Dade Behring Inc.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Gmbh

William Jackson Devlin, Sr

David R Thompson

Timothy Patrick Evers

Allan Tit-Shing Chow

Thai Huynh-Ba

Peter Louis Gebrian

Thomas John Pankratz

Ching-Cherng Lee

Arnold Lloyd Lewis

Donald Richard Phillips, Sr

David Jeffrey Miller

Steven Frye

John Paul Mizzer

Thomas John Robert Pankratz

Stephen Lawrence Frye

Daniel Bernard Eichinger

David Russell Thompson

William Kirk Hessler

An automated analyzer for analyzing patient samples. The analyzer includes a plurality of cuvettes, which allow the samples to be mixed with various reagents. The analyzer includes one or more detectors, including a detector adapted to detect luminescence of the reaction mixture in the cuvettes. The analyzer allows for various diagnostic assays to be performed on a single system, and provides for high-sensitivity analysis at faster speeds.

Automated analyzer

A method for maximizing analyzer throughput irregardless of the mix in demand of different assays to be conducted by duplicating the reagents required to conduct selected assays in at least two separate reagent servers and also enabling newly incoming selected assays to be conducted using reagents from whichever reagent server has the smaller backlog of such high-volume assays.

Method for increasing throughput in an automatic clinical analyzer by duplicating reagent resources

A method for automatically determining whether a reagent container is new and unused or whether the reagent container has been previously used whenever reagent containers are initially placed onto an analyzer. Unused containers have a flag or lock-out member that can be dislodged or relocated by a moveable sensor probe when containers are placed onto the analyzer.

Multi-compartment reagent container having means to inhibit re-use thereof

A method for cleansing used reaction cuvettes so that whenever certain assays are to be or have been performed in the reaction cuvette, the cuvette is automatically subjected to an additional cleaning operation by providing a number of washing and drying manifolds, each of which is independently selectively activated to perform or not perform a cleaning operation.

Method for selectively washing used reaction cuvettes in an automatic analyzer

A magazine for releasably inventorying a plurality of reaction cuvettes to be used in an automatic clinical analyzer, the magazine comprising a generally rectangular storage cell having curved front and back surfaces, and a number of storage chutes therein, each chute sized to hold reaction cuvettes stacked one atop another therein.

Magazine for inventorying reaction cuvettes in an automatic analyzer

Automated multi-detector analyzer

An automatic clinical analyzer in which the number of cuvette ports available for reaction vessels on a reaction carousel are 50% in a configuration using a single reagent storage areas; in a second configuration an additional reagent storage areas is employed and additional ones of the cuvette ports on reaction carousel are utilized, thereby significantly increasing throughput.

Method for increasing capacity in an automatic clinical analyzer by using modular reagent delivery means

A method for determining not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette in an analyzer when an assay scheduled to be performed may be adversely affected by contaminants remaining in the cleaned reaction cuvette. If determined not to reuse a previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette, the previously used and cleaned reaction cuvette is replaced with an unused new reaction cuvette.

Method for replacing used reaction cuvettes in an automatic analyzer depending upon next scheduled assay

A method for reducing carryover of and delivering liquid taken from a source container by a dispensing means to a target container by spinning the target container so that any liquid within the target container is removed from the dispensing means prior to dispensing liquid into the target container.

Liquid sample dispensing methods for precisely delivering liquids without crossover

A liquid aspiration method which includes aspirating partial aliquots of liquid at a number of different depths of penetration of a pipette tip into a liquid. The different depths are selected so that partial aliquot segments are obtained throughout the entire depth of sample, optionally excluding the extreme top and bottom levels.

Method for aspiration of a liquid sample

A dual analyzer system comprising at least two analyzers where samples to be tested are partitioned into three groups in accord with the frequency the test assays are requested. One analyzer performs a portion of the most frequently menu assays and all of a first subgroup of less frequently requested assays. The second analyzer performs a similar portion of the most frequently menu assays and all of a second subgroup of less frequently requested assays. The first of the analyzers is not equipped to perform any of the second subgroup of assays and the second analyzer is not be equipped to perform any of the second subgroup of assays.

Increasing throughput of an automatic clinical analyzer system by partitioning assays according to frequency of requested performance

A clinical analyzer where incoming samples are partitioned into groups in accord with the length of time required for the assay to be completed or in accord with the pattern of reagent addition(s) taken with length of time required for the assay to be completed. Medium length time assays are completed, removed from a reaction carousel and replaced by shorter length time assays during a single operational cycle in which longer length assays are also completed.

Growing community of inventors

Lincoln University, PA, United States of America

William Jackson Devlin, Sr