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Chemical analyzer

  • US 9,797,916 B2
  • Filed: 01/08/2015
  • Issued: 10/24/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A medical apparatus for analyzing fluid samples comprising:

  • a. an outer casing, the outer casing defining an interior cavity;

    b. a slide loading mechanism disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing for loading fluid analysis slides;

    c. a slide ejecting mechanism disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing for ejecting fluid analysis slides;

    d. an evaporation cap opening mechanism disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing for opening an evaporation cap;

    e. an evaporation cap closing mechanism disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing for closing an evaporation cap;

    f. a consumables manager drawer, the consumables manager drawer being received by an opening formed in the outer casing;

    g. at least one camera disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing;

    h. a fluid handler unit disposed within the interior cavity of the outer casing, the fluid handler unit including a robot assembly having portions thereof which are movable within the interior cavity relative to the outer casing, the fluid handler unit further including a fluid pump assembly mounted on the robot assembly and at least one elongated robot arm coupled to the fluid pump assembly, the fluid pump assembly movable within the interior cavity of the outer casing, the movable portions of the robot assembly being movable in an X-Z plane and a Y-Z plane, and being arcuately movable in an angular direction theta within an X-Y plane, the at least one elongated robot arm moving at least arcuately with the fluid pump assembly and engaging at least two of;

    i. the slide loading mechanism to load fluid analysis slides;

    ii. the slide ejecting mechanism to eject fluid analysis slides;

    iii. the evaporation cap opening mechanism to open the evaporation caps; and

    iv. the evaporation cap closing mechanism to close the evaporation caps;

    i. an optics module, the optics module being in optical communication with at least one fluid analysis slide and conducting at least one of reflectance and fluorescence measurements on the at least one fluid analysis slide; and

    j. a controller, the controller including electronic circuitry, the electronic circuitry being in electrical communication with at least one of the optics module, the consumables manager drawer, the robot assembly and the fluid pump assembly.

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