Method and device for purifying fluids in a container

Abstract

A method and device for purifying fluids in a container and providing a system for the cleaning of a container in automated analyser systems, comprising a pump which is connected to a single injection nozzle, wherein the single injection nozzle is configured to provide an oscillating fluidic jet, as well as a method for the cleaning of a container in automated analyser systems, comprising the following steps of arranging a container in a mount below a single oscillation nozzle; providing a cleaning fluid to a pump, which is connected to a controller and the oscillation nozzle; aligning the oscillating fluidic jet to a surface of the container which is to be cleaned; applying a cleaning fluid through the pump to the oscillation nozzle; and cleaning a surface of the container with the cleaning fluid.

Claims

1. A system for cleaning a container in an automated analyser, such system comprising a mount configured to hold the container; a base plate positioned above the mount; a pump; and a single injection nozzle connected to the pump and mounted movably to the base plate, wherein the single injection nozzle is configured to provide an oscillating fluidic jet in the form of a fluidic fan due to oscillation of fluid leaving the single injection nozzle resulting from a flow instability when flow of the fluid is initiated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base plate comprises a fitting for connecting a hose between the fitting and the pump.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the base plate is arranged between a fitting and the single injection nozzle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump and the base plate carrying the single injection nozzle are mounted to the automated analyser.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump is connected to a controller comprising parameters for controlling acceleration, deceleration, volume flow and direction of the oscillating fluidic jet.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the parameters for controlling acceleration, deceleration, volume flow and direction of the oscillating fluidic jet are adjusted according to viscosity, surface tension and contact angle of a cleaning fluid.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the parameters configure the pump to apply a defined amount of the cleaning fluid.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a cleaning fluid is retracted from the single injection nozzle after applying an intended amount of the cleaning fluid.

9. A method for cleaning a container in an automated analyser, comprising the following steps: Providing the system of claim 1; Arranging the container in the mount below the single injection nozzle; Applying a cleaning fluid through the pump to the single injection nozzle; and Cleaning a surface of the container with the cleaning fluid ejected from the single injection nozzle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the single injection nozzle is moved for cleaning of an increased area of the container.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the cleaning of the container is controlled by parameters stored in a controller connected to the pump.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameters stored in the controller comprise acceleration, deceleration, volume flow and direction of an oscillating fluidic jet provided by the single injection nozzle.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of retracting the cleaning fluid after applying an intended amount of the cleaning fluid.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE FIGURES

(1) The disclosure will be described based on figures. It will be understood that the embodiments and aspects of the disclosure described in the figures are only examples and do not limit the protective scope of the claims in any way. The disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents. It will be understood that features of one aspect or embodiment of the disclosure can be combined with a feature of a different aspect or aspects of other embodiments of the disclosure, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows in its left part a single nozzle with a point-shaped jet and on its right part an oscillating nozzle with a fan jet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

(3) The technical problem is solved by the independent claims. The dependent claims cover further specific embodiments of the disclosure.

(4) The term container within the meaning of the present disclosure relates to any device that is suitable for receiving fluid. Such a container can be a receptacle like a vessel, a bottle, a cuvette, or a recess. A flat surface like a microscope slide represents also a container in the context of the present disclosure.

(5) The term fluid refers with the meaning of the present disclosure to a liquid, a gas, or a mixture thereof which may comprise solids like particles.

(6) The term oscillation nozzle within the meaning of the present disclosure refers to a nozzle which provides a fluid fan due to the oscillation of the fluid leaving the nozzle.

(7) In order to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages, the present disclosure is based on the use of a single nozzle and a single precision pump. However, several problems can arise: During the reaction process, the injection point, i.e. the target position at which the fluidic jet should impinge, plays a decisive role. However, exactly this point is strongly dependent on a chain of tolerances which ultimately result from the position of the container, like a cuvette, and the injector in relation to the container. Under certain circumstances, larger areas may have to be covered by only one fluidic jet. The cross-section of the injector would have to be adjusted for achieving this. However, this cannot be done arbitrarily, as otherwise no fluidic jet can be formed with a defined dispensing volume. Depending on the parameters of the dispensing fluidic jet, e.g. the position of the injection point, the volume flow, etc., a possibly desired mixing or homogeneous distribution of the reagent(s) can only take place to a limited extent.

(8) For combining the advantages of a single dispensing nozzle and the homogeneous or large-area distribution of a comb, an oscillating nozzle is used in a device according to the present disclosure. Said nozzle starts to oscillate due to a flow instability as soon as the flow is initiated. It is an advantage that the nozzle does not require any moving parts. The oscillation can be adjusted via the geometry of the nozzle.

(9) When dispensing fluids into the reaction carrier, all related and necessary parameters are already known, like: Volume to be dispensed; Dispensing speed (volume flow); Width of the fan and thus the distance of the oscillation nozzle to the surface of the reaction carrier.

(10) The precision pump initiates delivery of the required volume. Oscillation begins when the fluid starts flowing through the oscillating nozzle, and each fan is formed. If a fan is now positioned at or above the injection point, a line contact results from which the fluid can flow evenly over the contact surface.

(11) If the oscillating nozzle is moved linearly, an almost rectangular area can be actively reached.

(12) Residues may form at the ends of the dispensing nozzles when certain problematic reagents are dispensed. Such residues may cause blockages or an insufficient dispensing, for example. The use of a single nozzle may be advantageous over the use of a dispensing comb: If the functionality of the precision pump allows, it can be retracted by a certain fluidic amount after dispensing has been completed. Thus, any residual volume is drawn out of the oscillating nozzle and no residue can form at its end. With several individual nozzles, on the other hand, residues could form or remain at individual nozzle openings.

(13) Due to the proportionality of the volume flow to the oscillation frequency of the nozzle, the freely selectable operating parameters of the precision pump (acceleration and deceleration, volume flow, reverse) and an optional linear drive of the dispensing nozzle, homogeneous dispensing over the entire surface of the reaction carrier can be achieved. The parameters can also be adjusted to the fluidic properties of the reagent (viscosity, surface tension, contact angle)

(14) FIG. 1 shows in its left part a single nozzle 21 with a point-shaped jet and on its right part an oscillating nozzle 20 with a fan jet according to the present disclosure.

(15) A fitting 10 is connected to a base plate 15 and the oscillation nozzle 20 is mounted to the base plate 15 and fluidly connected to the fitting 10. A container 30, which is a cuvette in FIG. 1 is arranged below the oscillation nozzle 20.

(16) The fluid jet 5 leaves the oscillation nozzle 20 as a fan. The oscillation nozzle 20 or the container 30 may be arranged movable so that not only a line of the fluidic jet 5 reaches the surface of the container 30, but an area of the container's surface will be reached by the fan of the fluidic jet 5.

(17) The advantage of a system and a method according to the disclosure is the provision of a robust system with only one nozzle, which is maintenance-free without any moving parts, for the cleaning of container, respectively the surfaces of a container.

(18) The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosure. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure in various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure be defined by the claims appended hereto, and their equivalents. The entirety of each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(19) 5 fluidic jet 10 fitting 15 base plate 20 oscillation nozzle 21 nozzle 30 container