Chemical analyzer

A chemistry instrument, comprising:

• a turntable rotatably mounted about a first vertical axis, the turntable having a plurality of equiangularly spaced radial compartments;
• a plurality of individually disposable cuvettes releasably mounted within the compartments of the turntable, each cuvette having an upper end including an opening providing access to its interior for receipt of liquids;
• first power means operably connected to the turntable for alternately (1) indexing the turntable at a stationary angular position about the first vertical axis with any randomly selected cuvette positioned at a cuvette access station or (2) turning it about the first vertical axis while mixing or centrifuging the contents of cuvettes mounted within the compartments of the turntable;
• first analytical means adjacent to the turntable for performing optical tests on the contents of any randomly selected cuvettes;
• a tray rotatably mounted about a second vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis;
• a plurality of containers positioned about the tray;
• second power means operably connected to the tray for indexing it to a stationary angular position about the second vertical axis with any randomly selected container positioned at a container access station;
• probe arm means movable about a third vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first vertical axis, the probe arm means including a downwardly-extending open pipette movable along an arcuate path centered about the third vertical axis and intersecting the cuvette access station and container access station for transferring liquid from any randomly accessed container positioned on the tray at the container access station to any randomly selected cuvette positioned on the turntable at the cuvette access station;
• and
• cuvette delivery means adjacent to the turntable for selectively inserting an individual cuvette into any randomly selected compartment of the turntable.

An automated chemistry analyzer system including first and second chemistry instruments, each chemistry instrument comprising:

• a turntable rotatably mounted about a first vertical axis, the turntable having a plurality of equiangularly spaced radial compartments;
• a plurality of individually disposable cuvettes releasably mounted within the compartments of the turntable, each cuvette having an upper end including an opening providing access to its interior for receipt of liquids;
• first power means operably connected to the turntable for alternately (1) indexing the turntable at a stationary angular position about the first vertical axis with any randomly selected cuvette positioned at a cuvette access station or (2) turning it about the first vertical axis while mixing or centrifuging the contents of cuvettes mounted within the compartments of the turntable;
• first analytical means adjacent to the turntable for performing optical tests on the contents of any randomly selected cuvettes;
• a tray rotatably mounted about a second vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis;
• a plurality of containers positioned about the tray;
• second power means operably connected to the tray for indexing it to a stationary angular position about the second vertical axis with any randomly selected container positioned at a container access station;
• probe arm means movable about a third vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first vertical axis, the probe arm means including a downwardly-extending open pipette movable along an arcuate path centered about the third vertical axis and intersecting the cuvette access station and container access station for selectively transferring liquids from randomly accessed containers positioned on the tray at the container access stations to any randomly selected cuvette positioned on the turntable at the cuvette access station;
• cuvette delivery means adjacent to the turntable for selectively inserting an individual cuvette into any randomly selected compartment of the turntable;
• and
• common controller means operably connected to both chemistry instruments.

A chemistry instrument, comprising:

• a turntable rotatably mounted about a first vertical axis, the turntable having a plurality of equiangularly spaced radial compartments;
• a plurality of individually disposable cuvettes releasably mounted within the compartments of the turntable, each cuvette having an upper end including an opening providing access to its interior for receipt of liquids;
• first power means operably connected to the turntable for alternately (1) indexing the turntable at a stationary angular position about the first vertical axis with any randomly selected cuvette positioned at a cuvette access station or (2) turning it about the first vertical axis while mixing or centrifuging the contents of cuvettes mounted within the compartments of the turntable;
• first analytical means adjacent to the turntable for performing optical tests on the contents of any randomly selected cuvettes;
• a tray rotatably mounted about a second vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis;
• a plurality of containers positioned about the tray;
• second power means operably connected to the tray for indexing it to a stationary angular position about the second vertical axis with any randomly selected containers positioned at first and second container access stations;
• probe arm means movable about a third vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first vertical axis, the probe arm means including a downwardly-extending open pipette movable along an arcuate path centered about the third vertical axis and intersecting the cuvette access and container access station for transferring liquids from any randomly accessed container positioned on the tray at the first or second container access stations to any randomly selected cuvette positioned on the turntable at the cuvette access station;
• and
• cuvette delivery means adjacent to the turntable for selectively inserting an individual cuvette into any randomly selected compartment of the turntable.

A chemistry instrument, comprising:

• a turntable rotatably mounted about a first vertical axis, the turntable having a plurality of equiangularly spaced radial compartments;
• a plurality of individually disposable cuvettes releasably mounted within the compartments of the turntable, each cuvette having an upper end including an opening providing access to its interior for receipt of liquids;
• first power means operably connected to the turntable for alternately (1) indexing the turntable at a stationary angular position about the first vertical axis with any randomly selected cuvette positioned at a cuvette access station or (2) turning it about the first vertical axis while mixing or centrifuging the contents of cuvettes mounted within the compartments of the turntable;
• first analytical means adjacent to the turntable for performing optical tests on the contents of any randomly selected cuvettes;
• a tray rotatably mounted about a second vertical axis parallel to and spaced from the first axis;
• a plurality of containers positioned about the tray;
• second power means operably connected to the tray for indexing it to a stationary angular position about the second vertical axis with randomly selected containers positioned at first and second container access stations;
• sample tube entry port means for supporting an individual draw tube after it has been manually delivered to a sample access station;
• probe arm means movable about a third vertical axis parallel to the first vertical axis, the probe arm means including a downwardly-extending open pipette movable along an arcuate path centered about the third vertical axis and intersecting the cuvette access station, container access stations, and sample access station for transferring liquids from a draw tube in the sample tube entry port positioned at the sample access station to any randomly selected container positioned on the tray at the first container access station or from any randomly accessed container positioned on the tray at the second container access station to any randomly selected cuvette positioned on the turntable at the cuvette access station;
• and
• cuvette delivery means adjacent to the turntable for selectively inserting an individual cuvette into any randomly selected compartment of the turntable.