Patent · US Expired

Reagent pump assembly

US5934885A · kind A · utility

106Cited by
11References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 30, 1996
Grant dateAug 10, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 30, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N35/1095
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A reagent pump assembly for metering precise volumes of fluids, such as reagent, for an analytical instrument, such as a clinical hematology or flow cytometer instrument. The assembly includes a multilayer block having a plurality of diaphragm pumps interposed between two of the layers, controlled by application of one of vacuum or pressure, in sequence, to fill the reservoirs and expel the contents of the pump. One-way check valves are used to control the fluid flow from the reservoirs of fluids to the fluid outlet ports. The fluid outlet ports may be directly coupled to fluid inlet ports of a compatible unified flow circuit, which contains reaction chambers and a plurality of sample aliquots. Thus, the reagent pump assembly can be used to combine and mix a sample aliquots with a precise amount of reagent in a reaction chamber, preparatory for analyzing the reaction mixture.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.