Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Gmbh

William E Hudson

Joseph E Brennan

James W Kegelman

Peter Louis Gebrian

Ronald G Barlow

William H Reigle, Jr

Jr William H Reigle

Embodiments are directed to a removable cap with a top hole and a seal with a heat induction closure for sealing an opening of a container. Advantageously, the cap and the seal do not need to be removed for a probe to access contents of the container, when used in a diagnostic analyzer, thereby eliminating operator steps of cap removal and seal peeling/perforation. Automated opening of the cap and seal combination is provided by puncturing the seal. The seal retains its opened shape required for unobstructed, non-contact probe access to contents of the container. The seal is comprised of three layers: a first polymer sealing layer capable of being heat-sealed to a container; an aluminum foil layer on top of the first polymer sealing layer, configured to heat seal the first layer by inductive heating; and a second polymer layer on top of the aluminum foil layer for protection.

Cap and induction seal designed to be opened by piercing in a diagnostic analyzer

Embodiments are directed to transferring and opening reagent containers for use in a clinical analyzer in an in vitro diagnostics (IVD) environment. Contents of a reagent container may be automatically recorded, and the container is positioned and opened, making available its contents to a transfer probe. A set of mechanical fingers open and close relative to one another, to release and grip the reagent container on opposite sides thereof for transferring the container. Once the container is positioned, the mechanical fingers raise and are positioned above a seal concealing the contents of the reagent container. The fingers are configured to close together and travel in a downward trajectory to pierce the seal. The reagent container is originally presented as an un-opened package to prevent spillage and to control reagent life expectancy. According to an embodiment, a method of performing a cycle unload, transfer, and load, without operator intervention, is provided.

Method and apparatus to automatically transfer and open a reagent container

Embodiments are directed to a removable cap with a conduction seal closure for sealing an opening of a container. The cap has a side wall and a top wall with an open access hole there-through. A flat upper portion surrounds the open access hole, which is sealed by the conduction seal. The conduction seal comprises a first polymer sealing layer, an aluminum foil layer on top of the first layer to heat seal the first layer to the cap, and a second polymer layer arranged on top of the aluminum foil layer for protection. The aluminum foil provides a formable shaping strength such that upon seal piercing, a permanent memory spread of the first and third layers is achieved. Removal of the cap does not damage the seal. Access to the container contents is achieved without probe contact to the as-pierced seal.

Removable cap with seal designed to be opened by piercing in a diagnostic analyzer

An anti-evaporation tube for use with an in vitro diagnostics automation system is provided. The anti-evaporation tube includes an anti-evaporation tube body configured to be automatically inserted in a container and to limit evaporation of one or more fluids in the container and an alignment portion disposed on the anti-evaporation tube body. The alignment portion is configured to automatically align the anti-evaporation tube body within the container and cause the anti-evaporation tube body to remain aligned within the container. The alignment portion includes one or more openings disposed on an upper area of the anti-evaporation tube body. The one or more openings are configured to provide ventilation.

Reagent container anti-evaporation tube

A fluid container includes a container body configured to hold one or more fluids. The container body has a first side wall and an opposing second side wall. The fluid container also includes one or more container alignment features disposed on an outer surface of the first side wall and configured to self-align the container body with a datum. The fluid container also includes one or more anti-evaporation tube alignment mechanisms disposed on one or more inner surfaces of the container body and configured to self-align an anti-evaporation tube within the container body.

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Bear, DE, United States of America

William E Hudson