Bottle Compartment for Analyzer Instrument

Abstract

A bottle compartment (1, 21) for an analyzer instrument, which bottle compartment comprises a frame (3) with a location (4) for a bottle (10, 23) of liquid, and a tube (7, 24) for aspiration of liquid from a bottle at the location for a bottle by the analyzer instrument, wherein the bottle compartment (1, 21) comprises a handle mechanism (2, 22) connected turnably to the frame (3), which handle mechanism in an open position allows access to the location (4) for insertion and removal of a bottle (10, 23) and in a closed position prevents access to the location, and that the tube (7, 24) for aspiration of liquid is connected to the handle mechanism so that when the handle mechanism is turned to the open position the end of the tube is simultaneously moved from the bottle at the location and when the handle mechanism is turned to the closed position the end of the tube is simultaneously moved inside the bottle at the location.

Claims

1. A bottle compartment (1, 21) for an analyzer instrument, which bottle compartment comprises a frame (3) with a location (4) for a bottle (10, 23) of liquid, and a tube (7, 24) for aspiration of liquid from a bottle at the location for a bottle by the analyzer instrument, characterized in that the bottle compartment (1, 21) comprises a handle mechanism (2, 22) connected turnably to the frame (3), which handle mechanism in an open position allows access to the location (4) for insertion and removal of a bottle (10, 23) and in a closed position prevents access to the location, and that the tube (7, 24) for aspiration of liquid is connected to the handle mechanism so that when the handle mechanism is turned to the open position the end of the tube is simultaneously moved from the bottle at the location and when the handle mechanism is turned to the closed position the end of the tube is simultaneously moved inside the bottle at the location.

2. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to claim 1, wherein the tube (7, 23) for aspiration of liquid passes through and is connected to a cap (8), which cap in the closed position of the handle mechanism (2) is located on top of an opening of the bottle (10, 23).

3. A bottle (21) compartment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle mechanism (22) comprises a cover covering the bottle (23) at the location of the bottle substantially completely when the handle mechanism is in the closed position.

4. A bottle (21) compartment according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the bottle (23) located at the location for bottle is in a slanted position.

5. A bottle compartment (1) according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the bottle compartment (1) comprises an intermediate storage container (9) for liquid aspired from the bottle (10).

6. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the bottle compartment (1, 21) comprises a RFID reader and writer (5) for reading a RFID tag in a bottle (10, 23) located in the location (4) and for adding information to the RFID tag in the bottle.

7. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-6, wherein at least the end portion of the tube (7, 24) for aspiration is made of metal, ceramics or plastic.

8. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the tube (7, 24) for aspiration has a needle-like end.

9. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the tube (7, 24) for aspiration has a curved, arc-like shape.

10. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-9, wherein the bottle compartment (1, 21) comprises a locking mechanism for locking the handle mechanism (2, 22) at the open position and/or the closed position.

11. A bottle compartment (1, 21) according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the bottle compartment (1, 21) is a bottle compartment of an IVD analyzer instrument.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0025] An exemplifying embodiment and its advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of an example and with reference to the accompanying figures, where

[0026] FIGS. 1A-1C show an embodiment of a bottle compartment of the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a bottle compartment of the invention, and

[0028] FIGS. 3A-3D show another alternative embodiment of a bottle compartment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0029] FIG. 1A shows an embodiment of the bottle compartment 1 of the invention with a handle mechanism 2 in an open position.

[0030] The bottle compartment 1 comprises a frame 3 to which the handle mechanism 2 is movably connected. The frame 3 comprises a location 4 for a bottle of liquid used in the analyzing processes.

[0031] In the frame 3 of the bottle compartment 1 is located a RFID reader and writer 5 for reading information from a RFID tag located in a bottle of liquid to be inserted in the location 4, and for inputting information to the RFID tag of the bottle of liquid.

[0032] The handle mechanism 2 comprises a handle 6 for operating the handle mechanism, i.e. for turning the handle mechanism to an open or a closed position. The handle mechanism 2 also comprises a curved metal tube 7, which is connected to the opposite end of the handle mechanism with respect to the handle 6 and which tube is used to aspire liquid from a bottle of liquid located in the location 4 of the bottle compartment 1. On and around the tube 7 is located and connected a cap 8.

[0033] The bottle compartment 1 also comprises an intermediate storage container 9 connected to the frame 3.

[0034] In FIG. 1B a bottle 10 of liquid is inserted in the location 4 of the bottle compartment 1, while the handle mechanism 2 is in an open position. The bottle 10 of liquid is sealed with a sealing member sealing its opening in order to prevent splashes and spills of the liquid contained therein during the inserting process.

[0035] In FIG. 1C the handle mechanism 2 of the bottle compartment 1 is turned in a closed position by pressing the handle 6 downwards. During the turning of the handle mechanism 2 to a closed position, the aspiration tube 7 also turns towards the bottle 10 and the end of the tube pierces the sealing member of the bottle and sets itself inside the bottle so that liquid from the bottle can be aspired through it. The cap 8 connected to the tube 7 follows the movement of the tube and sets itself on top of the opening of the bottle 10 in order to prevent evaporation of the liquid inside the bottle but still allows air to enter to the bottle. In the position of FIG. 1C, the bottle compartment 1 is ready to provide the analyzer instrument with liquid from the bottle 10 for the required analyzing processes.

[0036] When the liquid is aspired from the newly inserted bottle 10 of liquid in the bottle compartment 1, it is first pumped to the intermediate storage 9, from where it is then used by the analyzer instrument. Thus when the bottle 10 is empty, the analyzer instrument informs of the need to change the bottle to the user of the analyzer instrument, but can still continue the analyzing processes without interruption with the use of the intermediate storage 9.

[0037] When a new bottle 10 of liquid is placed at its location 4 in the bottle compartment 1, the RFID reader and writer 5 reads information from a RFID tag located in the bottle to the analyzer system. This information may include type of liquid and amount of liquid contained in the bottle 10, for example. Thus the information is input directly to the analyzer system, so that no additional user actions, such as barcode reading with related tools, are required. Further, when the bottle 10 in the bottle compartment 1 is empty, the RFID reader and writer 5 adds this information to the RFID tag of the bottle, so that the same bottle may not be refilled with non-validated liquid. This enhances the patient safety, since the analyzer system only allows the use of validated liquids.

[0038] The embodiment of the bottle compartment 1 of the invention shown in figures and discussed above is preferably a bottle compartment of an IVD analyzer instrument, but may be used with other analyzer instruments that require use of liquids during the analyzing processes.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a modified embodiment of a bottle compartment 1 of the invention, where the cap 8 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C is replaced with a cone member 11 fixed on and around the tube 7, so that when the handle 6 is in a closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, the cone member is located in the area of the opening of the bottle 10.

[0040] This embodiment of FIG. 2 is best used with bottles 10 comprising a sealing member 12, which sealing member covers and seals the opening of the bottle. The cone member 11 effectively covers the opening in the sealing member 12 formed by the end of the tube 7, when the handle 6 is moved from an open position to a closed position thus causing the tube to pierce the sealing member of the bottle 10 located in the bottle compartment 1. The cone member 11 still allows air to enter the bottle 10, so that no underpressure can be formed inside the bottle when liquid is aspired from it.

[0041] FIGS. 3A-3D show another alternative embodiment of the invention, where FIG. 3A shows the bottle compartment in an open position with the cover portion shown in cross-section, FIG. 3B shows the bottle compartment in a closed position with the cover portion shown in cross-section, FIG. 3C shows enlargement of the bottle compartment without a cover portion where the tube is inserted in the bottle, and FIG. 3D shows the bottle compartment in a closed position.

[0042] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3D the bottle compartment 21 comprises a handle mechanism 22, which comprises, or is formed as, a cover that substantially covers the access to the bottle 23 located in the location for a bottle in the bottle compartment when the handle mechanism is in a closed position.

[0043] Further, in this embodiment the tube 24 is also covered by the cover of the handle mechanism 22, which shields the tube from the user when the bottle 23 is changed, thus increasing the sterility of the tube and removing the user's access to the tube itself.

[0044] As can be best seen from FIG. 3B, the position of the bottle 23 located in the location of the bottle of the bottle compartment is in this embodiment slightly slanted towards the end of the location for the bottle. This allows the liquid to gather towards that side of the bottle, especially when there is only a small amount of the liquid left in the bottle, which helps in proper emptying of the bottle by the analyzer instrument. Further, with the slanted position of the bottle gravity helps to achieve the proper alignment for the bottle in the location for the bottle. The angle of the bottle in this slanted position is selected so, that it is large enough for the liquid to gather at one end of the bottom of the bottle, but small enough that it can be guaranteed that no liquid spills from the bottle even when the bottle is full. In practice this means that the angle is over 0 and less than 90 degrees, preferably from 5 to 45 degrees.

[0045] FIG. 3C illustrates the position of tube 24 in the closed position of the handle mechanism 22, which is in this position completely inside the bottle 23.

[0046] FIG. 3D illustrates the shielding of the bottle 23 in the bottle compartment when the handle mechanism 22 is in a closed position.

[0047] In relation to the embodiments discussed above it is to be noted, that the opening and closing of the handle mechanism can be implemented manually, or through the automatic control system of the analyzer instrument so that the automatic control system closes and/or opens the handle mechanism.

[0048] The specific exemplifying embodiment of the invention shown in figures and discussed above should not be construed as limiting. A person skilled in the art can amend and modify the embodiment in many evident ways within the scope of the attached claims. Thus the invention is not limited merely to the embodiments described above.