Canister for inventorying susceptability test devices in an automated microbiological analyzer

• US 6,632,654 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dade Behring, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Dade Microscan, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: McDermott, Patrick Francis, West, Adrian Mark Thomas, Gebrian, Peter Louis, Mudd, Alan Christopher, Cameron, Allan Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/924,384
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 422/102, 422/104, 435/287.3, 435/287.4, 435/809
• US Class Current: 435/287.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0803 Disc shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0457 passive flow or gravitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00089 Magazines
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00148 Test cards, e.g. Biomerieux or McDonnel multiwell test cards
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/809 Incubators or racks or holders for culture plates or containers

Abstract

An elongate canister having a generally rectangular cross-section sized to house a plurality of antibiotic susceptibility test arrays stacked one atop another and maintained secure within an environmentally controlled inventory chamber in a random access microbiological analyzer.

Claims

1. An elongate canister comprising a generally rectangular cross-section formed by two canister flat sides and two canister narrow sides, the flat sides being greater in dimension than the narrow sides, the sides extending between the top and bottom of the canister and having dimensions so that a generally rectangularly shaped interior is formed to house a plurality of antibiotic susceptibility test arrays stacked one atop another within the canister, the canister further comprising a number of internal ribs extending along the elongate height of the flat sides adapted to secure the test arrays within the canister.

2. The canister of claim 1 further comprising a top end portion and a bottom end portion closing the top and bottom of the canister.

3. The canister of claim 2 further comprising a canister seating flange extending the full length of a canister narrow side except for a small alignment key and alignment notch adapted to be insertable within a corresponding slot for the alignment key and stop for the alignment notch within an environmentally controlled chamber so as to provide proper mounting orientation of the canister.

4. The canister of claim 3 further comprising a cylindrical pivot extending slightly below the alignment notch and shaped to seat into a mating dock within the chamber to allow the canister to be rotated to a vertical position where the seating flange is insertable into a vertical groove within the environmentally controlled chamber.

5. The canister of claim 4 further comprising an eject port formed in a narrow side proximate the cylindrical pivot and sized to allow the lowermost antibiotic susceptibility test array within the plurality of antibiotic susceptibility test arrays stacked one atop another to be pushed out of the canister.

6. The canister of claim 5 further comprising a plunger port aligned with the eject port and is formed in the narrow side opposing eject port.

7. The canister of claim 5 further comprising a pair of inwardly projecting dimples formed in the flat sides and extending into the eject port a distance to retain antibiotic susceptibility test arrays within the canister, to impede accidental dislodging of a test array from the canister and to impede arrays from being improperly inserted back into canister.

8. The canister of claim 1 comprising an indented sheet of plastic folded in half and sealed at a flange extending the full length of the canister between a flat side and a narrow side.

9. The canister of claim 8 further comprising a sealed fold extending the full length of the canister between the flat side and the opposite narrow side.