Fisher Scientific Company

Instrumentation Laboratory

Marlo R Andersen

Thomas O Tiffany

Mario J Gangitano

A reagent container for use in a sample and reagent transfer system is of sector shaped configuration and has a generally vertical curved outer wall, generally vertical side walls that are disposed and angled to one another, a generally horizontal top wall with two ports through which two probes may concurrently be inserted, a generally horizontal bottom wall that has a well portion below and aligned with one port in the top wall, and a dry well channel that is open at its bottom and aligned with the other port in the top wall.

Liquid handling

A liquid handling system that is particularly useful in a clinical analysis system includes a cuvette loading station for receiving a centrifugal analyzer rotor with two compartment cuvettes. Fixedly mounted on transfer structure are two spaced apart liquid handling probes such that the two probes may be simultaneously inserted into the two compartments of an analysis cuvette. A sample station has a sample container support mechanism, and means for indexing the support mechanism past the sample station for sequentially positioning successive sample containers at the sample station. An auxiliary station that is spaced from the sample station a distance corresponding to the spacing of the two probes includes a support mechanism for supporting a plurality of auxiliary containers and a drive mechanism for selectively positioning auxiliary containers at the auxiliary station. A first drive provides relative movement between the transfer structure and the loading sample and auxiliary stations; a second drive is adapted to concurrently insert the tips of the two liquid handling probes into containers at the loading, sample or auxiliary stations. First and second liquid metering means are coupled to the probes by storage chamber structure so that each metering means controls the flow of a liquid into and out of its storage chamber through its probe; and control means operate the drive mechanisms and the liquid metering means in coordinated manner to transfer sample and reagent materials from sample and auxiliary containers at the sample and auxiliary stations to an analysis cuvette at the loading station. The system provides coordinated automatic pipetting and transfer of sample, diluent and reagent liquids in rapid, efficient and precise manner.

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Veradale, WA, United States of America

Marlo R Andersen