Analytical instrument with two moving trains of sample holder-carrying trays under microprocessor control

In an instrument having radiation-sensing detector means for performing an analysis upon a sample in a sample holder located in a predetermined position to determine a radioactive property of said sample, the improvement comprising:

• (A) ascertaining means, coupled to said position, for determining when no sample holder is in said position for said detector means to perform said analysis upon;
• (B) initiating means, coupled to said ascertaining means, for periodically causing said detector means to perform said analysis when said ascertaining means has determined that no sample holder is in said position;
• and
• (C) alarm means, coupled to said detector means and to said ascertaining means, for when said detector means has performed said analysis with no sample holder in said position and said detector means has determined a level of activity above a predetermined level, providing a perceptible alarm.

In an instrument having:

• (1) detector means having a plurality of conditions for performing one of a plurality of analyses upon a sample contained in a sample holder at a predetermined location, the analyses performed by said detector means when in one of said conditions being different than the analyses performed by said detector when in another of said conditions;
• (2) control means, coupled to said detector means, for placing said detector means in one of said conditions for performing one of said predetermined analyses;
• (3) calculating means, coupled to said detector means, for processing signals developed by said detector means during an analysis and providing an output indicative of the result of the analysis performed by said detector means;
• (4) location means for holding a plurality of sample holders;
• (5) motive means for moving each of said sample holders in said location means to the said detector means;
• the improvement comprising:
• (A) select means for manually choosing the analyses to be performed upon said sample holders in said storage means;
• (B) memory means, coupled to said select means, said calculating means, and said control means, for retaining and providing to said control means and said calculating means the information required for said detector means to perform any one of said analyses and said calculating means to perform the calculations for the analyses performed;
• (C) responding means, coupled to said select means, said motive means, said control means, and said calculating means, for selectively inducing (i) said motive means to move each of said sample holders from said location means to said detector means and, after the performance of an analysis on a specific sample holder, to return said specific sample holder to said location means, (ii) said control means to place said detector means in the appropriate condition for the analyses chosen on said select means;
• and (iii) said calculating means, after said detector means has performed said analyses, to calculate the results of the analysis for each of the said plurality of selected analyses for said sample holders;
• (D) machine readable coding means, coupled to said location means, for providing information regarding said sample holders;
• and
• (E) reading means, coupled to said memory means, for creating and transmitting to said memory means electronic signals indicative of the information provided by said coding means.

In an analytical instrument having detector means for performing one of a plurality of analyses upon a sample, the improvement comprising:

• (A) select means for manually choosing the particular analysis to be performed upon a particular sample;
• (B) storage means, coupled to said select means and to said detector means, for accumulating information about the particular analyses performed by said detector means aside from the results of said analyses;
• (C) output means, coupled to said storage means, for upon the receipt of an electronic signal of a particular type, providing, as a perceptible output, a temporary display of said information about the analyses performed by said detector means;
• (D) manually actuable signalling means, coupled to said output means, for providing said signals of said particular type to said output means;
• (E) motive means for moving a sample tube towards and away from said detector means;
• (F) printing means, coupled to said storage means, for providing a permanent display of information concerning the results of the analyses performed by said detector means;
• and
• (G) control means coupled to said motive means, said detector means, said printing means, said output means, and said select means for permitting the operation of said select means and output means regardless of the functions being performed by said detector means, said motive means, or said printing means.

In an analytical instrument having detector means for performing analyses upon a sample contained in a sample holder, the improvement comprising:

• (A) carrier means for holding an array of a plurality of sample holders;
• (B) conveyor means for moving said carrier means along a path in a predetermined direction so that all of said sample holders in said carrier pass between two predetermined points;
• (C) machine readable positioning means, coupled to said carrier means, having a plurality of components coupled to said carrier means for indicating the position of said sample holders along at least one direction;
• and
• (D) sensing means, coupled to said detector means, for providing an indication of when the position of each of said components of said positioning means has reached a predetermined location relative to said detector means.

In an analytical instrument having detector means for performing analyses upon samples contained in sample holders, the improvement comprising:

• (A) carrier means for holding a two-dimensional array of a plurality of sample holders in rows in a plane;
• (B) a plurality of fingers for holding one of said sample holders and having an open and at least one closed configuration, said fingers, when in said open configuration, having a space between them in said plane greater than the dimension of said sample holders in said plane, and, when in said closed configuration, having a space between them about equal, in said plane, to the size, in said plane, of said sample holders, the minimum distance in a direction perpendicular to said rows between said fingers, when in said open configuration, being greater than the dimension of said sample holder and the maximum distance between the exterior surfaces of said fingers parallel to said direction being no greater than the maximum distance between any two sample holders located in two rows separated from each other by a third row of sample holders;
• (C) closing means, coupled to said fingers, for moving said fingers between said open and closed positions and, with said finger means in said closed position and with a sample holder situated between said fingers, applying pressure on said fingers towards each other;
• and
• (D) moving means for:
• (1) when said fingers are in said open position, placing said fingers at a first height around at least a portion of a particular sample holder;
• (2) when said fingers have moved to said closed position around said particular sample holder, lifting said fingers to a second height sufficiently above said first height to remove said particular sample holder from said carrier means to a second position;
• (3) transporting said particular sample holder to said detector means from said second position;
• (4) returning said particular sample holder from said detector means to said second position;
• (5) lowering said particular sample holder from said second position to said first position;
• (6) after lowering said particular sample holder to said first position, placing said fingers in said open configuration;
• and
• (7) while said finger means are in said open position and at said first height, moving said finger means from around said particular sample holder to around a different sample holder.