Chemical analysis apparatus

• US 4,855,109 A
• Filed: 02/09/1987
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Muraishi, Katsuaki, Arai, Fuminori, Hirai, Kikuo, Yaginuma, Nakatsugu, Iwata, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARDEN, JILL ALICE
• Application Number:
  US07/012,693
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 422/64-67, 422/68, 422/63, 436/43-44, 436/46-48
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00039 Transport arrangements specific to flat sample substrates, e.g. pusher blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 with sample on test slide

Abstract

A chemical analysis apparatus comprises a slide loading section for holding chemical analysis slides, a section for applying a sample material to the chemical analysis slide, and an incubator provided with housing compartments for housing the chemical analysis slides side by side in a transverse direction on the same plane. The apparatus also comprises a read-out head slideable in the transverse direction and disposed to face the chemical analysis slide housed in the housing compartment via a readout opening formed in each housing compartment, thereby emitting light to the chemical analysis slide and measuring the reflection optical density thereof. A conveyance and feed-in system is disposed for conveying the chemical analysis slide held at the slide loading section to the sample applying section, conveying the chemical analysis slide having a reagent layer with the sample material applied thereon to a position facing an inlet opening of the housing compartment, and then feeding the chemical analysis slide into the housing compartment from the inlet opening thereof.

Claims

1. A chemical analysis apparatus comprising:

(i) a slide loading section for holding at least one chemical analysis slide,

(ii) a sample applying section for applying a predetermined amount of a sample material to said at least one chemical analysis slide,

(iii) an incubator provided with a plurality of stationary housing compartments, each of said housing compartments being provided for separately housing a respective one of a plurality of chemical analysis slides, said housing compartments being placed side by side in a transverse direction in the same plane of said incubator,

(iv) a read-out head slideable in said transverse direction and disposed for facing a chemical analysis slide when it is housed in one of said plurality of said housing compartments via a respective read-out opening (21a) formed in each of said housing compartments, thereby emitting light to said chemical analysis slide and measuring reflection optical density of said chemical analysis slide, and

(v) a conveyance and feed-in means for conveying a respective one of said chemical analysis slides from said slide loading section to said sample applying section, conveying the respective one of said chemical analysis slide from said sample applying section to a position facing an inlet opening of a respective one of said housing compartments, and then feeding said respective chemical analysis slide into the respective one of said housing compartments through the inlet opening thereof.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sample applying section applies a predetermined amount of the sample material on an upper surface of said chemical analysis slide, and said read-out head faces a lower surface of said chemical analysis slide and measures the reflection optical density.

3. A chemical analysis apparatus comprising:

(i) a slide loading section for holding at least one chemical analysis slide,

(ii) a sample applying section for applying a predetermined amount of a sample material to said at least one chemical analysis slide,

(iii) an incubator provided with a plurality of stationary housing compartments each of which is provided for separately housing a respective one of a plurality of chemical analysis slides, said housing compartments being placed side by side in a transverse direction in the same plane of said incubator,

(iv) a read-out head slideable in said transverse direction and disposed for facing the respective one of said chemical analysis slides when it is housed in the respective one of said plurality of the housing compartments via a read-out opening formed in each of said housing compartments, thereby emitting light to the respective one of said chemical analysis slides and measuring reflection optical density thereof,

(v) a conveyance and feed-in means for conveying each respective one of said chemical analysis slides from said slide loading section to said sample applying section, conveying each respective one of said chemical analysis slides from said sample applying section to a position facing an inlet opening of a respective one of said housing compartments, and then feeding each respective one of said chemical analysis slides into the respective one of said housing compartments through the inlet opening thereof, wherein a fog measuring section for measuring the reflection optical density of each of said chemical analysis slides before each of said chemical analysis slides is provided with said sample material is disposed on the lateral side of said incubator in said transverse direction, and wherein means for moving said read-out head in said transverse direction to face said fog measuring section is provided, and

said chemical analysis slides conveyed by said conveyance and feed-in means from said slide loading section to said sample applying section are passed through said fog measuring section, whereby fog measurement is conducted by said read-out head at said fog measuring section.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said sample applying section applies a predetermined amount of the sample material to an upper surface of said chemical analysis slide, and said read-out head faces a lower surface of said chemical analysis slide and measures the reflection optical density.

5. A chemical analysis apparatus comprising:

(i) a sample applying section for applying a predetermined amount of a sample material to a reagent layer of a chemical analysis slide provided with at least one reagent layer,

(ii) a first incubator provided with a plurality of stationary first housing compartments each of which is provided for separately housing a respective one of a plurality of chemical analysis slides, said housing compartments being placed side by side in a transverse direction in the same plane of said first incubator,

(iii) a second incubator disposed on the lateral side of said first incubator in said transverse direction and provided with at least one second housing compartment for housing at least one chemical analysis slide and standing side by side with said plurality of stationary first housing compartments in said transverse direction in the same plane as said plurality of stationary first housing compartments,

(iv) a read-out head slideable in said transverse direction and disposed for facing said at least one reagent layer of a respective one of said chemical analysis slides housed in a respective one of said plurality of stationary first housing compartments via a respective read-out opening formed in each of said plurality of stationary first housing compartments, thereby emitting light to said at least one reagent layer and measuring reflection optical density of said at least one reagent layer thereof, and

(v) a conveyance and feed-in means, disposed slideably in said transverse direction to face inlet openings of said plurality of stationary first housing compartments and said at least one second housing compartment, for conveying said plurality of chemical analysis slides one by one to said sample applying section, conveying each respective one of said plurality of chemical analysis slides one by one from said sample applying section to a position facing an inlet opening of a respective one of said plurality of stationary first housing compartments or an inlet opening of said at least one second housing compartment, and then feeding the respective one of said plurality of chemical analysis slides into the respective one of said plurality of stationary first housing compartments or said at least one second housing compartment through the inlet opening thereof.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein a fog measuring section (16) for measuring the reflection optical density of a chemical analysis slide before it is provided with said sample material is disposed on the lateral side of said first incubator in said transverse direction, said read-out head is slideable in said transverse direction to face said fog measuring section, and said chemical analysis slide conveyed by said conveyance and feed-in means to said sample applying section is passed through said fog measuring section, whereby fog measurement is conducted by said read-out head at said fog measuring section.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 or 6 wherein said sample applying section applies a predetermined amount of the sample material to an upper surface of said chemical analysis slide, and said read-out head stands facing a lower surface of said chemical analysis slide and measures the reflection optical density.

8. A chemical analysis apparatus comprising:

(i) an incubator provided with a plurality of stationary housing compartments each of which is provided for separately housing a respective one of a plurality of chemical analysis slides and maintaining said chemical analysis slides at a predetermined temperature, each of said slides having a reagent layer with a sample material applied thereto,

(ii) a movable read-out head for movement to respective positions for facing each said reagent layer of each of said chemical analysis slides when the chemical analysis slides are housed in respective ones of said housing compartments via respective read-out openings formed in said housing compartments, emitting light to each said reagent layer, and measuring reflection optical density of each said reagent layer, and

(iii) a slide feed-in and ejection means for each of said housing compartments for ejecting a chemical analysis slide when it is housed in one of said housing compartments out of said housing compartment and feeding another chemical analysis slide into said housing compartment,

wherein each of said housing compartments of said incubator is provided with a supporting member for supporting one surface of a chemical analysis slide when said chemical analysis slide is in said housing compartment and said supporting member having a read-out opening, and a pushing member contacting the other surface of said chemical analysis slide and urged toward said one surface of said chemical analysis slide, thereby grasping said chemical analysis slide between said pushing member and said supporting member, said housing compartment having an inlet opening provided with a stopper member for allowing a chemical analysis slide to enter said housing compartment through said inlet opening and preventing a chemical analysis slide when it is in said housing compartment from coming out of said housing compartment, and

each said slide-in and ejection means comprising;

(a) a holding portion capable of being inserted into said housing compartment and supporting a second of said plurality of chemical analysis slides thereon,

(b) wedge-like insert portion disposed at a front end of said holding portion for releasing the grasping of a chemical analysis slide when it is in said housing compartment by said pushing member by engaging and lifting said pushing member to a release position where its grasp is released when said wedge-like insert portion is inserted into said housing compartment, and step-like portions, formed on said slide feed-in and ejection means at opposing lateral edges of the holding portion projecting above said holding portion, for maintaining said pushing member in said release position during feeding in of said second of said plurality of chemical analysis slides,

(c) a slide ejecting protrusion disposed on the front end of said holding portion, said protrusion having a pushing face for contacting the rear end of a chemical analysis slide when said chemical analysis slide is in said housing compartment and pushing said chemical analysis slide toward an outlet opening disposed on the side opposite to said inlet opening, thereby ejecting said chemical analysis slide, and

(d) an engagement means for making second of said plurality of chemical analysis slides engage with said stopper member when said second of said plurality of chemical analysis slides is supported on said holding portion and is positioned inside said housing compartment.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said stopper member disposed at said inlet opening of said housing compartment is a leaf spring, and said engagement means of said slide feed-in and ejection means comprises a recess formed at a rear end of said holding portion for engaging with a leading end of said leaf spring.