Ortho-clinical Diagnostics, Inc

Johnson & Johnson Clinical Diagnostics, Inc.

Robert Anthony Burkovich

Merrit Nyles Jacobs

James Daniel Riall

Joseph John Dambra

Randy Kristopher Bower

Nicholas VanBrunt

David Lee Johnson

A device and method solves the problems of improving precision, in particular in reducing movement of a cuvette, particularly lateral or side to side movement of a cuvette, during the measurement process. The device, which stabilizes a cuvette during a measurement read in an analyzer having a cuvette path of travel, includes: a fixed support located on a first side of the path of travel and abutting a side of the cuvette at a location that does not interfere with an optical window on the cuvette on which the measurement read takes place; and a movable support located on a second side of the path of travel and biased against a side of the cuvette at a location that does not interfere with the optical window on the cuvette on which the measurement read takes place, and which is opposite the side abutting the fixed support.

Stabilizing a cuvette during measurement

A device for heating or cooling multiple single chamber containers or a multi-chamber container. The device includes: a unitary heat or cold source providing a source of heat or cold; heat exchange elements in thermal communication with the heat or cold source and extending away from the heat or cold source; a thermal barrier between each of said heat exchange elements to thermally isolate the heat exchange elements from each other. Each heat exchange element is thermally associated with one or more chambers that are different from one or more chambers associated with other heat exchange elements to thermally isolate the chambers from each other. Preferably the container is a sample or reagent container used in a clinical analyzer, such as a multi-chamber reaction cuvette or a multi-chamber microtiter plate. An incubator assembly, preferably usable in a clinical analyzer, can include the device for heating or cooling.

Heating and cooling multiple containers or multi-chamber containers

An apparatus for opening and closing a container having a slidable shutter closure moving past the apparatus includes: a rotatable shaft having an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of the slidable shutter, the shaft being biased against rotation in either direction; a driver for bidirectionally moving the shaft from a position away from the container to a position in the vicinity of the container for opening and closing; and an extension extending outwardly from the rotatable shaft along at least a portion of the shaft into a line of travel, whereby the extension is adapted to engage the shutter closure of the container and move the shutter closure from an open position to a closed position or from a closed position to an open position. A reagent source for an automated analyzer includes: a reagent source which includes a container having a shutter closure which slides between an open and closed position; an apparatus for opening and closing the container. The apparatus includes: a rotatable shaft having an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of the slidable shutter, the shaft being biased against rotation in either direction; a driver for bidirectionally moving the shaft from a position away from the container to a position in the vicinity of the container for opening and closing; and an extension extending outwardly from the rotatable shaft along at least a portion of the shaft, whereby the extension is located to engage the shutter closure of the container as the container is transported past the extension; and a bidirectional conveyor for transporting the container into engagement with and past the apparatus for opening and closing.

Opening and closing a container

A method for measuring the amount of fluid contained in a reaction vessel in a clinical analyzer includes the steps of adding a first aliquot of fluid to the reaction vessel and measuring the quantity of fluid contained therein. A second aliquot of fluid is then added to the reaction vessel and the quantity of fluid contained therein is also measured. Measurement of the two fluid quantities can occur with or without removal of the first aliquot in between measurements. In obtaining the two quantity measurements and comparing them against a standard, the effects of well geometry can be minimized. Preferably, a delta or ratio measurement is obtained between the first and second liquid volume measurements which can be compared against a standard so as to normalize apparent volume losses or gains due to reaction well dimensional variation. This approach enhances the analytical capability to detect true fluid delivery errors.

Fluid measurements in a reaction vessel used in conjunction with a clinical analyzer

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.

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Robert Anthony Burkovich