Process for the thermostatic control of a sample fluid to be analyzed, apparatus for performing the process
AssigneeEppendorf Geratebau Netheler & Hinz GmbH
InventorsManfred Baisch, Horst Rusbuldt, Manfred Knaus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for the purpose of the thermostatic control of a sample fluid to be analyzed, as well as reagents and optionally the solvents necessary for performing analyses in an automatically functioning analyzer, wherein the sample container containing the sample fluid as well as the cells containing the reagents are placed in a rack made from good thermally conducting material. The rack is fixed in the analyzer at the individual processing stations between two side walls. At least one of the side walls is heated, so that the rack is thermostatically controlled and, consequently, so is the sample fluid and the reagents.
Claims11
A process for the thermostatic control of a sample fluid to be analyzed, as well as of at least reagents for performing analyses in an automatic analyzer in which at least corresponding samples and reagents are moved to different processing stations, comprising the steps of placing a sample container containing the sample fluid, together with at least one cell or cuvette containing at least one reagent in a rack made from a thermally conductive material, said rack defining a length;
- introducing said rack into said analyzer moving said rack in the direction of the length of said rack along a linear path between two side walls of said analyzer extending parallel to said linear path in order to successively deliver said rack to individual processing stations along the linear path within said analyzer;
- heating at least one of said side walls;
- holding said rack stationary at the individual processing stations;
- when said rack is held stationary, moving one of said side walls into engagement with said rack, said moving one of said sidewalls causing said rack to be pressed into engagment with the other of said side walls so that there is heat transfer between said rack and at least one of said side walls;
- and moving the previously moved side wall out of engagement with said rack prior to again moving said rack along said linear path.
A process for the thermostatic control of a sample fluid to be analyzed, as well as of at least reagents for performing analyses in an automatic analyzer in which at least corresponding samples and reagents are moved to different processing stations, comprising the steps of placing a sample container containing the sample fluid, together with at least one cell or cuvette containing at least one reagent in a rack made from a thermally conductive material, said rack defining a length;
- introducing said rack into said analyzer;
- moving said rack in the direction of the length of said rack along a linear path between two side walls of said analyzer extending parallel to said linear path in order to successively deliver said rack to individual processing stations along the linear path within said analyzer heating at least one of said side walls;
- holding said rack stationary at the individual processing stations;
- when said rack is held stationary, moving at least one of said side walls into engagement with said rack to fix said rack between said side walls, and to heat said rack and said sample fluid and said at least one reagent carried thereby;
- and moving said at least one movable side wall out of engagement with said rack prior to again moving said rack along said linear path.
Apparatus for the thermostatic control of fluids to be analyzed in an analyzer having a plurality of processing stations along a linear path, comprising:
- a rack made from a thermally conductive material and constructed and arranged to hold a plurality of containers;
- a sample container for containing a sample fluid positioned in said rack;
- at least one reagent container for containing at least one reagent positioned in said rack;
- means for moving said rack along a linear path to successively deliver said rack to individual processing stations of an analyzer along the linear path;
- two side walls laterally defining the linear path along which said rack is moved, at least one of said side walls being movable;
- means for heating at least one of said side walls;
- and
- means for moving said at least one movable side wall from a disengaged position out of engagement with said rack to an engaged position in which said at least one movable side wall engaged said rack when said rack is positioned in said linear path so as to press said rack into engagement with the other of said side walls, whereby said rack and any samples or reagents carried thereby are heated by contact with the heated at least one of said side walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.