: Champseix, Serge, Damonneville, Laurent, Champseix, Henri
• Granted Patent: US 8,968,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.910
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00524 Mixing by agitating sample carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums

Abstract

Apparatus (1) includes a device (20) for moving at least one compartment (2) in the apparatus, the compartment forming a support for tubes (3), which apparatus further includes elements (50) for taking a specimen of a product contained in the tubes, the movement device (20) including elements (21) for guiding the compartment during movement of the compartment and further including stirring members (27) for the guiding elements, the movement device being mounted on a chassis (4) of the apparatus.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. Apparatus (1) comprising a device for moving (20) at least one rack (2) forming a support for tubes (3), said apparatus (1) further comprising means (50) for taking a specimen of a product contained in said tubes, said movement device (20) comprising means for guiding (21) the rack during a movement of said rack about an axis of movement (X20) and means for agitating (27) said guidance means, characterized in that the means for guiding (21) are adapted to engage with the rack (2) whatever is the position of the rack about the axis of movement X20.

31. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that said apparatus is an automatic analyzer for the product.

32. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that the guidance means comprise a rail (21) cooperating with a complementary shape (66) of the rack.

33. Apparatus according to claim 32, characterized in that the rail has a C-shaped cross-section two opposite ends of which extent towards each other and each forming a rib (211), said ribs being provided to engage with respective grooves (66) on either side of the rack.

34. Apparatus according to claim 33, characterized in that the movement device (20) comprises worm means (22, 23) for cooperating with a complementary shape (65) of the rack.

35. Apparatus according to claim 34, characterized in that the worm means are arranged inside the C-shaped section.

36. Apparatus according to claim 34, characterized in that it further comprises a stepping travel motor (24) for driving the worm means (22, 23) in rotation.

37. Apparatus according to claim 36, characterized in that the travel motor (24) is mounted rigidly connected to the guidance means.

38. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that the agitation means (27) are designed to allow a rotation of the rack about an axis (X20) parallel to a direction for moving the rack.

39. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that the means of agitation comprise a gear pinion (28) mounted rigidly fixed to the guidance means (21).

40. Apparatus according to claim 39, characterized in that the agitation means also comprise a stepping agitation motor (29) for driving the gear pinion (28).

41. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that the agitation means (27) are designed to allow the rocking of the tubes between a position directed downwards and a position directed upwards.

42. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that it further comprises a loading device (10).

43. Apparatus according to claim 42, characterized in that the loading device comprises a storage element (11) so that several racks (2) can be stacked therein.

45. Apparatus according to claim 43, characterized in that it comprises means (13, 14) for removing the lowest rack from the stack in the storage element.

46. Apparatus according to claim 45, characterized in that the removal means comprise a worm (14) provided to engage with a complementary shape (65) of the rack.

47. Apparatus according to claim 46, characterized in that it comprises a stepping loading motor (13) for driving the worm.

48. Apparatus according to claim 46, characterized in that the worm comprises a truncated zone (141) in which the threads of the worm (14) are interrupted beyond a plane (P141) parallel to the axis of rotation (X14) of said worm, said truncated zone being provided to allow a rack to take up a position such that the worm, after rotation about said axis (X14), can engage with said rack.

49. Apparatus according to claim 30, characterized in that it further comprises a loading device (30).

54. System comprising an apparatus according to claim 30 and at least one rack, said apparatus comprising worm means for moving said rack, characterized in that said rack comprises recesses (65) together forming a portion of a nut for cooperating with the worm means.

55. System according to claim 54, characterized in that the rack is of the closed type, i.e. having a sampling wall (62) facing stoppers of the tubes, said sampling wall being pierced with openings for the penetration of a sampling needle (52).

44. Apparatus according to claim 44, characterized in that the storage element is designed to allow the movement by gravity of each rack in the storage element.

50. Apparatus according to claim 50, characterized in that the unloading device comprises a receptacle (31) for unloaded racks.

51. Apparatus according to claim 50, characterized in that the movement device (20) is provided to move a rack into a receiving zone (35) of the unloading device (30).

52. Apparatus according to claim 51, characterized in that the receptacle (31) extends in a substantially horizontal direction and substantially perpendicular to an axis of movement (X20) for a rack, in the movement device, and in that it moreover comprises means (32, 70) for displacing each rack a distance at least equal to the thickness (E2) of said rack, in the direction of extension of the receptacle (31).

53. Apparatus according to claim 52, characterized in that the displacement means comprise a cam (33) or a pallet (71) moved by a stepping motor.

56. Method for handing a tube in an apparatus, said method comprising:

the arrangement of the tube in a rack provided to serve as a support of said tube;

the movement of said rack about an axis of movement (X20);

the use of guidance means for guiding and holding the tube in the apparatus;

the means for guiding means being adapted to engage with the rack, in order to hold the later in the apparatus whatever is the position of the rack about the axis of movement (X20) and,

rocking the guidance means.

57. Method according to claim 56, characterized in that it is used to allow the movement of the tube and the homogenization of a blood product contained in the tube, with a view to the analysis of this blood product.