Method and apparatus for storing and mixing blood samples
First Claim
1. An apparatus for storing and mixing blood samples housed in containers for automatic analysis of the blood samples, comprising:
- at least one drivable storage disc for the storage of the blood samples;
at least one mixing disc for preparing the blood samples;
means for driving the at least one mixing disc independently of the at least one storage disc;
said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc being arranged adjacent one another in parallel planes;
each of said discs being provided with groove means for receiving containers housing the blood samples; and
a transfer device cooperating with said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc for transfer of the containers housing the blood samples from the at least one storage disc to the at least one mixing disc.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for storing and mixing blood samples comprises separate storage and mixing discs for storing and mixing blood samples in containers. The discs are driven independently and are provided with complementary grooves. A loading device loads the containers into the storage disc where they are transported to a transfer device. The transfer device successively transfers the containers into an oppositely situated groove of the mixing disc. The mixing disc mixes the blood samples via rotation thereof, after which the containers are transferred to a blood removal device which rotates each container with its blood sample about the lengthwise axis thereof so that a bar code reading device can read a bar code applied to the container. Blood is then withdrawn from the container and delivered to a blood analyzer, after which the container is ejected from the mixing disc by rotation of the mixing disc.
38 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus for storing and mixing blood samples housed in containers for automatic analysis of the blood samples, comprising:
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at least one drivable storage disc for the storage of the blood samples; at least one mixing disc for preparing the blood samples; means for driving the at least one mixing disc independently of the at least one storage disc; said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc being arranged adjacent one another in parallel planes; each of said discs being provided with groove means for receiving containers housing the blood samples; and a transfer device cooperating with said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc for transfer of the containers housing the blood samples from the at least one storage disc to the at least one mixing disc. - 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)
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25. An apparatus for storage and moving blood samples for automatic analysis of the blood samples, comprising:
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storage disc means for the storage of the blood samples; means for selectively moving said storage disc means; mixing disc means for preparing the blood samples; means for driving the mixing disc means independently of the storage disc means; said storage disc means and said mixing disc means being positioned in coacting relationship to one another, wherein the storage disc means and mixing disc means are arranged adjacent one another in parallel planes; each of said disc means being provided with means for receiving containers housing the blood samples; and transfer means cooperating with said storage disc means and said mixing disc means for transfer of the containers housing the blood samples from the storage disc means to the mixing disc means.
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26. A method of handling blood samples for the automatic analysis of the blood sample, comprising the steps of:
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loading stoppered containers housing blood samples to a storage means at which there are stored the containers housing the blood samples; transferring the containers housing the blood samples from the storage means to a mixing means operated independently of the storage means; mixing the blood samples housed in the containers in the mixing means; and removing blood of the blood samples housed in the containers located at the mixing means; wherein the method further includes the steps of; using as the storage means a storage disc having receiving grooves for the containers housing the blood samples; conveying the containers housing the blood sample in a predetermined sequence to a transfer location containing a transfer means for transferring the containers housing the blood samples from the storage disc to a mixing disc of the mixing means, with the storage disc and the mixing disc being arranged adjacent one another in parallel planes; the transfer means transferring the containers housing the blood samples from the storage disc to the mixing disc; mixing the containers housing the blood samples for a predetermined mixing time at the mixing disc; and removing a part of the blood from at least predetermined ones of the containers housing the blood samples by means of a blood removal device. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus for storing and mixing blood samples housed in containers for automatic analysis of the blood samples, comprising:
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at least one drivable storage disc for the storage of the blood samples; at least one mixing disc for preparing the blood samples; means for driving the at least one mixing disc independently of the at least one storage disc; said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc being arranged adjacent one another; each of said discs being provided with groove means for receiving containers housing the blood samples in radially-positioned tubes, whereby upon positioning said tubes in said grooves, an axis of each of said tubes lies along a radius of said discs; and
,a transfer device cooperating with said at least one storage disc and said at least one mixing disc for transfer of the containers housing the blood samples from the at least one storage disc to the at least one mixing disc.
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Specification