Johnson & Johnson Clinical Diagnostics, Inc.

Essilor International (compagnie Generale D'optique)

Eastman-kodak Company

Ortho-clinical Diagnostics, Inc

James Daniel Riall

David Donald Hyde

Merrit Nyles Jacobs

Stuart Gilmour MacDonald

Raymond Francis Jakubowicz

James D Shaw

Johannes J Porte

Roland Mandler

David Angelo Tomasso

Jean-Marc Padiou

Walter Dannhardt

Loïc Quere

Michael Avdenko

Joseph John Dambra

Randy Kristopher Bower

Robert Anthony Burkovich

William D Vanarsdale

Marc Silva

Mark Alan Simon

Tobias Müller

A polishing wheel () arranged to polish an article. The polishing wheel comprises a hub () provided with an axial cavity () coaxial with an axis (). The polishing wheel further comprises a substrate layer () being made of an elastomer material affixed to the hub () and coaxial with the axis (). The substrate layer () has an outer surface () having a substantially symmetrical shape with respect to the axis (). The polishing wheel () further comprises a continuous cover layer () affixed to the outer surface () and coaxial with the axis (). The continuous cover layer () is made of an elastomer material covering substantially entirely the outer surface ().

Polishing wheel

The invention is a method for detecting failures in an analyzer for conducting clinical assays. Potential errors that can result in assay failures in an analyzer are identified, as are their potential sources. The probability that an error source so identified will result in a clinically significant error is also determined. Available potential detection measures corresponding to the source of potential errors are identified with a combination of such measures selected and implemented based on their probability of detecting such errors within an acceptable limit with a concomitant low probability of the false detection of an assay failure. Each of the measures selected are functionally independent of others chosen to address the source of the error and are not subject to the same inherent means of failed detection. Applications of the method in a clinical analyzer are also presented.

Failure detection in automated clinical analyzers

A raster cutting apparatus and method for producing accurately formed, aspheric ophthalmic lenses having a good quality surface finish. The accurate form and good surface finish are obtained by using a substantially spherically shaped cutting tool having a large radius. The methods include utilizing a cutting path which provides substantially constant cutting-force, such as a constant surface-cutting-speed raster pattern.

Raster cutting technology for ophthalmic lenses

A method of preventing false detection of signal due to splashing of reagent liquid used to produce such signal, when dispensing at least one such liquid from a metering tip into a second liquid, comprising the steps of: a) positioning the metering tip a predetermined distance above the upper level of the second liquid prior to dispensing the one liquid; and

Reduction in positive bias in wet assays due to splashing

Method and apparatus for determining actual liquid volumes in vessels in an incubator rotor that experiences vertical run-out as it rotates past stations that fill the vessels with liquid. Air pressure is used to determine the height of the bottom of each of the empty vessels, and then the height of the liquid that fills the vessels, so that the difference in height is converted into volume to compare with the desired and expected volume for the operation that does the volume-filling.

Determining liquid volumes in cup-like vessels on a rotor having

A method for determining and correcting for the variations in height of a rotor as it wobbles when rotating past a particular critical circumferential position. The method comprises sensing a reference surface of each vessel in the rotor that is to be filled during the use of the rotor in an incubator, as a tare height of the vessel, so that the effect of the vertical run-out is known and corrected for by the computer. Air pressure is used to detect the reference surface, either from a vessel-wash probe connected to the source of air pressure, or a separate sensor probe.

Determining height variations around a rotor

There is disclosed a closure mechanism for two reagent bottles in a bottle holder of an analyzer, using a shutter that slideably and frictionally engages the top surface of grommets at the mouth of the bottles. The shutter slides to either an open or closed position of the bottles, either both in lock-step or with one bottle open, the other closed, and both closed together. The shutter is driven by a cam and cam followers, either rotationally or linearly.

Bottle closure mechanism using a sliding shutter

An incubator comprises a rotor ring with two sets of apertures displaced along an arc of rotation, holding a cuvette in them. The apertures of one set are connected to an aperture of the other by a slot sized to allow passage of an elevator lead screw, but not a cuvette, between the apertures, the cuvette being raised on the top of the elevator during such passage. The elevator can also be used to move the cuvette into contact with a luminometer.

Mechanism for reading and removing reaction cuvettes in an incubator

A tray and conveyor for the trays are described, for moving liquid samples in an analyzer. The tray comprises a base having a magnetic member for responding to a magnetic field, a tray frame and member for freely rotatably mounting the frame on the base, the tray frame comprising a plurality of receptacles constructed to receive either sample tubes or aspirating tips useful to aspirate sample from a tube, the receptacles including a fixed bottom support. The conveyor comprises a support, conveying members under the support comprising a plurality of magnets and members for generating a moving magnetic field with the magnets, the conveying members being mounted in a continuous loop under the support and the support being permeable to a magnetic field, one of the above-noted trays being mounted above the support on the base.

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

James Daniel Riall