FLUID PROVIDING APPARATUS

• US 20110093213A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bruls, Dominique Maria, Van Lankvelt, Petrus Johannes Wilhelmus, Immink, Albert Hendrik Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,134,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/02 Devices for withdrawing samples sampling of foundation soil E02D1/04; collecting or conveying radioactive samples G01T7/00, e.g. G01T7/02, G01T7/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/028 Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 Control arrangements for automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid providing apparatus (5; 34) for providing a fluid to an analyzing apparatus (17; 33) for analyzing the fluid and to the analyzing apparatus (17; 33). The fluid providing apparatus (34) comprises a casing (35), which has an introduction opening (7), through which a fluid transferring element (1) is introducible into the casing (35) for transferring the fluid to the fluid providing apparatus (34). The casing (35) comprises further a fluid releasing section (8) for releasing the fluid from the fluid transferring element (1) and a fluid transferring element detection section (36) for detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (35) by interacting with a fluid transferring element detection unit of the analyzing apparatus (17; 33).

Claims

1. A fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) for providing a fluid to an analyzing apparatus (17;

33) for analyzing the fluid, the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) comprising a casing (6;

35) having;

an introduction opening (7), through which a fluid transferring element (1) is introducible into the casing (6;

35) for transferring the fluid to the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34),

a fluid releasing section (8) for releasing the fluid from the fluid transferring element (1),

a fluid transferring element detection section (9;

36) for detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (6;

35) by interacting with a fluid transferring element detection unit (46) of the analyzing apparatus (17;

33),

a control unit (19, 26) for switching on or off the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) depending on the detection of the fluid transferring element (1) within the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34).

2. The fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid transferring element detection section (9;

36) comprises at least one optical transparent portion (10, 23) for allowing to optically detect whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (6;

35).

3. The fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) as defined in claim 1, further comprising an analyzing section (11) for analyzing the fluid released from the fluid transferring element (1) by interacting with an analyzing unit (17;

33) of the analyzing apparatus (17;

33).

4. The fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) as defined in claim 3, wherein the casing (6;

35) comprises a fluid detection section (12) for detecting whether the fluid has entered the analyzing section (11) by interacting with a fluid detection unit of the analyzing apparatus (17;

33).

5. The fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluid releasing section (8) is adapted to squeeze the fluid transferring element (1) for releasing the fluid.

6. An analyzing apparatus (17;

33) for analyzing a fluid provided by a fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) comprising a casing (6;

35) having an introduction opening (7), through which a fluid transferring element (1) is introducible into the casing (6;

35) for transferring the fluid to the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34), as defined in claim 1, the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) comprising;

a fluid transferring element detection unit (16;

46) for detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (6;

35) by interacting with a fluid transferring element detection section (9;

36) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34)

a control unit (19, 26) for switching on or off the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) depending on the detection of the fluid transferring element (1) within the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34).

7. The analyzing apparatus (17;

33) as defined in claim 6, wherein the fluid transferring element detection unit (16) comprises;

a light source (20) for generating fluid transferring element detection light (21) for entering the fluid transferring element detection section (9) of the fluid providing apparatus (5) through an optical transparent portion (10, 23) of the fluid transferring element detection section (9),

a reflected light detector (22) for detecting reflected light reflected by the fluid transferring element (1) for optically detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (6) of the fluid providing apparatus (5).

8. The analyzing apparatus (17;

33) as defined in claim 6, wherein the fluid transferring element detection unit (46) comprises;

a light source (24) for generating fluid transferring element detection light (27) for entering the fluid transferring element detection section (36) of the fluid providing apparatus (34) through at least one optical transparent portion (10, 23) of the fluid transferring element detection section (36),

a transmitted light detector (25) for detecting transmitted light transmitted through the fluid transferring element detection section (36) through the at least one optical transparent portion (10, 23) for optically detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (35) of the fluid providing apparatus (34).

9. The analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 6, further comprising an analyzing unit (18) for analyzing fluid released from the fluid transferring element (1) by a fluid releasing section (8) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) by interacting with an analyzing section (11) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34), wherein the analyzing unit (18) comprises an analyzing mode and a non-analyzing mode.

10. The analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising a control unit (19;

26) for controlling the fluid transferring element detection unit (16;

46) and the analyzing unit (18) such that the analyzing unit (18) is switched from the non-analyzing mode to the analyzing mode, if the fluid transferring element detection unit (16;

46) determines that the fluid transferring element (1) has been introduced into the casing (6;

35) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34).

11. The analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) comprises a fluid detection unit (28) for detecting whether the fluid has entered the analyzing section (11) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) by interacting with a fluid detection section (12) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34).

12. The analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) comprises a determination unit (32) for determining whether after a predetermined time interval after a detection of the fluid transferring element (1) by the fluid transferring element detection unit (16;

46) the fluid has not been detected by the fluid detection unit (28).

13. An analyzing system for analyzing a fluid comprising the fluid providing apparatus as defined in claim 1.

14. An analyzing method for analyzing a fluid provided by a fluid providing apparatus comprising a casing for receiving a fluid transferring element as defined in claim 1, the analyzing method comprising the step of detecting whether the fluid transferring element is introduced into the casing by interacting with a fluid transferring element detection section of the fluid providing apparatus by a fluid transferring element detection unit.

15. A computer program for analyzing a fluid provided by a fluid providing apparatus comprising a casing for receiving a fluid transferring element, the computer program comprising program code means for causing an analyzing apparatus (17;

33) for analyzing a fluid provided by a fluid providing apparatus (5;

34) comprising a casing (6;

35) having an introduction opening (7), through which a fluid transferring element (1) is introducible into the casing (6;

35) for transferring the fluid to the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34), as defined in claim 1, the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) comprising;

a fluid transferring element detection unit (16;

46) for detecting whether the fluid transferring element (1) is introduced into the casing (6;

35) by interacting with a fluid transferring element detection section (9;

36) of the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34)

a control unit (19, 26) for switching on or off the analyzing apparatus (17;

33) depending on the detection of the fluid transferring element (1) within the fluid providing apparatus (5;

34).