Drive device for an automatic analysis apparatus for in vitro diagnostics

An automatic analysis apparatus for in vitro diagnostics, including:

• a cuvettes strip including a plurality of cuvettes which are secured together by a film which is flexible, each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes comprising a receptacle configured to contain a biological fluid to be analyzed, the receptacle of each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes comprising an upper portion including an upper opening and a lower portion including a bottom delimiting a concave guiding path whose concavity is directed upwards, the film being secured to the upper portion of the receptacle of each cuvette of the plurality of cuvettes,
• a measuring station configured to determine times for modification of a physical state of a biological fluid to be analyzed contained in a cuvette of the cuvettes strip, and
• a drive device, the drive device including:
• a guide element defining a guide track along which the measuring station is disposed, the cuvettes strip being received in the guide element and the guide element being configured to guide the cuvettes strip in translation along the guide track, and
• a drive belt driven by a rotary support member, the drive belt being configured to displace the cuvettes strip in translation along the guide track, the drive belt including outer projections which are spaced apart along the drive belt,
• wherein the drive belt is disposed below the guide track and the outer projections of the drive belt cooperating with lower portions of the receptacles of the cuvettes strip received in the guide element, each outer projection, among said outer projections which cooperates with lower portions of the receptacles, extending between the lower portions of two adjacent receptacles of the cuvettes strip received in the guide element;
• and
• wherein the drive device includes at least one upper stop surface which is located above the guide track, and a pushing device which is located below the guide track and which exerts a pushing force against a belt portion of the drive belt such that the cuvettes located above the belt portion are pressed by the belt portion against the at least one upper stop surface.