Centrifugal analyzer

For use with a centrifugal analyzer comprising a rotor including a rotatable shaft, a circular cuvette ring having an inner wall defining a central opening and slots extending radially outwardly from the central opening with the ring being positioned on the rotor encircling the shaft, a circular carrier member defining a central aperture and being adapted for positioning within the central opening of the cuvette ring, with the shaft extending through the central aperture of the carrier member, said carrier member defining on its top surface a plurality of slots for receiving constituents to be centrifuged, said carrier member having a peripheral wall for facing the inner wall of the cuvette ring, said peripheral wall defining apertures which communicate with the slots defined by the cuvette ring when the carrier member is positioned within the central opening of the cuvette ring, each of said apertures being in communication with one of said carrier member slots, the invention comprising, in combination:

• a plurality of disposable container-like inserts, each of which is adapted for positioning within one of said carrier member slots, each of said inserts being adapted to receive directly constituents to be centrifuged and having means for enabling centrifugal transfer of the constituents in the insert to an aperture defined by the peripheral wall of the carrier member, for transfer of the constituents into a respective slot defined by the cuvette ring.

A disposable insert for use with a carrier member of a centrifugal analyzer, which comprises:

• a container having an inside end wall, an outside end wall, a bottom and a pair of side walls, said side walls extending outwardly from the inside end wall to the outside end wall;
• said insert being formed of a plastic material and being adapted to receive directly constituents to be centrifuged and to enable centrifugal transfer of the constituents in the insert to a separate cuvette member;
• said outside end wall defining a slot and said inside end wall defining a slot;
• means for separating a front portion of said insert adjacent said outside end wall from a rear portion of said insert adjacent said inside end wall;
• and
• only said front portion being precoated with an agent for use in an in vitro diagnostic test.

A method for chemical analysis which comprises the steps of:

• providing a plurality of disposable container-like inserts in which a portion of the inside thereof is coated with an agent for use in an in vitro diagnostic test;
• placing said inserts into a carrier member which is adapted for rotation in a centrifugal fast analyzer;
• adding to said inserts samples to be tested;
• placing said carrier member in a centrifugal analyzer;
• and
• rotating said carrier member to transfer centrifugally the constituents in the inserts to a cuvette member.

A method for chemical analysis using a centrifugal analyzer comprising a rotor including a rotatable shaft, a circular cuvette ring having an inner wall defining a central opening and slots extending radially outwardly from the central opening with the ring being positioned on the rotor encircling the shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a circular carrier member which defines a central aperture and also defines on its top surface a plurality of slots;
• providing a plurality of disposable container-like inserts;
• placing said inserts into said carrier member slots;
• adding to said inserts samples to be tested;
• positioning said carrier member within the central opening of the cuvette ring, with said shaft extending through the central aperture of the carrier member;
• and
• rotating said circular cuvette ring and said carrier member together.