CHEMICAL ANALYZER

• US 20150226759A1
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IDEXX Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Griffin, Justin Jay, Misener, Garland Christian, Vidacic, Dragan, Connolly, David Lance, Dumont, Mark Raymond, McGibbon, John Harvey, Phelps, Jeffrey Eric, Rich, Carl Russell, Smith, Kenneth Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 9,797,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00079 Evaporation covers for slides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00138 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0405 manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0449 using centrifugal transport of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/103 using disposable tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/109 with two horizontal degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool

Abstract

A medical apparatus for analyzing fluid samples includes an outer casing, a slide loading mechanism disposed within the outer casing for loading fluid analysis slides, a slide ejecting mechanism disposed within the outer casing for ejecting fluid analysis slides, an evaporation cap opening mechanism disposed within the outer casing for opening an evaporation cap, an evaporation cap closing mechanism disposed within the outer casing for closing an evaporation cap, a drawer locking mechanism disposed within the outer casing for locking a drawer associated with the outer casing, a camera disposed within the outer casing, and a robot disposed within the outer casing. The robot is movable in three dimensions and has means for conducting three or more of the following operations: slide loading; slide ejecting; evaporation cap opening; evaporation cap closing; drawer locking; and camera manipulation.

Claims

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62. A medical apparatus for analyzing fluid samples comprising:

a. an outer casing;

b. a slide loading mechanism disposed within the outer casing for loading fluid analysis slides;

c. a slide ejecting mechanism disposed within the outer casing for ejecting fluid analysis slides;

d. an evaporation cap opening mechanism disposed within the outer casing for opening an evaporation cap;

e. an evaporation cap closing mechanism disposed within the outer casing for closing an evaporation cap;

f. a drawer locking mechanism disposed within the outer casing for locking a drawer associated with the outer casing;

g. a camera disposed within the outer casing; and

h. a robot disposed within the outer casing, the robot being movable in three dimensions and having means for conducting three or more of the following operations;

i. slide loading;

ii. slide ejecting;

iii. evaporation cap opening;

iv. evaporation cap closing;

v. drawer locking; and

vi. camera manipulation.

1. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the slide loading mechanism is adapted to hold a plurality of fluid analysis slides in a stacked arrangement;

wherein the apparatus further comprises a slide transport mechanism, the slide transport mechanism including a circular slide track in which is received a plurality of fluid analysis slides from the slide loading mechanism, the slide transport mechanism including a slide carousel situated above the slide track, the slide carousel being rotatable to effect movement of the plurality of fluid analysis slides residing in the slide track in a circular direction, the slide carousel including a plurality of spaced apart openings formed through the thickness thereof, and a plurality of evaporation caps movably mounted on the slide carousel between an open position and a closed position, each evaporation cap having a non-apertured portion and an apertured portion situated adjacent to the non-apertured portion, the apertured portion of each evaporation cap including an aperture formed through the thickness thereof, the aperture of an evaporation cap being in alignment with a corresponding opening formed through the slide carousel when the evaporation cap is in an open position, the non-apertured portion of the evaporation cap being in alignment with the corresponding opening of the slide carousel when the evaporation cap is in the closed position, the slide carousel being positionable over the plurality of fluid analysis slides residing in the slide track such that a respective fluid analysis slide is situated in alignment with a corresponding evaporation cap and opening of the slide carousel;

wherein the slide loading mechanism is in operative communication with the slide transport mechanism to effect movement of slides from the stack of slides placed on the slide loading mechanism to the slide transport mechanism;

wherein the apparatus further comprises an optics module, the optics module being in optical communication with the slide transport mechanism and conducting at least one of reflectance and fluorescence measurements on the plurality of fluid analysis slides residing in the slide track of the slide transport mechanism;

wherein the slide ejecting mechanism is in operative communication with the slide transport mechanism and ejecting test fluid analysis slides from the slide transport mechanism;

wherein the apparatus further comprises a slide incubator, the slide incubator having a housing and a pivotable cover mounted on the housing, the incubator housing defining an internal cavity in which the slide transport mechanism resides;

wherein the apparatus further comprises a consumables manager drawer, the consumables manager drawer being received by an opening formed in the outer casing, the consumables manager drawer including a consumables support surface for receiving consumables for conducting reflectance or fluorescence tests on a plurality of fluid analysis slides, the consumables manager drawer being movable between an extended position, in which the consumables manager drawer projects outwardly from the outer casing and the consumables support surface is accessible to a user of the apparatus, and a retracted position, in which the consumables manager drawer is fully received by the opening in the outer casing and the consumables support surface is inaccessible to a user of the apparatus;

wherein the evaporation cap opening mechanism and the evaporation cap closing mechanism are in operative communication with the slide transport mechanism to effect movement of the evaporation caps of the slide carousel between the closed position and the open position;

wherein the apparatus further comprises a fluid handler unit, the fluid handler unit including the robot and having a fluid pump assembly, the fluid handler unit being movable in an X-Y plane, an X-Z plane and a Y-Z plane such that the robot of the fluid handler unit is in operative communication with at least one of the consumables manager drawer, the slide loading mechanism, the evaporation cap opening mechanism, the evaporation cap closing mechanism and the slide ejecting mechanism, the pump assembly of the fluid handler unit being in operative communication with the slide transport mechanism to deposit a fluid sample onto the fluid analysis slides residing in the slide track of the slide transport mechanism; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a controller, the controller including electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry being in electrical communication with at least one of the optics module, the consumables manager drawer, the robot of the fluid handler unit and the pump assembly of the fluid handler unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises:

a vision system, the vision system being disposed within the outer casing, the vision system including at least one camera, the at least one camera of the vision system taking images of at least the consumables manager drawer, the vision system generating signals corresponding to the images and providing the signals to the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one camera of the vision system is mounted on the fluid handler unit and movable therewith.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one camera of the vision system includes a first camera and a second camera, the first camera being mounted on the fluid handler unit and being movable thereon within the outer casing, the second camera being fixedly mounted within the outer casing.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the means for performing the operations comprises one or more elongated robot arms.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the one or more elongated robot arms perform the operations by moving in a linear, z-axis motion.

66. The apparatus of claim 62, which further comprises:

an optics module disposed within the outer casing;

wherein the optics module is a combined reflectometer and fluorometer and includes;

a housing, the housing defining an interior chamber;

a first photodiode sensor situated within the interior chamber of the housing, the first photodiode sensor measuring light reflected from or fluoresced by a fluid analysis slide in optical communication with the optics module;

a printed circuit board situated within the interior chamber of the housing, the printed circuit board having a frusto-conical shape and defining a central opening, the central opening being in axial alignment with the first photodiode sensor;

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the printed circuit board, the light emitting diodes being selectively energizable to emit light and illuminate the fluid analysis slide in optical communication with the optics module; and

a notch filter, the notch filter being situated in optical alignment with the first photodiode sensor, the notch filter filtering out light emitted by at least one light emitting diode at a fluorescence excitation wavelength.

67. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the notch filter filters out light at a fluorescence excitation wavelength of about 470 nanometers.

68. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the optics module further includes:

a heating element, the heating element being situated within the interior chamber of the housing.

69. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the optics module further includes:

at least one second photodiode sensor situated within the interior chamber of the housing, the at least one second photodiode sensor measuring the intensity of light emitted by the selectively energized light emitting diodes.

70. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein the optics module further includes:

a lens holder situated within the interior chamber of the housing and in optical alignment with the first photodiode sensor; and

a lens/filter assembly mounted on the lens holder, the lens/filter assembly including an upper lens, a lower lens and the notch filter interposed between the upper lens and the lower lens.

71. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein at least one light emitting diode emits light at a fluorescence excitation wavelength of about 470 nanometers;

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wherein the optics module further includes a filter mounted directly on the at least one light emitting diode that emits light at the fluorescence excitation wavelength.

72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein the filter which is mounted on the at least one light emitting diode is a colored glass filter;

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wherein the colored glass filter is mounted on the at least one light emitting diode with an adhesive.

73. The apparatus of claim 66, which further comprises:

a normalizer casting plate disposed within the outer casing, the optics module being adjustably mounted on the normalizer casting plate; and

wherein the optics module further includes;

an alignment plate, the alignment plate extending radially outwardly from the housing of the optics module, the alignment plate having a surface and including at least one set of parallel, spaced apart, elongated ribs protruding outwardly from the surface thereof, the normalizer casting plate having a surface and including at least one elongated protrusion situated on the surface thereof, the ribs of the at least one set of ribs of the alignment plate of the optics module receiving therebetween the at least one elongated projection of the normalizer casting plate.

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