Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing liquids in an automated analyzer
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing a liquid sample in an automated analytical instrument, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) an aspiration probe, operably connected to a pump, and adapted to enter a sample container to aspirate a liquid sample within such container;
(b) a transport system for selectively advancing the aspiration probe in mutually perpendicular planes so that said aspiration probe can aspirate or dispense liquid from or to different containers spaced apart; and
(c) a liquid-sampling valve, operatively connected between said aspiration probe and pump, and comprising structure defining at least one aliquoting chamber for temporarily storing a precise volume of liquid sample to be dispensed;
said pump being selectively operable to either (i) draw a liquid sample through said aspiration probe and through the liquid-sampling valve to fill said aliquoting chamber, or (ii) to dispense an already aspirated liquid sample through said liquid-sampling valve and through aspiration probe, said liquid-sampling valve being selectively operable in either (i) a loading configuration in which a liquid sample aspirated by the aspiration probe under the influence of the pump will pass through the liquid-sampling valve while simultaneously filling said aliquoting chamber thereof, or (ii) a segmenting/dispensing configuration in which liquid within said aliquoting chamber is positioned to be dispensed from said liquid-sampling valve by an external force, while a liquid sample can be either aspirated or dispensed through said aspiration probe and through said liquid-sampling valve by said pump.
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Abstract
Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing liquid samples in an analytical instrument, e.g., a hematology instrument, includes a liquid-sampling valve that, while operating to segment and position for dispensing one or more precise volumes of a liquid sample that has been aspirated into the valve by a pump, simultaneously enables the apparatus to be operated in an aspirate/dispense (suck-and-spit) mode in which a liquid sample can be selectively driven through the valve in opposite directions by a pump, e.g., a syringe pump.
9 Citations
6 Claims
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1. Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing a liquid sample in an automated analytical instrument, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) an aspiration probe, operably connected to a pump, and adapted to enter a sample container to aspirate a liquid sample within such container; (b) a transport system for selectively advancing the aspiration probe in mutually perpendicular planes so that said aspiration probe can aspirate or dispense liquid from or to different containers spaced apart; and (c) a liquid-sampling valve, operatively connected between said aspiration probe and pump, and comprising structure defining at least one aliquoting chamber for temporarily storing a precise volume of liquid sample to be dispensed; said pump being selectively operable to either (i) draw a liquid sample through said aspiration probe and through the liquid-sampling valve to fill said aliquoting chamber, or (ii) to dispense an already aspirated liquid sample through said liquid-sampling valve and through aspiration probe, said liquid-sampling valve being selectively operable in either (i) a loading configuration in which a liquid sample aspirated by the aspiration probe under the influence of the pump will pass through the liquid-sampling valve while simultaneously filling said aliquoting chamber thereof, or (ii) a segmenting/dispensing configuration in which liquid within said aliquoting chamber is positioned to be dispensed from said liquid-sampling valve by an external force, while a liquid sample can be either aspirated or dispensed through said aspiration probe and through said liquid-sampling valve by said pump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification