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US 7,175,334 B2Granted
Vessel agitator assembly
AssigneeDPC Cirrus, Inc.
InventorsArthur L. Babson, Thomas Palmieri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test vessel agitator assembly that agitates test vessels and the contents therein within an immunoassay automated analyzer system. The test vessels are transported along an element that is comprised of ridges and troughs such that the test vessel is moved in a directions that is approximately perpendicular to the direction of transportation.
Claims8
A vessel agitator, comprising:
- a plurality of vessel holders, each of said plurality of vessel holders constructed and arranged for removably holding a vessel;
- a vessel conveyor constructed and arranged to move said plurality of vessel holders along a path having at least one substantially linear section;
- and
- a vessel contact agitator constructed and arranged such that when a vessel is held by at least one of said plurality of vessel holders, and is conveyed by said vessel conveyor along said path, said vessel contact agitator contacts said vessel at a plurality of contact locations along said path in a manner that displaces said vessel at each contact location in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the path at that contact location, wherein
- said vessel conveyor is constructed and arranged to move said at least one vessel holder such that said vessel contacts at least one of said plurality of contact locations of said vessel contact agitator a selectable number of times wherein at least one of said vessel holders is a U-shape structure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.