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US 7,621,282 B2Granted
Probe washing cups and methods
AssigneeAbbott Laboratories
InventorsGregory A. Blackwell, Ganesh Rajagopal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides probe washing cups and methods. A probe washing cup has a washing well and a waste cup. A drying section is disposed between an open end of the probe washing cup and an inlet plane of the washing well. The drying section has a channel that is aligned with the washing well. The channel has an opening for receiving the probe therethrough.
Claims11
A method of cleaning a hollow probe having a tip, comprising:
- aligning the probe with a waste cup of a probe washing cup, said probe washing cup having a waste cup and a washing well;
- then flowing cleaner through the probe into the waste cup to expel a substance within the probe into the waste cup;
- then stopping the flow of cleaner through the probe, wherein the probe is filled with the cleaner when the flow is stopped;
- then drawing air into the hollow probe through the tip of the hollow probe while moving the probe, partially filled with cleaner, from the waste cure to a position above a drying section:
- then inserting a length of the probe partially filled with cleaner, into the washing well containing an additional cleaner;
- then drawing the additional cleaner from the washing well into the probe;
- then flowing the additional cleaner through the probe into the washing well;
- and
- extracting the probe from the washing well;
- and
- directing a forced airflow over an exterior of the probe in the drying section while extracting the probe from the washing well, where the forced airflow acts to dry the exterior of the probe.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.