Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.

Hitachi-high-technologies Corporation

Roche Diagnostics Gmbh

Hitachi High-tech Corporation

F. Hoffmann-la Roche Ag

Stephan Sattler

Isao Yamazaki

Toshio Suzuki

Taku Sakazume

Yoshihiro Yamashita

Reinhold Kraemer

Gottfried Senftner

Katsuaki Takahashi

Susumu Sakairi

Markus Winkenbach

Armin Bucher

Takuya Yamaguchi

Thomas Guggisberg

Reinhold Krämer

Yusuke Minemura

Uwe Mertsch

Hermann Erb

Martin Halter

Heiko Dorn

Hitoshi Tokieda

Matthias Cornelius

Stephanie Mildenberger

Katsuhiro Kambara

Takamichi Mori

Masato Ishizawa

Masaharu Nishida

Masaaki Hanawa

Heino Eikmeier

Masaki Hara

Hideyuki Yanami

Masaki Shiba

Karl-Heinz Mann

Kouhei Nonaka

Klaus Oswald

Dietmar Kappelhoff

Hidenobu Komatsu

Hidetoshi Sugiyama

Georg Werner Arras

Christoph Möllers

Thomas Grossmann

Thomas Grossman

Sakairi Susumu

Kambara Katsuhiro

Yukinori Sakashita

An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples comprising an immersion tube configured to retrieve a reagent stored in a reagent vessel and a lifting device configured to lift and lower the immersion tube. The lifting device comprises a guide rail on which the immersion tube is moveable between a lowered position, in which the immersion tube is immersed into the reagent vessel, and a lifted position, in which the immersion tube is retracted from the reagent vessel, and at least one biasing member configured to bias the immersion tube towards the lowered position with a predetermined biasing force. The analyzer further comprises a detector configured to detect an identity of the reagent, and a locking device configured to lock the immersion tube in the lifted position and so the immersion tube is moved towards the lowered position only if the reagent identity detected by the detector corresponds to a target identity.

Automatic analyzer

An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples is disclosed. The automatic analyzer comprises a housing at least partially enclosing at least one analyzing instrument, a drawer configured to be loaded with a plurality of reagent vessels, wherein the drawer is moveable in a longitudinal direction relative to the housing between a retracted position, in which the drawer is retracted in the housing, and extended positions, in which the drawer is extended from the housing, wherein the drawer defines arrangement positions for the reagent vessels at least in a first row parallel to the longitudinal direction, and a first detector associated with the first row and configured to identify the reagent vessels at a first detection position when arranged in the first row.

Reagent drawer and associated detector mounted to a slider capable of extending from an automatic analyzer housing

An automatic analyzer for analyzing samples includes a lift, a part take-out station and a rack recovery station. The lift is configured to raise and lower a plurality of stacked part racks to the part take-out station and to the rack recovery station while keeping the part racks together. The part take-out station comprises a first rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when the lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so that the uppermost rack is separated from the other part racks so as to remain in the part take-out station. The rack recovery station comprises a second rack separator configured to prevent the uppermost one of said stacked part racks from being lowered when said lift lowers, while allowing the other part racks to lower, so as to remain in the rack recovery station.

A reagent vessel, an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a lower part of a reagent vessel for an analytical instrument are disclosed. The reagent vessel is configured to store a liquid reagent. The reagent vessel comprises a cover and a lower part. The lower part comprises a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, two opposing side walls and at least one connection wall. The cover, bottom wall, front wall, rear wall and two opposing side walls define at least one internal volume for storing at least one liquid reagent. The two opposing side walls are at least partially connected to one another by the at least one connection wall located within the at least one internal volume. The connection wall is spaced apart from the bottom wall. The connection wall and at least the two opposing side walls can be injection-molded and are monolithically formed.

Reagent vessel for storing a liquid reagent

A container for receiving vessels for use in an automated analyzer is presented. The container comprises a wall assembly including a first wall and a second wall. The wall assembly forms a receptacle for receiving a vessel having one or more covers or lids. At least one of the first and second walls moves to provide a first open configuration for receiving the vessel and a second closed configuration. The container further comprises an actuator configured to translate the vessel from a first position after being received in the container to a second position and the wall assembly in the second closed configuration is positioned so that at least one engaging element attached to the wall assembly engages with the covers or lids of the vessel to open the covers or lids while the vessel is being translated by the actuator from the first position to the second position.

Container for receiving vessels for use in an automated analyzer

An automatic analyzer includes: a reagent mounting unitin which a plurality of reagent bottlesare installed when a reagent bottleis loaded into the automatic analyzer; a reagent conveying mechanismincluding a gripper mechanismand a reagent mounting mechanismfor moving the reagent mounting unitbetween an installation position at which an operator installs the reagent bottlein the reagent mounting unitand a position at which the gripper mechanismgrips the reagent bottleIt is thereby possible to achieve saving of a mechanism installation space and reduction of the number of constituent components, automatically carry out an operation from opening of the reagent bottle to loading of the reagent bottle into the reagent disk, and alleviate an operator's burden.

Automatic analyzer and reagent bottle loading method

A loading device for loading a reagent rotor of an analytical instrument with reagent vessels is disclosed. The loading device comprises a tray to receive reagent vessels. The tray moves within a first plane at least between a loading position, at which the tray is loadable with the reagent vessels, and an unloading position, at which the reagent vessels are unloadable from the tray. The loading device also comprises a transporting device for transporting the reagent vessels from the tray to the reagent rotor of the analytical instrument. The tray is formed such that the transporting device is linearly moveable within a second plane from the unloading position of the tray to the reagent rotor and/or from the reagent rotor to the unloading position of the tray. The first plane and the second plane are different from one another. The tray is formed as a circular ring segment.

Loading device for loading a reagent rotor of an analytical instrument with reagent vessels and analytical instrument

Rack for assay tips and assay cups

A reagent container carrier structure for holding at least one reagent container, wherein the carrier structure has thereon an RFID assembly and an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the carrier structure, is disclosed. The reagent container carrier structure may have an orientation identification label that has a front surface and a back surface, and further include an RFID assembly positioned on the back surface, and an optically detectable definition pattern defining an orientation of the label on the front surface. A reader module for reading RFID data in combination with optically detectable data defining an orientation of a respective label is also disclosed.

Orientation identification label, reagent container carrier structure, analyzer device and reader module

Reagent container

A reagent vessel holder for an analytical instrument is disclosed. The reagent vessel holder comprises at least one reagent vessel compartment for receiving a reagent vessel, wherein the reagent vessel compartment comprises a base and at least two lateral guiding elements, and at least one hollow needle for piercing the reagent vessel. The hollow needle is disposed on a front end of the reagent vessel compartment near the base and extends in a direction substantially parallel to the base. The lateral guiding elements are disposed so as to be adapted to slidably guide the reagent vessel in a direction substantially parallel to the direction, in which the hollow needle extends. The lateral guiding elements are adapted to receive the reagent vessel therebetween and are biased towards one another. Further, a reagent supply system for an analytical instrument and an analytical instrument comprising such a reagent vessel holder are disclosed.

Reagent vessel holder for an analytical instrument, reagent supply system for an analytical instrument and an analytical instrument

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the analyzer includes a reagent driving disk that accommodates a reagent configured for analysis and that transports the reagent to a desired position, and a fixed disk that has a reagent stand-by position in which to make a reagent container containing the reagent, temporarily stand by, and a magnetic particles stirring position for stirring magnetic particles. A portion of the reagent stand-by position is constituted by a loading system. A reagent container moving unit moves reagent containers containing the reagent, between the reagent driving unit and the fixed disk, according to analytical request status. Providing in a part of the fixed disk the loading system constructed so that reagent containers containing the reagent can be mounted therein during operation enables changing of reagent containers, irrespective of an operational status of the reagent driving disk, and the system to having cold-storage functionality.

An automatic analyzer provided with a roller and a reagent container shoulder presser at the position where an operator inserts a reagent container into the automatic analyzer. The reagent container is pushed while the lid of the reagent container is made to touch the upper side of the roller and the shoulder presser is made to touch the shoulder of the reagent container, and the application of upward force to the lid causes the lid of the reagent container to be half open, after which the reagent container is inserted in the analyzer.

Growing community of inventors

Starnberg, Germany

Stephan Sattler