METHOD FOR MIXING A LIQUID IN AN AUTOMATED ANALYZER

Abstract

The present invention lies in the field of automated analyzers and relates to a method for mixing liquids in liquid containers. The arrangement for automated mixing comprises a shaking device and a gripper which is connected by way of a flexible connecting element to a transfer arm and which serves for receiving a liquid container. The coupling of gripper and shaking device is realized by way of an eccentrically movable coupling pin and a coupling hole provided for this purpose.

Claims

1. A method for mixing a liquid in a liquid container, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving the liquid container by way of a gripper which is fastened by way of a flexible connecting element to an automatically movable transfer arm, wherein the gripper has a coupling hole; then (b) displacing the gripper with the liquid container to a shaking device having a coupling pin which is movable about a vertical axis of rotation; then (c) inserting the coupling pin of the shaking device into the coupling hole of the gripper in a direction coaxial with the vertical axis of rotation of the coupling pin; and then (d) moving the coupling pin; wherein: after insertion of the coupling pin of the shaking device into the coupling hole provided on the gripper in step (c), the gripper or the shaking device is firstly displaced perpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation of the movable coupling pin before the coupling pin is set in motion.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripper or the shaking device is displaced perpendicularly to the vertical axis of rotation of the movable coupling pin until an inner wall of the coupling hole exerts a transverse force on the coupling pin, before the coupling pin is set in motion.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripper is displaced perpendicularly to the vertical axis of rotation of the movable coupling pin by horizontal displacement of the transfer arm.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid is from a group of bodily fluid and reaction mix.

5. An automated analyzer having: (i) an apparatus for transferring a liquid container, the apparatus comprising a horizontally and vertically movable transfer arm and a gripper which is connected by way of a flexible connecting element to the transfer arm and which serves for gripping, holding and releasing the liquid container, wherein the gripper has a coupling hole, (ii) multiple first receiving positions each configured to receive one liquid container, (iii) a shaking device having a coupling pin which is movable about a vertical axis of rotation, and (iv) a control apparatus configured to control a method for mixing a liquid in the liquid container, the method comprising the following steps: (a) receiving the liquid container from one of the multiple first receiving positions by way of the gripper; then (b) displacing the gripper with the liquid container to the shaking device; then (c) inserting the coupling pin of the shaking device into the coupling hole of the gripper in a direction coaxial with the vertical axis of rotation of the coupling pin; and then (d) moving the coupling pin; wherein: after insertion of the coupling pin of the shaking device into the coupling hole provided on the gripper in step (c), the gripper or the shaking device is firstly displaced perpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation of the movable coupling pin before the coupling pin is set in motion.

6. The automated analyzer as claimed in claim 5, in which the coupling pin of the shaking device is attached to a plate which is movable about the vertical axis of rotation.

7. The automated analyzer as claimed in claim 5, in which the coupling pin of the shaking device has a spherical head end.

8. The automated analyzer as claimed in claim 5, in which the coupling hole provided on the gripper has a hemispherical or circular cylindrical shape.

9. The automated analyzer as claimed in claim 5, in which the apparatus for transferring the liquid container is provided for transferring the liquid container from a group comprising reaction vessel and reagent liquid container.

10. The automated analyzer as claimed in claim 9, additionally having an incubation device that includes the multiple first receiving positions each configured to receive one reaction vessel and having a receiving device which is assigned to a measurement station and which has multiple second receiving positions each configured to receive one reaction vessel, wherein the receiving of the liquid container from one of the first receiving positions by way of the gripper in step (a) is the receiving of a reaction vessel filled with a reaction mix from the one of the multiple first receiving positions of the incubation device, and wherein the control apparatus is furthermore configured such that, after mixing of the reaction mix in the reaction vessel, the reaction vessel is transferred, by the apparatus for transferring a liquid container, into one of the multiple second receiving positions of the receiving device assigned to the measurement station.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] Below, the invention is explained on the basis of a drawing.

[0054] In detail:

[0055] FIG. 1 shows an automated analyzer according to the invention;

[0056] FIG. 2 shows an arrangement for mixing a reaction mix in a cuvette.

[0057] Identical parts are denoted by the same reference designations in all of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an automated analyzer 1 with some of the components contained therein. Here, only the most important components are illustrated in a much simplified manner in order to explain the basic functionality of the automated analyzer 1 without depicting the individual parts of each component in detail.

[0059] The automated analyzer 1 is embodied to carry out very different types of analyses of blood or other bodily fluids in a fully automated manner, without this requiring activity by a user. Necessary interventions of a user instead are restricted to servicing or repairing and refill work, for example, if cuvettes need to be refilled or liquid containers need to be replaced.

[0060] The patient samples are fed to the automated analyzer 1 via a feed track 2 on carriages not depicted in detail. Information concerning the analyses to be carried out for each sample may, for example, be transferred by means of barcodes which are attached to the sample vessels and which are read in the automated analyzer 1. With the aid of a first pipetting apparatus 3, sample aliquots are removed from the sample vessels by means of a pipetting needle.

[0061] The sample aliquots are likewise fed to cuvettes (not depicted in any more detail), which are arranged in receiving positions 4 of a rotatable incubation device 5 which is temperature controlled to 37° C. The cuvettes are removed from a cuvette storage container 6. Reagent vessels 8 with various reagent liquids are stored in the reagent vessel storage container 7, which is cooled to approximately 8-10° C. Reagent liquid is taken from a reagent vessel 8 by means of the pipetting needle of a second pipetting apparatus 9 and administered into a cuvette, which already contains a sample aliquot, for providing a reaction mix. By means of the transfer arm 10, the cuvette with the reaction mix is taken from a receiving position 4 of the incubation device 5 with a gripper 11 and transferred to a shaking device 13 (not illustrated in any more detail in FIG. 2) for mixing the reaction mix. After completing the mixing process, the cuvette is transported onward into a receiving position 14 of the rotatable receiving device 15 for the photometric measurement station 12, where the absorption of the reaction mix is measured.

[0062] The entire process is controlled by a control unit 20, such as, e.g., a computer connected by way of a data line, supported by a multiplicity of further electronic circuits and microprocessors, not depicted in any more detail, within the automated analyzer 1 and the components thereof.

[0063] FIG. 2 shows the gripper 11 which is fastened by way of a flexible connecting element 36 to an automatically displaceable transfer arm 10, which gripper holds a cuvette 30 filled with a reaction mix. By way of vertical lowering of the transfer arm 10, the gripper 11 has been positioned above the shaking device 13. The shaking device 13 is composed of a motor 31 which has a plate 32 with an eccentric coupling pin 33. The gripper 11 has been positioned such that the coupling pin 33 has been inserted with the spherical head end substantially centrally into the coupling hole 34 provided on the gripper. Before the coupling pin 33 is now set in motion by rotation of the plate 32, the gripper 11 is, by way of a horizontal movement of the transfer arm 10, displaced perpendicularly with respect to the axis of rotation 35 of the movable coupling pin 33 until the coupling pin 33 makes contact with an inner side of the coupling hole 34, and thus a preload/transverse force is generated between the inner wall of the coupling hole 34 and the coupling pin 33, which preload/transverse force intensifies the contact between coupling pin 33 and gripper 11. In this way, the coupling pin 33 is prevented from jumping out of the coupling hole 34 during the subsequent mixing process, and the mixing process can take place uniformly and without undesired interruption.

LIST OF REFERENCES SIGNS

[0064] 1 Analyzer

[0065] 2 Feed track

[0066] 3 Pipetting apparatus

[0067] 4 Receiving position

[0068] 5 Incubation device

[0069] 6 Cuvette storage container

[0070] 7 Reagent vessel storage container

[0071] 8 Reagent vessel

[0072] 9 Pipetting apparatus

[0073] 10 Transfer arm

[0074] 11 Gripper

[0075] 12 Measurement station

[0076] 13 Shaking device

[0077] 14 Receiving position

[0078] 15 Receiving device

[0079] 20 Control unit

[0080] 30 Cuvette

[0081] 31 Motor

[0082] 32 Plate

[0083] 33 Coupling pin

[0084] 34 Coupling hole

[0085] 35 Axis of rotation

[0086] 36 Flexible connecting element