MEASUREMENT DEVICE WITH MOTION-TRIGGERED DATA EXCHANGE

• US 20100314447A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Hans-Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/738,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20100314447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0421 electrophoretic flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/447 using electrophoresis

Abstract

A measurement device (100) comprising an accommodation chamber (102) adapted for accommodating a replaceable measurement member (104), a movable closure mechanism (106) adapted to be moved to selectively expose or cover the accommodation chamber (102), and a data mechanism (600) adapted for at least one of reading data from and writing data on a replaceable measurement member (104), when the replaceable measurement member (104) is accommodated in the accommodation chamber (102), upon moving the movable closure mechanism (106).

Claims

1. A measurement device, comprising

an accommodation chamber adapted for accommodating a replaceable measurement member,

a movable closure mechanism adapted to be moved to selectively expose or cover the accommodation chamber and

a data mechanism adapted to perform an operation of at least one of:

reading data from and writing data on a replaceable measurement member, when the replaceable measurement member is accommodated in the accommodation chamber upon moving the movable closure mechanism, wherein the data mechanism is configured to perform the operation automatically correlated with the movement of the movable closure mechanism.

2. The measurement device of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

the movable closure mechanism is adapted to be shifted linearly to selectively expose or cover the accommodation chamber;

the movable closure mechanism is adapted to be pivoted to selectively expose or cover the accommodation chamber;

the movable closure mechanism is a drawer mechanism, particularly a push loading drawer mechanism;

the movable closure mechanism is a slider mechanism;

the movable closure mechanism is a tilting mechanism.

3. The measurement device of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

the data mechanism is adapted for reading and/or writing the data upon at least one of;

closing the movable closure mechanism to cover the accommodation chamber, and opening the movable closure mechanism to expose the accommodation chamber;

the data mechanism is adapted for reading and/or writing data identifying at least one of a replaceable measurement member and a product type of the replaceable measurement member accommodated in the accommodation chamber.

4. The measurement device of claim 1, wherein the data mechanism comprises at least one of:

at least one of the group consisting of an optical scanner, a barcode reader, a one-dimensional barcode reader, a two-dimensional barcode reader, an RFID tag reader, a mechanical code detector, an alphanumerical code detector, and a magnetic stripe scanner;

a barcode scanner adapted for reading a barcode provided on the replaceable measurement member only upon moving the movable closure mechanism in a manner that an electromagnetic radiation beam emitted by the barcode scanner passes the barcode on the measurement member and is transmitted to the barcode scanner for detection;

an RFID read and/or write unit adapted for reading information from and/or writing information in an RFID tag provided on the replaceable measurement member only upon moving the movable closure mechanism in a manner that only upon moving the movable closure mechanism a distance between the RFID read and/or write unit and the RFID tag becomes sufficiently small for a data read and/or write operation.

5. The measurement device of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

the measurement member comprises at least one of the group consisting of;

an optically scannable code, an optically reflective code, a fluorescence code, a barcode, a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, an RFID tag, a mechanical code, an alphanumerical code, and a magnetic stripe;

the data mechanism is adapted for passing at least a part of the replaceable measurement member upon moving the movable closure mechanism;

the measurement device comprises a documentation unit adapted for documenting data read and/or written by the data mechanism.

6. The measurement device of claim 1, comprising

a supply member adapted for providing the measurement device with measurement equipment.

7. The measurement device of claim 6, comprising at least one of:

the supply member is configured for being moved with the movable closure mechanism;

the measurement device comprises a lid configured for being moved with the movable closure mechanism, wherein the supply member is configured to be detachably insertable into the lid;

the measurement equipment of the supply member comprises at least one of the group consisting of a voltage supply, an electric field generator, a magnetic field generator, at least one valve for pressure control, and a temperature controller;

the supply member comprises a cartridge having electric pins for supplying an electric signal to the measurement member, particularly to a microfluidic chip of the measurement member.

8. The measurement device of claim 1,

wherein the data mechanism comprises an electromagnetic radiation source for emitting an electromagnetic radiation beam towards the replaceable measurement member and comprises an electromagnetic radiation detector for detecting the electromagnetic radiation beam after interaction with the replaceable measurement member upon moving the movable closure mechanism.

9. The measurement device of claim 8,

wherein the data mechanism comprises a deflective element for deflecting the electromagnetic radiation beam between the electromagnetic radiation source and the electromagnetic radiation detector on the one hand and the replaceable measurement member on the other hand.

10. The measurement device of claim 1,

being adapted as a fluid separation device for separating compounds of a fluid.

11. The measurement device of claim 10, wherein the fluid separation apparatus comprises at least one of:

a separation control unit adapted for controlling separation of compounds of the fluid;

the fluid separation apparatus comprises at least one of a sensor device, a device for chemical, biological and/or pharmaceutical analysis, a capillary electrophoresis device, a liquid chromatography device, a gas chromatography device, an electronic measurement device, and a mass spectroscopy device.

12. The measurement device of claim 10, comprising at least one of:

the fluid separation apparatus is adapted to analyze at least one of the group consisting of a physical, a chemical and a biological parameter of at least one compound of the fluid;

the accommodation chamber comprises a microfluidic chip receptacle adapted for receiving a microfluidic chip.

13. A method of operating a measurement device, the method comprising

inserting a replaceable measurement member in an accommodation chamber

moving a movable closure mechanism to selectively expose or cover the accommodation chamber, and

performing—

automatically correlated with the movement of the movable closure mechanism an—

operation of at least one of;

reading data from and writing data on a replaceable measurement member.

14. A software program or product, stored on a non-transitory data carrier, for controlling or executing the method of claim 13, when run on a data processing system.