Incubation chamber
US5599501A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 10, 1994 |
| Grant date | Feb 4, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T436/2575
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Method and apparatus for transportation and processing of multiple protocol assays within an automated immunoassay analyzer instrument. The apparatus includes a cuvette ring movably coupled to a magnet ring. In one embodiment, the magnet ring and cuvette ring are provided having circular shapes. A temperature controlled housing is disposed about the cuvette and magnet rings to provide a rotary incubation and particle separation chamber. The cuvette ring holds a plurality of cuvettes each of which may have a different assay disposed therein. The cuvette ring advances the cuvettes around the circumference of the incubation chamber. A plurality of discrete processing centers for aspiration and dispensing fluid samples, reagents and wash fluids are disposed at predetermined positions about the incubation chamber. The cuvette ring moves cuvettes in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions around the incubation chamber to position particular cuvettes at particular ones of the plurality of discrete processing centers to thus accommodate different protocols of each of the assays. By controlling the manner in which the cuvette ring moves within the incubation chamber, a plurality of …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.