Patent ID: 11867710
Assignee: MEON MEDICAL SOLUTIONS GMBH & CO KG
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC G

Claim 30:
31. A method for automatic chemical, biochemical and/or immunochemical analysis of liquid samples, which are present in a sample store of an analyzer, with the aid of liquid reagents, which are present in at least one reagent store of the analyzer, in order to determine at least one analyte concentration in the sample, comprising the following steps:
transferring a predetermined quantity of a liquid sample from a sample vessel in the sample store into a cuvette of a stationary, linear cuvette array by means of a first pipettor which is movable along the cuvette array, wherein the cuvette includes at least one window disposed in a side wall of the cuvette;
transferring a predetermined quantity of a reagent liquid from a reagent vessel of the reagent store into the cuvette of the stationary, linear cuvette array by means of the first pipettor or by means of a second pipettor which is movable independently of the first;
mixing the liquids in the cuvette with a mixing unit;
controlling the temperature of the liquids in the cuvette with a stationary temperature control unit;
cleaning a pipetting needle associated with at least one of the first pipettor and second pipettor with a needle washing unit;
optically measuring the contents of the cuvette by means of an optical measurement unit via the at least one window, wherein the optical measurement unit includes a spectroscopic unit or a detection unit, both having direct lateral access to the plurality of cuvettes, and determining at least one measured value;
calculating and displaying the analyte concentration based on the measured values and on previously known or predetermined reference values and calibration values;
washing and drying the cuvette by means of a cuvette washing unit which is movable along the cuvette array, wherein at least one of the optical measurement unit, the mixing unit, and the cuvette washing unit is configured and arranged to be movable in the x-direction independently of the first pipettor; and
providing the cuvette for subsequent analysis.