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US 2007/0178010 A1Published application
Fluid content monitor
AssigneeHF Scientific, Inc.
InventorsRowan Connelly, Joel Leal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid content monitor including a cuvette, a calorimeter adapted to generate a signal indicative of contents of a fluid sample contained in the cuvette, a container for holding a reagent, and a pump assembly for delivering reagent from the container to the cuvette. The pump assembly includes a tube extending from the container to the cuvette, check valves preventing reverse flow in the tube, and a hammer driven by a solenoid for repetitively compressing the tube to pump reagent to the cuvette. The cuvette can be removed for cleaning and replacement.
Claims20
A fluid content monitor comprising:
- a light transparent cuvette adapted to receive a fluid sample;
- a colorimeter adapted to direct light through the cuvette, receive the light passing through the cuvette, and generate a signal indicative of contents of the fluid sample based upon the received light;
- a container for holding a reagent;
- and
- a pump assembly including:
- a body having a side wall extending from an end wall to define a chamber, and openings in the side wall adjacent the end wall,
- a hammer mounted within the chamber of the body for reciprocating linear movement between a retracted position moved away from the end wall and an extended position moved against the end wall,
- an actuator operatively connected to the hammer,
- a reagent tube extending from the container for delivering reagent to the cuvette, wherein a resiliently flexible section of the reagent tube passes through the openings in the side wall of the pump body and extends through the chamber between the hammer and the end wall such that the resiliently flexible section is open when the hammer is in the retracted position and substantially closed when the hammer is in the extended position,
- an inlet check valve carried by the reagent tube between the reagent container and the pump to prevent reverse flow to the reagent container, and
- an outlet check valve carried by the reagent tube between the pump and the cuvette to prevent reverse flow to the pump.
8 more elements
A fluid content monitor comprising:
- a light transparent cuvette adapted to receive a fluid sample;
- a container for holding a reagent;
- a pump adapted to pump reagent from the reagent container to the cuvette;
- and
- a calorimeter adapted to direct light through the cuvette, receive the light passing through the cuvette, and generate a signal indicative of contents of the fluid sample based upon the received light, the colorimeter including,
- a body defining a cuvette portal for removably receiving the cuvette, and a passageway extending through the cuvette portal, and
- a nozzle removably secured in the passageway, wherein the nozzle is adapted to selectively secure the cuvette in the passageway.
4 more elements
A fluid content monitor comprising:
- a light transparent cuvette adapted to receive a fluid sample;
- a nozzle connected to the cuvette for introducing reagent into the cuvette;
- a colorimeter adapted to direct light through the cuvette, receive the light passing through the cuvette, and generate a signal indicative of contents of the fluid sample based upon the received light;
- a first container for holding a first reagent;
- a second container for holding a second reagent;
- and
- a pump assembly including:
- a body having a side wall extending from an end wall to define a chamber, and openings in the side wall adjacent the end wall,
- a hammer mounted within the chamber of the body for reciprocating linear movement between a retracted position moved away from the end wall and an extended position moved against the end wall,
- an actuator operatively connected to the hammer,
- a first reagent tube in fluid communication with the first container for delivering the first reagent to the cuvette, wherein a resiliently flexible section of the first reagent tube passes through the openings in the side wall of the pump body such that the respective resiliently flexible section is open when the hammer is in the retracted position and substantially closed when the hammer is in the extended position,
- a second reagent tube in fluid communication with the second container for delivering the second reagent to the cuvette, wherein a resiliently flexible section of the second reagent tube passes through the openings in the side wall of the pump body such that the respective resiliently flexible section is open when the hammer is in the retracted position and substantially closed when the hammer is in the extended position, and
- an inlet check valve carried by the each reagent tube between the respective reagent container and the pump to prevent reverse flow to the reagent containers.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.