APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LIQUID CONTENTS OF A CONTAINER

• US 20160318022A1
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Accurso, Roger W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,823,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/049 Valves integrated in closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0672 Integrated piercing tool
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/523 with means for closing or opening
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/28 Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Qmounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 ; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 with means for piercing stoppers or septums

Abstract

Cradles for draining liquid from containers are described herein. An example apparatus includes a housing having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top. The housing is to receive a container having liquid. The example apparatus includes a probe extending upward from the bottom wall toward the open top and is to drain the liquid from the container when the probe is inserted into the container. The example apparatus also includes a sliding lock slidably disposed within the housing that receives a cap or top of the container when the container is inserted into the housing. The sliding lock includes a key slot. The sliding lock is movable when a cap or top of the container has a matching key that engages the key slot, which enables the sliding lock to move downward to expose the probe and drain the liquid from the container.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top, the housing to receive a container having liquid to be used in an automated diagnostic analyzer;

a probe extending upward from the bottom wall toward the open top, the probe to drain the liquid from the container when the probe is inserted into the container;

a sliding lock slidably disposed within the housing, the sliding lock comprising;

an engagement surface;

an opening in the engagement surface to receive the probe therethrough when the sliding lock is moved from a first position in which the engagement surface is above a tip of the probe to a second position in which the engagement surface is below the tip of the probe; and

a key slot in the engagement surface; and

a lockout located below the engagement surface of the sliding lock releaseably coupled to the sliding lock, the lockout movable between a locked position in which the sliding lock is prevented from moving in the housing and an unlocked position in which the sliding lock is movable in the housing, wherein the key slot is to receive a key of the container that is inserted into the housing to move the lockout from the locked position to the unlocked position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a trigger disposed below the engagement surface of the sliding lock, the trigger engageable with the key to move the trigger toward the bottom wall of the cradle to move the lockout to the unlocked position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the trigger is movable along a first axis and the lockout is movable along a second axis, the second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the trigger comprises a beveled surface that is to engage the lockout when the trigger moves toward the bottom wall of the housing to move the lockout along the second axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the key slot is a ring-shaped slot.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the key is a ring-shaped protrusion that matches the ring-shaped slot.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a resilient member to bias the sliding lock away from the bottom wall of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a latch to engage a rim on the container to releaseably secure the container in the housing when the container is inserted into the housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a release actuator to release the latch, the release actuator having a light that is to illuminate when the container is fully inserted into the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is to receive the container in an upside-down orientation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a barb disposed on an outer surface of the bottom wall to fluidly couple an inner passage of the probe to a tube coupled to the barb.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a housing having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top, the housing to receive a container having liquid to be used in an automated diagnostic analyzer;

a probe extending upward from the bottom wall toward the open top, the probe to drain the liquid from the container when the probe is inserted into the container;

a sliding lock slidably disposed within the housing, the sliding lock comprising;

an engagement surface;

an opening in the engagement surface to receive the probe therethrough when the sliding lock is moved from a first position in which the engagement surface is above a tip of the probe to a second position in which the engagement surface is below the tip of the probe; and

a key slot in the engagement surface;

a lockout releaseably coupled to the sliding lock to prevent movement of the sliding lock when the lockout is in a locked position; and

a trigger disposed below the engagement surface of the sliding lock, the trigger engageable with a key of the container inserted into the key slot to move the trigger toward the bottom wall of the housing to move the lockout to an unlocked position in which the sliding lock is movable in the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sliding lock and the trigger are moveable along the same axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the trigger comprises a second opening to receive the probe therethrough when the trigger is moved toward the bottom wall of the housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second opening of the trigger is concentric with and outside of the first opening of the sliding lock.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a first spring to bias the trigger away from the bottom wall of the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a second spring to bias the sliding lock away from the bottom wall of the housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the trigger is movable along a first axis and the lockout is movable along a second axis, the second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the trigger comprises a beveled surface that is to engage the lockout when the trigger is activated to move the lockout in a direction that is perpendicular to the movement of the trigger.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a housing to receive a container having liquid to be used in an automated diagnostic analyzer, the housing having a bottom wall, a side wall and an open top;

a probe extending upward from the bottom wall toward the open top, the probe to drain the liquid from the container when the probe is inserted into the container; and

a sliding lock slidably disposed within the housing, the sliding lock comprising;

an engagement surface disposed above the probe;

an opening in the engagement surface to receive the probe therethrough when the sliding lock is moved toward the bottom wall of the housing; and

a key slot, the sliding lock operable between a locked state in which movement of the sliding lock is prevented and an unlocked state in which the sliding lock is movable, wherein the sliding lock is switched to the unlocked state when a cap of the container includes a key corresponding to the key slot engages the key slot.

21. A method comprising:

inserting a container with a cap having a key ring into a cradle, the cradle comprising;

a housing;

a probe disposed in the housing;

a sliding lock slidably disposed in the housing, the sliding lock having (1) an engagement surface, (2) an opening in the engagement surface to receive the probe therethrough when the sliding lock is moved from a first position in which the engagement surface is above a tip of the probe to a second position in which the engagement surface is below the tip of the probe, and (3) a key slot in the engagement surface; and

a lockout located below the engagement surface of the sliding lock releaseably coupled to the sliding lock;

moving the container into the cradle, wherein, if the key ring matches the key slot, the lockout is moved between a locked position in which the sliding lock is prevented from moving in the housing and an unlocked position in which the sliding lock is movable in the housing to the second position;

coupling the container in the cradle; and

draining the contents of the container via the probe.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the container is inverted when the container is inserted into the cradle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the cradle further comprises a latch movable between a non-engaged position in which the container is moveable out of the cradle and an engaged position in which the container is coupled in the cradle.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising determining, via a latch position sensor, whether the latch is in the non-engaged position or the engaged position.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising determining, via a liquid level sensor, a level of liquid in the container.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising actuating a first indicator when the latch is determined to be in the engaged position.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising actuating a second indicator when the level of liquid in the container is determined to be below a threshold.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first indicator is a first color light and the second indicator is a second color light different than the first color light.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are disposed within a release button of the cradle.