Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Coulter International Corp.

William Weigong Li

Rongchang Xin

Craig R Veiner

Santiago Galvez

Santos E Vargas

Marco Zuleta

Elgardo Echevarria

Jose M Cano

Wing S Pang

Eric Malcolm Grace

Roberto Del Valle

Dobson M Okawa

Helen A Minnich

John Allen Mitchell

Tan Nguyen

William J Casey

Carlos R Gonzalez

Sergio Cabrera

Tomas Betancourt

Pablo Larrea

A method for preparing a volume of blood for cellular analysis in a hematology instrument includes the step of gently mixing the blood sample with a reagent and/or diluent using a stream of air. Preferably, the air stream is directed at the liquid(s) to be mixed at a relatively steep angle, preferably less than about 10 degrees from the normal to the liquid surface. A mixing vessel adapted for use in a hematology instrument for carrying out the method of the invention comprises a cap that supports an air jet for directing the air stream at an angle in keeping with the method of the invention.

Method and apparatus for mixing blood samples for cell analysis

A method for preventing either the introduction of air into a liquid aspirated from a container through an aspiration line passing through a container cap, or the over-filling or non-filling of a container by a liquid dispensed through a dispensing line passing through a container cap. Such method comprises the steps of simultaneously detecting that (a) the container cap is properly positioned on and secured to a liquid container from which liquid is to be aspirated, or into which a liquid is to be dispensed, and (b) detecting that the level of liquid in the container is either above or below a predetermined level.

Fail-safe method and apparatus for aspirating and/or dispensing liquids in automated laboratory instruments

A liquid transfer system for transferring liquid from a plurality of containers to a plurality of destinations comprises a plurality of inlet valves. Each inlet valve is operable between an open position allowing liquid from a container to be drawn into the system and a closed position blocking liquid from a container from being drawn into the system. Liquid drawn from each of the liquid containers is delivered to a buffer chamber designed to degas the liquid in the buffer chamber. The buffer chamber leads to a vented feeder chamber that is also adapted to retain a volume of liquid. A chamber connection valve is provided between the buffer chamber and the feeder chamber to allow or block the flow of liquid between the buffer chamber and the feeder chamber. The feeder chamber is connected to a plurality of distribution valves operable to deliver liquid to a plurality of destinations.

System and method for continuously transferring and processing liquids

Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of one or more reaction vessels in a bio-chemical analyzer comprises a heat-exchange block, preferably made of cast aluminum or the like, and a thermoelectric device for heating or cooling the block to within a desired temperature range. The heat-transfer block cradles one or more reaction vessels in a thermal energy-transferring relationship, and further supports, in a thermal energy-transferring relationship, one or more fluid conduits serving to transmit a liquid or gas to the interior of the reaction vessels. Preferably, the heat-transfer block is cast from aluminum, and the fluid conduits are disposed inside the casting. By supporting the reaction vessel(s) and fluid conduit(s) in a common block, a single thermoelectric device and controller can be used to simultaneously control the respective temperatures of multiple fluid reagents and/or gases, as well as one or more reaction vessels, thereby reducing the power requirements of the thermal control system.

Method and apparatus for controlling reaction temperature in bio-chemical instruments

Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing liquid samples in an analytical instrument, e.g., a hematology instrument, includes a liquid-sampling valve that, while operating to segment and position for dispensing one or more precise volumes of a liquid sample that has been aspirated into the valve by a pump, simultaneously enables the apparatus to be operated in an aspirate/dispense (suck-and-spit) mode in which a liquid sample can be selectively driven through the valve in opposite directions by a pump, e.g., a syringe pump.

Apparatus for aspirating and dispensing liquids in an automated analyzer

A liquid aspiration device comprises an aspiration tube that slideably engages an opening in a cap such that a head on the end of the aspiration tube is moveable with respect to the opening in the cap. A tube cover is positioned between the opening in the cap and the head of the tube. The tube cover is operable to collapse into the cap when the head is moved into the cap. When the head and the tube cover are moved into the cap they are shielded from potential contamination that may occur when the aspiration device is moved from one container to the next. A lock is positioned in the cap. The lock is operable to move between an engaged position where the head may be retained within the cap and a disengaged position where the head is free to pass into or out of the cap.

Liquid aspiration device and method

A connector for use in securing a length of flexible tubing with another object is set forth. The connector comprises a fitting and a collar. The fitting includes a neck that is adapted to receive the flexible tubing thereon. The neck, in turn, includes an exteriorly disposed barb for engaging the interior walls of the flexible tubing. The collar is adapted to engage the fitting at least about the neck and barb and includes an interiorly disposed flange portion having a contour that is shaped to cooperate with the surfaces of the barb to drive the flexible tubing over the barb and the neck as the collar and fitting are assembled with one another. The shape and contour of the flange portion also cooperates with the surfaces of the barb to provide a compressive force that may be used to provide a seal between the flexible tubing and neck. For example, the compressive force may be used to prevent disengagement of the flexible tubing and neck where the contents of the tubing is pressurized and/or where a pulling force is exerted on the tubing with respect to the neck. In one embodiment, the flange portion has a generally hour-glass shaped cross-section with smooth overall contour.

Flexible tubing connector

Apparatus for aspirating liquid from a container, e.g., a test tube, having a puncturable stopper includes a pair of stepper motors that share a common linear actuator or drive member. One motor operates to axially advance the linear drive member (preferably a lead screw) to a position in which it serves to position a rigidly connected tube-detector/stripper member in engagement with the top of a stopper on a tube. Thereafter, the second motor operates to move along the surface of the same drive member to advance an aspiration probe through the engaged stopper and into a liquid aspirating position within the tube. Preferably, a linear guide rail, slidably-mounted on a frame that supports the liquid-aspirating apparatus, serves to guide both the movement of the aspiration probe and the linear drive member. As a result of the shared components, the apparatus is highly precise and reliable.

Apparatus for aspirating liquids from sealed containers

Apparatus and method for aspirating liquid from a container, e.g., a test tube or other vessel, includes apparatus for sensing that an aspiration probe tip is contacting the inside bottom wall of the container, whereby a maximum volume of liquid can be aspirated from the container. According to the invention, an encoder is mounted on the driven member of a motor (e.g., on a rotatably-driven drive shaft or a nut of a stepper or D.C. motor, or on a linearly-driven shaft of a linear actuator) used to rectilinearly advance the probe tip into the container. Such encoder produces a series of pulses indicating the speed and/or linear position of the probe tip. A motor controller responds to a predetermined change in pattern of pulses from the encoder indicating that movement of the probe tip has been resisted by the vessel bottom, whereby further movement of the driven member and of the probe connected thereto is arrested, and the probe tip remains in contact with the vessel bottom.

Method and apparatus for maximizing liquid aspiration from small vessels

A method and apparatus for sensing different levels of liquids in their respective containers in a liquid-consuming and/or producing instrument system. According to a preferred embodiment, an elongated liquid-sensing probe having axially spaced electrodes adapted to sense liquid at multiple levels is arranged in each container of liquid. A controller, e.g. a suitably programmed microprocessor, operates to selectively poll different pairs of electrodes carried by the probe to determine whether or not the polled electrode pairs are immersed in the contained liquid. Preferably, the polling circuit comprises an electronically-controlled resistor that serves to normalize the level-sensing output signal for liquids of different bulk resistivity.

Method and apparatus for detecting liquid levels in liquid-storage containers

A shear valve assembly comprises a pair of valve pads having opposing planar surfaces supported for relative sliding engagement. Each valve pad defines a plurality of liquid pathways by which a liquid can be passed from one pad to the other. The planar surface of one of the valve pads has an open channel formed therein, such channel having dimensions to accommodate a prescribed volume of liquid. Liquid is introduced into such channel via a first pair of pathways formed in the other valve pad, and liquid is dispensed from the open channel by a second pair of pathways that are brought into alignment with the channel during sliding movement between the valve pads. The valve assembly is particularly useful in blood-analyzing instruments for isolating and dispensing relatively minute volumes (of the order of microliters) of whole blood for analysis.

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Miami, FL, United States of America

William Weigong Li