Automatic testing apparatus

• US 6,299,840 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Eiji, Higuchi, Akira, Miyazaki, Naoki, Kitahara, Hideyoshi, Kuroda, Kenichi, Yahiro, Kanji, Daikoku, Takashi, Ishiyama, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gakh, Yelena G.
• Application Number:
  US09/281,223
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 436/43-49, 422/50, 422/62-67, 422/55, 422/68.1, 422/81, 422/82.01, 422/129
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0425 Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0498 Drawers used as storage or dispensing means for vessels or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array

Abstract

In an automatic testing apparatus comprising, a specimen holder area adapted to hold thereon a specimen substrate for receiving therein a specimen, a reagent injector adapted to inject a reagent toward the specimen in the specimen substrate on the specimen holder area to mix the specimen with the reagent, a mixture reaction device adapted to hold thereon the specimen substrate including the mixture of the specimen and the reagent within a predetermined circumferential condition during a time period, and a transferring device for transferring the specimen substrate relative to the specimen holder area, the mixture reaction device has a take-in area to which the specimen substrate is transferred from the specimen holder area by the transferring device, and the take-in area is arranged adjacent to the specimen holder area.

Claims

1. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a test plate, said apparatus comprising:

a main body, said main body including a specimen holder for holding a test plate;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture;

a mixture reaction device for engaging the main body and for holding therein the test plate and mixture for a period of time sufficient for a reaction to occur between the specimen and the reagent, said reaction device having a take-in area comprising an opening through which the test plate and mixture is transferred into the reaction device, wherein the reaction device further has a cover for covering the take-in area when the test plate and mixture are transferred into the reaction device;

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate from at least the specimen holder area to at least the take-in area; and

a mixture testing device for measuring a condition of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent on the test plate, wherein the transferring device transfers the test plate with the mixture from the specimen holder area to the mixture testing device, said testing device being arranged at a relatively lower position in comparison with a vertical position of the specimen holder area.

2. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a test plate stocking device for holding thereon the test plate before mixing the specimen with the reagent on the specimen holder area, wherein the test plate stocking device has a take-out area from which the test plate is transferred to the specimen holder area by the transferring device, wherein the take-out area is disposed adjacent to the specimen holder area.

3. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specimen holder area is arranged between the take-in area and the take-out area.

4. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the take-in area and the take-out area face to each other through the specimen holder area.

5. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent is kept at a predetermined degree in the mixture reaction device.

6. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reagent injector has an injection head including a tip through which the reagent is injected.

7. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the test plate stocking device has a magazine for holding thereon a plurality of the test plates arranged along a vertical axis.

8. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the magazine is movable vertically.

9. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the magazine is detachable from the testing apparatus.

10. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the magazine is movable horizontally to a removal position at which the magazine is detachable from the testing apparatus.

11. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transferring device has a holding head for holding the test plate, and the holding head is movable in horizontal directions perpendicular to each other and rotatable on a vertical axis.

12. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a test plate, comprising:

a main body;

said main body including a specimen holder area for holding a plurality of the test plates;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture;

a mixture reaction device that engages the main body, for holding therein the test plate and mixture for a period of time sufficient for a reaction to occur between the specimen and the reagent, said reaction device having a take-in area comprising an opening, adjacent to the specimen holding area, to which the test plate and mixture are transferred into the reaction device; and

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate from at least the specimen holder area to at least the take-in area and also for transferring the test plate over another test plate held on the specimen holder area.

13. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a teat plate, said apparatus comprising:

a main body, said main body including a specimen holder area for holding a plurality of test plates;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture, wherein the reagent injector has a plurality of injection heads movable relative to each other over a common area on which the specimen holder area is arranged, and each of the injection heads includes a tip through which the reagent is injected;

a mixture reaction device that engages the main body, for holding therein the test plate and mixture for a period of time sufficient for a reaction to occur between the specimen and the reagent, said reaction device having a take-in area comprising an opening, adjacent to the specimen holding area, to which the test plate and mixture are transferred;

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate from the specimen holder area to the take-in area; and

a mixture testing device for measuring a condition of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent on the test plate, wherein the transferring device transfers the test plate with the mixture from the specimen holder area to the mixture testing device, said testing device being arranged at a relatively lower position in comparison with a vertical position of the specimen holder area.

14. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a test plate, said apparatus comprising:

a main body;

a test plate stocking device that engages the main body, for holding the test plate, said stocking device having a take-out area from which the test plate is transferred;

a specimen holder area within the main body, for holding a test plate;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture;

a mixture reaction device that engages the main body, for holding therein the test plate and mixture for a period of time sufficient for a reaction to occur between the specimen and the reagent said reaction device having a take-in area through which the test plate is transferred into the reaction device;

a mixture testing device within the main body, for measuring a condition of the mixture, wherein the position of the testing device is vertically lower than the position of the specimen holder area;

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate from the take-out area to the specimen holder area and from the specimen holder area to the take-in area, wherein the take-out area and the take-in area a re each adjacent to the specimen holder area on substantially opposite sides of the specimen holder such that the take-in are a and the take-out area face each other along a horizontal axis through the specimen holder a area; and

a mixture testing device for measuring a condition of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent an the test plate, wherein the transferring device transfers the test plate with the mixture from the specimen holder area to the mixture testing device, said testing device being arranged at a relatively lower position in comparison with a vertical position of the specimen holder area.

15. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the specimen holder area is arranged between the take-in area and the take-out area.

16. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a temperature of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent is kept at a predetermined degree in the mixture reaction device.

17. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reagent injector has an injection head including a tip through which the reagent is injected.

21. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the test plate stocking device has a magazine for holding thereon a plurality of the test plates arranged along a vertical axis.

22. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the magazine is movable vertically.

23. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the magazine is detachable from the testing apparatus.

24. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the magazine is movable horizontally to a removal position at which the magazine is detachable from the testing apparatus.

25. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transferring device has a holding head for holding the test plate, and the holding head is movable in horizontal directions perpendicular to each other and rotatable on a vertical axis.

18. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a test plate, comprising:

a main body;

said main body including a specimen holder area for holding a plurality of test plates;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture;

a mixture testing device within the main body, for measuring a condition of the mixture, wherein the position of the testing device is vertically lower than the position of the specimen holder area; and

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate to and from the specimen holder area and also for transferring said test plate over another test plate held in the specimen holder area.

19. An automatic testing apparatus for testing a specimen received in a test plate, said apparatus comprising:

a main body, said main body including a specimen holder area for holding a test plate;

a reagent injector within the main body, for injecting a reagent onto the specimen received in the test plate to form a mixture, wherein the reagent injector has a plurality of injection heads movable relative to each other over a common area on which the specimen holder area is arranged, and each of the injection heads includes a tip through which the reagent is injected;

a mixture testing device within the main body, for measuring a condition of the mixture, wherein the position of the testing device is vertically lower than the position of the specimen holder area;

a transferring device within the main body, for transferring the test plate to and from the specimen holder area; and

a mixture testing device for measuring a condition of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent an the test plate, wherein the transferring device transfers the test plate with the mixture from the specimen holder area to the mixture testing device, said testing device being arranged at a relatively lower position in comparison with a vertical position of the specimen holder area.

20. An automatic testing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a tip remover on the common area to remove the tip from the injection head.