Apparatus for recognition of exchangeable parts in analytical measuring instruments

• US 5,892,458 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Bernd Walter, Anderer, Herbert, Buettner, Christian, Lueth, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US08/724,882
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.54, 340/825.49, 340/505, 340/572, 340/573, 342/44, 342/52, 342/51, 210/600, 210/656, 210/659, 73/23.2, 73/23.35, 95/82, 95/83, 95/85, 96/105
• US Class Current: 340/10.41
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8804 automated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/8881 Modular construction, specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00683 of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/88 Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis

Abstract

An apparatus for the recognition of exchangeable parts in an analytical measuring instrument or in an analytical measurement system with several analytical devices, which contain exchangeable parts has identification modules each attached to an exchangeable part, and transmit-receive devices which can receive information signals from an identification module and send information signals to an identification module, and a control device which evaluates the information from an identification module. The control device can cause a message to be displayed on a display device, if the information read out from an identification module does not fulfill certain conditions, for example with regard to the quality of the corresponding part.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the recognition of an exchangeable part in analytical measuring instruments, with

an identification module connected to the exchangeable part and

a transmit-receive device which can receive information signals from the identification module and send information signals to the identification module,

wherein:

a control device is connected to the transmit-receive device, which triggers the reading out of the information stored on the identification module and which causes a message to be displayed on a display device if the information read out of the identification module fulfills predetermined identification information conditions.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmit-receive device controlled by the control device queries the information module periodically about a stored piece of identification information and the control device causes an appropriate message to be displayed on the display device if the identification information is no longer received by the transmit-receive device or if this information has changed since the last query.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control device causes a warning to be displayed on the display device if the information read out of the identification module characteristic for the quality of the exchangeable part reaches a predetermined threshold value.

4. Apparatus for recognizing an exchangeable part in analytical measuring instruments, with

an identification module connected to the exchangeable part

a transmit-receive device which can receive information signals from the identification module and send information signals to the identification module,

wherein

a control device is connected to the transmit-receive device, which triggers the reading out of the information stored on the identification module and which causes the automatic replacement of the exchangeable part or a switch to another exchangeable part, if the information read out of the identification module does not fulfill predetermined information conditions.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the exchangeable part is a chromatographic column and the information read out of the identification module is the number of injections conducted with the column, the permitted maximum pressure over the column or the integrated product of pressure and volume rate through the column.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second chromatographic column is provided, as well as a column switching apparatus by means of which the system can switch from the first column equipped with the identification module to the second column, if the number of injections or the integrated product of pressure and volume rate read out of the identification module of the first column reaches a predetermined threshold value.

7. Analytical measurement system with several analytical devices which contain exchangeable parts comprising:

identification modules, each attached to one of the exchangeable parts,

transmit-receive devices which can receive information signals from an identification module and send information signals to an identification module and

a control device which evaluates the information from the identification modules.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the exchangeable parts belong to the following group of parts:

sample cell, lamp, column, sample tray, sample vessel, pump head, and sample transport apparatus.