Automated analysis instrument system
First Claim
1. An automated instrument system for analyzing the constituents of a patient sample while reacting a reagent specific for the selected constituent within said sample, the system comprising:
- (a) a continuous flexible cuvette belt comprising a series of parallel, discrete reaction compartments formed in spaced relationship therein, each of said discrete reaction compartments being substantially optically transparent, having an open top end and a closed bottom end and adapted for engagement by a cuvette track;
(b) carousel means for dispensing solid tabletted reagents into said discrete reaction compartments of such cuvette belt, said tabletted reagents being stored in a series of tablet dispensers within the carousel;
(c) means for effecting ultrasonic dissolution of said tabletted reagents, said means being positioned along a cuvette track between the carousel means for dispensing solid tabletted reagents and the means for dispensing sample;
(d) means for dispensing sample from a patient sample container into said discrete reaction compartments of said cuvette;
(e) means for transport of the patient sample container including a carousel assembly located downstream from said reagent dispenser, said carousel assembly comprising;
(i) a loading carousel into which patient sample containers can be randomly loaded,(ii) a transfer carousel which accepts patient sample containers from the loading carousel and positions them in cooperative relation with the sample dispensing means, said transfer carousel including means for identifying said patient sample container from coded information contained on said sample container, and(iii) an unloading carousel which receives patient sample containers from the transfer carousel subsequent to transfer of a portion of the sample to a discrete reaction compartment of the cuvette belt;
(f) a plurality of analysis stations arranged in linear relationship to one another along a track for advancement of the cuvette belt; and
(g) means for transporting, at a pre-determined rate, said cuvette belt along a continuous cuvette tract past a plurality of analysis stations.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated instrument system for analyzing constituents of a patient sample while reacting a reagent specific for the selected constituent within the sample. The analyzer includes: a continuous flexible cuvette belt having a series of parallel discrete reaction compartments thereon, a carousel for dispensing solid tabletted reagents into the compartments, a means for effecting ultrasonic dissolution of the tabletted reagent in the reaction compartment, means for dispensing sample from a source thereof into a reaction compartment, including a sample source transport carousel assembly, and means for transporting the cuvette belt through a plurality of analysis stations located in a linear relationship along the path of travel of the cuvette belt.
-
Citations
40 Claims
-
1. An automated instrument system for analyzing the constituents of a patient sample while reacting a reagent specific for the selected constituent within said sample, the system comprising:
-
(a) a continuous flexible cuvette belt comprising a series of parallel, discrete reaction compartments formed in spaced relationship therein, each of said discrete reaction compartments being substantially optically transparent, having an open top end and a closed bottom end and adapted for engagement by a cuvette track; (b) carousel means for dispensing solid tabletted reagents into said discrete reaction compartments of such cuvette belt, said tabletted reagents being stored in a series of tablet dispensers within the carousel; (c) means for effecting ultrasonic dissolution of said tabletted reagents, said means being positioned along a cuvette track between the carousel means for dispensing solid tabletted reagents and the means for dispensing sample; (d) means for dispensing sample from a patient sample container into said discrete reaction compartments of said cuvette; (e) means for transport of the patient sample container including a carousel assembly located downstream from said reagent dispenser, said carousel assembly comprising; (i) a loading carousel into which patient sample containers can be randomly loaded, (ii) a transfer carousel which accepts patient sample containers from the loading carousel and positions them in cooperative relation with the sample dispensing means, said transfer carousel including means for identifying said patient sample container from coded information contained on said sample container, and (iii) an unloading carousel which receives patient sample containers from the transfer carousel subsequent to transfer of a portion of the sample to a discrete reaction compartment of the cuvette belt; (f) a plurality of analysis stations arranged in linear relationship to one another along a track for advancement of the cuvette belt; and (g) means for transporting, at a pre-determined rate, said cuvette belt along a continuous cuvette tract past a plurality of analysis stations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
Specification