Arrangement and method for the analysis of body fluids

• US 7,771,659 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Automation Solutions GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Automation Solutions GmbH (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Ziegler, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, PATRICIA KATHRYN
• Application Number:
  US10/502,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20060014295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,768 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/65, 422/67, 422/100, 422/72, 436/180
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/05 in blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/5923 Determining zones of density; quantitating spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/5957 using an image detector type detector, e.g. CCD
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/5973 where the cuvette or tube is moved
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00504 combined with carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0406 Individual bottles or tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/041 lifting items out of a rack for access
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0493 Locating samples; identifying different tube sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/51 inside a container, e.g. in an ampoule G01N21/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00603 Reinspection of samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for the analysis of body fluids (21), whereby an image recording device (30) is arranged in a low-reflection, preferably zero-reflection chamber (16), provided with an illumination device (45) and connected to an electronic image analyzer. The image recording device (30) is focused on a container (20), containing the body fluid (21) in an analysis position (22), in order to take at least one image of the body fluid (21), analyzed by means of an image analysis software which determines the quality of the body fluid (21).

Claims

1. An arrangement for analyzing body fluids comprising:

an image recording device;

an image evaluation computer;

a container;

a chamber;

an antireflection plate; and

an illuminating device;

wherein the image recording device being connected to the image evaluation computer, wherein the body fluid is provided in the container, the container and the antireflection plate being inside the chamber, the chamber having inner surfaces with matte black surfaces to minimize any optical reflections inside the chamber, the image recording device serving to produce at least one image of the body fluid in the container and being aligned with and focused on one side of the container, which is in a stationary analysis position, the illuminating device being arranged above the container, wherein the illuminating device serves to illuminate the container, the illuminating device comprising on opposite sides of the container located in the stationary analysis position a lateral lamp, the lateral lamps being arranged such that the mid points of the two lateral lamps and the mid point of the container lie on a straight line (A), the illuminating device further comprising a middle lamp being provided and arranged such that the mid points of this middle lamp and of the container likewise lie on a straight line (B), which runs perpendicular to the straight line (A), and the antireflection plate is arranged and provided on the side of the container opposite the image recording device, the antireflection plate is provided with a white surface to mask out characters on the container during imaging of the body fluid, and has a concave depression corresponding to the peripheral shape of the container.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the image recording device is a photographic still camera, a color image camera, a video camera or a spectral camera.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chamber is a chamber with no optical reflections.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that in its vertical alignment, the image recording device is aligned with and focused on the container at an acute angle.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the optical axis of the image recording device runs in a vertical plane that is perpendicular the line (A), the line (B) lying in this vertical plane.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lamps have the same horizontal spacing from the container.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the spacing of each lamp from the container is sixty millimeters.

8. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the vertical height of the lateral lamps arranged on two sides of the container located in the analysis position is of greater dimension than the vertical height of the middle lamp.

9. The arrangement as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the difference in height between the lateral lamps and the middle lamp is sixteen millimeters.

10. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a scanner is provided that is aligned with the container located in the analysis position.

11. The arrangement as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the scanner is a bar code scanner.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the antireflection plate is arranged such that it can be moved away from the container from a position bearing against the container in the direction to the optical axis of the image recording device, and such that it can be moved up to the container again.

13. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a handling apparatus is provided for moving a container from its transport position into its analysis position.

14. The arrangement as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the handling apparatus comprises a lifting rotary gripper.