The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 02, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Alfredo Choperena, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Ross Krogh, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Venkatesh Prasad, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Gershon Giter, St. Paul, MN (US);
Pasteur Sanofi Diagnostics, , FR;
Abstract
This invention provides an automated chemical analyzer with improved processing flexibility and ease. In one embodiment of this invention, the analyzer includes an incubation station, a wash station and a read station. The incubation station includes an elongated, movable track to carry reaction vessels along an incubation path, the wash station includes a movable track to carry vessels along a wash-cycle path, and the read station is adapted to move vessels along a read path. A first transfer station is positioned adjacent a first end of the wash-cycle path to transfer vessels from the incubation path to the wash-cycle path and a second transfer station is positioned adjacent a second end of the wash-cycle path and a first end of the read path for selectively transferring a vessel from the wash-cycle path to either the incubation path or the read path. The system also includes an analyzer controller having scheduling means for allocating assay resources to one of the reaction vessels and transfer control means for controlling the transfer of reaction vessels from one assay resource station to another according to a chronology selected from a plurality of different predetermined chronologies.