Ortho-clinical Diagnostics, Inc

Eastman-kodak Company

Other

Michael W LaCourt

Donald James Moran, Jr

Stephen C Arnold

Jens H Jorgensen

Joseph Wycallis

David J Hawks

Merrit Nyles Jacobs

James D Shaw

Ensley E Townsend

Davis Freeman, Iii

Raymond Francis Jakubowicz

David Angelo Tomasso

Martin F Muszak

John E Morse

Dale Robert Ryan

Michael Avdenko

David Donald Hyde

David Allen Heavner

Douglas J Pfaff

David Momot

Christopher Michael Parobek

Lee William David

Alexander W Hirsch

Richard G Ellis

David Allen Heavener

Tracy McDonald

Davis Freeman Iii

Christopher M Parobek

The invention relates generally to both a method and apparatus for the creation of full resolution color digital images of diagnostic cassettes or objects of interest using a gray-scale digital camera or sensor combined with time sequential illumination using additive primary colors followed by post exposure digital processing. Such procedures and equipment is of significant economic value when employed in situations such as diagnostic clinical analyzers where space is limited and image quality requirements are high.

Full resolution color imaging of an object

A method for determining a condition in a blood sample includes: providing a sample of blood; providing a metering probe having a pump for aspirating and dispensing; inserting the metering probe a selected distance into the blood sample; measuring the pressure between the sample and pump during sample aspiration or sample dispense; comparing the measured pressure with a reference value; and signaling the presence or absence of the condition. A method for confirming or detecting the presence of a selected layer of blood component in a centrifuged blood sample includes: measuring a pressure of a suspected selected layer in a metering probe during aspiration or dispense; comparing the measured pressure with a reference value, wherein if the measured pressure and the reference value are substantially identical then the selected layer of the blood component is confirmed. In a preferred embodiment the reference value is a pre-selected pressure range.

Determining conditions in centrifuged blood using measured pressure

A method for measuring the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample by spectrophotometry: providing an open top cuvette having a sample with an analyte to be measured; providing a light source and a detector for detecting emitted light; taking at least two measurements that includes: (i) directing at least two beams of light from the light source to different locations on the cuvette; (ii) passing the at least two beams through the cuvette at their respective locations and through the sample to be measured; and (iii) measuring at least two respective emitted light beams with the detector; and comparing the at least two emitted light beams to determine if: all the emitted light beams should be disregarded; one or more of the emitted light beams should be disregarded; or the sample absorbances should be averaged. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes taking at least three measurements. In another preferred embodiment, the spectrophotometry is absorption spectrophotometry, and the method is performed on a diagnostic analyzer.

Determining an analyte by multiple measurements through a cuvette

A sample handler includes a plurality of sealable metering tips, each of the tips, when sealed, containing a fluid volume of a test fluid and in which each of the sealed metering tips acts as an auxiliary sample supply container for use with at least one chemistry system of a clinical analyzer.

Auxiliary sample supply for a clinical analyzer

A clinical analyzer for determining the presence or amount of an analyte in a sample includes at least one reagent supply and at least one reaction containment device for containing a volume of sample and a volume of said at least one reagent from said at least one reagent supply. A wash-free delivery system introduces reagent into at least one reaction containment device without requiring washing of delivery components.

Chemistry system for a clinical analyzer

An analyzer and an elevator therein for moving a slide element from a distributor operating preferably in a single horizontal plane, to one of plural incubators disposed at different vertical levels. A drive mechanism is provided for raising and lowering the elevator, and a pusher is provided, such as a pusher blade within the elevator, to push a slide element from the distributor to a support in the elevator, and then into one of the incubators.

Analyzer elevator assembly

Film cassette

A film cassette has a bi-directional film transport capable of being driven externally of the cassette and having both extremities of the film enclosed within the cassette. In the cassette a pair of film reels are rotatably supported in symmetrical relation to a diagonal plane, defining an axis of symmetry for the cassette, and extending between the reels and bisecting a corner of the cassette. The two exposure windows are adjacent the corner at respective opposite sides thereof and in symmetrical relation to the plane. Guide means adjacent the exposure windows in the cassette establish a film path between the film reels. The cassette can be selectively inserted into a cassette chamber in a camera in either of two modes of orientation to present a selected one of the exposure windows to the optical path in the camera.

Microfilm Cassette

A cassette has semiconductor memory circuits in a microcontroller and display means which are capable of presenting information from the memory about both the cassette and the web material contained therein. A power source is provided in the housing to operate both the memory and the display when the cassette is not associated with a host photographic device. When the cassette is operatively positioned in the host photographic device, interfacing means are provided for establishing a two-way communications path between the memory in the cassette and the photographic device. Recording means associated with the photographic device are provided for renewing or updating a portion of the data recorded in the memory within the cassette via the interface. In addition, reproducing means associated with the photographic device reproduces a portion of the data previously stored in the memory in the cassette for use by the photographic device.

Cassette information controller and memory

A web transport apparatus including a simplified mount for a web-supporting roller, providing the axis of such roller with two degrees of freedom of movement. The simplified roller mount comprises an elongated, substantially planar, flexure member having a stiffening rib located along its longitudinal axis to limit flex of the member to movement about its longitudinal axis. A pin is supported by the flexure member. The pin lies substantially in the plane of the flexure member with the longitudinal axis of the pin perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flexure member. The web-supporting roller is carried, for example by a yoke supported on the pin for movement with a first degree of freedom about the longitudinal axis of the pin and with a second degree of freedom about the longitudinal axis of the flexure member.

Simplified mount for a web-supporting roller

Growing community of inventors

Spencerport, NY, United States of America

Michael W LaCourt