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EP-4741831-A2 - APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATED DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF LIQUID SAMPLES

EP4741831A2EP 4741831 A2EP4741831 A2EP 4741831A2EP-4741831-A2

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus for the automated analysis of liquid samples, comprising a measuring device for measuring an optical property of a liquid sample, wherein said measuring device comprises a rotatable transport cylinder having a cylinder wall and a cylinder top, wherein there is at least one slot in the cylinder wall for receiving a reaction vessel, wherein the measuring device further comprises a cylindrical housing having a cylindrical housing wall and a cylindrical housing top, said cylindrical housing being concentrically arranged around the transport cylinder, wherein there is at least one opening for inserting and/or ejecting a reaction vessel to or from the at least one slot in the transport cylinder, and a light detector for detecting light being emitted from a liquid in a reaction vessel being inserted in the at least one slot of the transport cylinder.

Inventors

  • FINK, STEFAN

Assignees

  • Diasys Technologies S.A.R.L.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210412

Claims (14)

  1. Apparatus (1) for the automated analysis of liquid samples, wherein said apparatus comprises - a sample tray (3) for receiving sample containers (4) containing at least one liquid sample, - at least one reagent tray (5, 6) for receiving reagent containers (7, 8) containing at least one reagent, - at least one reaction tray (9, 10) for receiving reaction vessels (11, 12), - at least one measuring device (13, 14) for measuring a physical or chemical property or the liquid sample treated with a reagent in a reaction vessel (11, 12), and - at least one pipetting device (15, 16) for transferring liquid sample from sample containers (4) in the sample tray (3) to the reaction vessels (11, 12) and at least one pipetting device (17, 18) for transferring reagent from reagent containers (7, 8) in the reagent tray (3) to the reaction vessels (11, 12), characterized in that at least one of the measuring devices (14) is for measuring an optical property of a liquid sample treated with a reagent in a reaction vessel (12), wherein said measuring device comprises - a rotatable transport cylinder (33) having a cylinder wall (34) and a cylinder top (35), wherein there is at least one slot (36) in the cylinder wall for receiving a reaction vessel (12), - a cylindrical housing (37) having a cylindrical housing wall (38) and a cylindrical housing top (39), said cylindrical housing (37) being concentrically arranged around the transport cylinder (33), wherein there is at least one opening (43, 44) for inserting and/or ejecting a reaction vessel (12) to or from the at least one slot (36) in the transport cylinder (33), and - a light detector (41) for detecting light being emitted from a liquid in a reaction vessel (12) being inserted in the at least one slot (36) of the transport cylinder (33).
  2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that vertical fins (42) are in the form of circles concentrically arranged around the axis of rotation of the transport cylinder.
  3. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 and 2, characterized in that vertical fins (42) protrude upwards or downwards from horizontal surfaces of the transport cylinder (33) and/or the cylindrical housing (37).
  4. Apparatus according to one of the claims claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the rotatable transport cylinder (33) has 1, 2 or 3 slots (36, 36', 36‴) for receiving a reaction vessel (12).
  5. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rotatable transport cylinder (33) has 2 slots for receiving a reaction vessel (12), said slots being arranged in the cylinder wall (34) at an angle of 180° referring to each other.
  6. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rotatable transport cylinder (33) has 3 slots for receiving a reaction vessel (12), said slots being arranged in the cylinder wall (34) at an angle of 120°.
  7. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cylindrical housing (37) has one loading opening (43) for inserting a reaction vessel (12) to the at least one slot (36) in the transport cylinder (33), and on unloading opening (44) for ejecting a reaction vessel (12) from the at least one slot (36) in the transport cylinder (33), wherein the loading opening (43) is in the cylindrical housing top (39) , and wherein the unloading opening (44) is in the cylindrical housing wall (38).
  8. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the optical property to be measured is a result of an immuno assay or a result of a clinical chemistry assay or a result of a coagulation assay or a result of an ion selective electrode assay.
  9. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the optical property to be measured is chemiluminescence.
  10. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the light detector (41) is a PMT detector having a photomultiplier tube.
  11. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the maximum distance between the outer circumference of the transport cylinder wall and the inner circumference of the cylindrical housing wall is 1 mm or less.
  12. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that - the sample tray is in the form of a rotatable sample disc (3), - the at least two reagent trays are in the form of rotatable reagent discs (5, 6), - the at least two reaction trays are either in the form of a rotatable reaction disc (9) being arranged adjacent to the sample tray or in the form of a static reaction ring (10), - wherein the pipetting devices are in the form of swiveling pipetting arms (15, 16, 17, 18) having an axis of rotation (19) on one end of the pipetting arm, about which the pipetting needle (20) on the other end of the pipetting arm is movable along a circular path, wherein the axis of rotation of the pipetting devices is located between the sample disc (3) and each reaction disc/ring (9, 10) or between each reagent disc (5, 6) and its corresponding reaction disc/ring (9, 10).
  13. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the analysis area is arranged in a housing (21), said housing having a loading opening (22) for receiving sample containers (4) and reagent containers (7, 8) either individually or prepacked in racks (23, 24), wherein the loading opening (22) comprises a robotic arm (25) for transporting the sample containers (4) and reagent containers (7, 8) either individually or in the form of prepacked racks (23, 24) from the loading opening (22) to the sample tray (3) or the reagent trays (5, 6).
  14. Apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor (27) for transporting sample containers and/or reagent containers either individually or in the form of prepacked racks to or from the loading opening.

Description

The present invention refers to an apparatus for the automated analysis of liquid samples, wherein said apparatus has an analysis area, comprising a sample tray for receiving sample containers, at least one reagent tray for receiving reagent containers, at least one reaction tray for receiving reaction vessels, and at least one measuring device for measuring a physical or chemical property of a liquid sample treated with a reagent in a reaction vessel. In the context of increasing automation in the field of medical and veterinary medical diagnostics, apparatuses for the automated analysis of liquids, so-called analyzers, are being widely used. Such analyzers are designed for automatically taking a reagent from a reagent container and for combining said reagent with a sample to be analyzed for carrying out the analysis procedure in a reaction vessel. For that purpose, analyzers usually have a sample tray, a reagent tray and a reaction tray providing slots for receiving and holding the respective containers. The step of removing reagent or sample and transferring it into a reaction vessel is usually performed by an automatic pipetting device. Such an automatic pipetting device frequently includes a pipetting arm having a pipetting needle, which is connected to a pump unit for drawing up liquid into the needle and ejecting the liquid from the needle again. The pipetting arm can be moved either in XY directions or by rotation over a working area, where the sample tray, the reagent tray and/or the reaction tray are located. Typically, analyzers include a measuring device for determining the physical or chemical parameter (process parameter) of a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel. Said measuring devices perform measurement technologies, such as spectrophotometry, colorimetry, ion selective electrode, coagulation and immunoassays. The area covered by the afore-mentioned devices for performing the diagnostic analysis is the analysis area, where the sample tray, the at least one reagent tray, the at least one reaction tray, the measuring devices and the pipetting devices for transferring liquid between the other devices are located. One example for an analyzer is disclosed in WO 2011/061118. For achieving a maximum possible sample throughput this analyzer has precisely three rotatable discs, namely a sample disc, a reagent disc and a reaction disc, at least three pipetting devices and a measuring device. For the purpose of improving efficiency the apparatus is operated in successive operating cycles with defined modes of action, respectively. There is a continuous need for increasing the efficiency of automation in analyzers. Further, there is a need to minimize the size of the apparatus design in order to save space in the laboratories, where it shall be run. In addition, it is desired to reduce the workload of the operator who runs the analyzer. In accordance with the invention, the above-described object is attained by various aspects which are described in detail hereinafter and which usually have in common that the inventive apparatus comprises an analysis area, characterized in that the analysis area comprises a sample tray for receiving sample containers containing at least one liquid sample,at least one reagent tray for receiving reagent containers containing at least one reagent,at least one reaction tray for receiving reaction vessels,at least one measuring device for measuring a physical or chemical property or the liquid sample treated with a reagent in a reaction vessel, andat least one pipetting device for transferring liquid sample from sample containers in the sample disc to the reaction vessels and at least one pipetting device for transferring reagent from reagent containers in the reagent disc to the reaction vessels. The term "sample" is used in connection with the present invention to denote any material which is prepared for the purposes of the analysis operation and which contains a substance to be diagnostically analyzed. Examples for samples are whole blood, purified blood, blood preserves, etc. as well as other body liquids, such as urine or liquor. The inventive apparatus is capable of performing different analysis processes. In preferred embodiments, the physical or chemical property measured by at least one of the measuring devices is selected from a result of an immunoassay, a result of a clinical chemistry assay, a result of a coagulation assay or a result of an ion selective electrode assay in a reaction vessel. Aspect No. 1: Arrangement of components In order to increase efficiency, to minimize the size of the apparatus and in order to reduce the workload of the operator who runs the analyzer. The present invention provides a number of technical solutions. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed an apparatus for the automated analysis of liquid samples, wherein said apparatus comprises an analysis area, characterized in that the analysis area comp