Automatic multichannel apparatus for performing analyses on fluids, in particular for performing clinical-chemistry analyses on biological liquids

• US 4,259,288 A
• Filed: 02/12/1979
• Issued: 03/31/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henry H. Welch
• Original Assignee: Henry H. Welch
• Inventors: Welch, Henry H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serwin, R. E.
• Application Number:
  US06/011,590
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 422/64, 422/65, 422/67, 422/103, 422/63, 73/423 A, 356/39, 356/246, 364/497, 364/498
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0095 introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/813 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

An automatic multichannel apparatus for performing analyses on fluids, comprising, in combination, an array of sample-holder test tubes, mounted on an intermittently indexed drum, a needle for sample withdrawal carried by a mobile arm and adapted to be successively introduced into the test tubes to aspirate samples to be analyzed, a distributor-mixer complex, for distributing the sample to be analyzed on many segments and adding the various reagents for the various analyses to the samples, means for measuring photometrically the samples and printout of the data related to the analyses.

Claims

1. Automatic multichannel apparatus to perform analyses on fluids comprising in combination an intermittently indexed drum, an array of sample holder test tubes mounted on said drum, a movable arm, a needle borne by said movable arm for aspirating the sample and adapted for introduction, successively, into said test tubes, a distributor-mixer complex for distributing the sample to be analyzed in many segments and adding the various reagents for the various pre-established analyses, and means for the measuring of result data related to the analyses, said distributor-mixer complex including a fixed block, two concentric cylinders each having an annular section, sealingly mounted within said fixed block, the outer cylinder having a series of cavities having inlet ducts and adapted to be filled with the reagents and the inner cylinder having a corresponding series of radial passages adapted to be filled with the sample of liquid to be examined.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said sample holding test tubes are housed in said drum rotating within interchangeable sectors, and by said apparatus further comprising a plurality of cards, one card associated with each test tube, each card having coded thereon the patient'"'"'s data and the tests to be performed on the sample.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an optical complex for reading said cards and a computer connected to said optical complex for programming the various operational phases of the distributor-mixer complex and controlling the printing of results.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3 further comprising means for holding distilled water and means for causing distilled water from said holding means to pass through said needle and said cavities and passages after each cycle of analysis, to provide for each sample aspiration a washing cycle of said ducts and said cavities and passages by means of distilled water, before passing on to the next sample.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the washing water is withdrawn by said needle and conveyed in all the ducts, cavities and passages related both to the sample and to the reagents, said apparatus further comprising a waste vessel into which the washing water, the samples, and the reagents already used are collected.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by the fact that the feeding of the reagents is made by gravity fall, and by said apparatus further comprising a throttling valve for metering the feeding of the reagents, said throttling valve intercepting the duct of each cavity as soon as the cavity carried by the cylindrical distributor is filled.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means defining a reagent reservoir, a plurality of metering cuvettes, and a source of compressed air and characterized by the fact that said fixed block includes an outer part and a central core which have a series of passages communicating with the reagent reservoir, with the metering cuvettes, with the cavity ducts, and with said source of compressed air which pushes the various fractions of the sample and the associated various reagents into the metering cuvettes when the ducts and the cavities carried by the two cylinders are aligned among them, following rotation of said cylinders.