Patent ID: 7117721
Filing Date: 2006-10-10
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. In combination, an instrument for determining a characteristic of a biological fluid or a control comprising a radiation-reflective surface, a first source for irradiating the surface, and a first detector for detecting radiation reflected from the surface, and a cuvette for holding a sample of the biological fluid or control the characteristic of which is to be determined, the cuvette having two opposed walls substantially transparent to the source radiation and reflected radiation, the first source and first detector being disposed adjacent a first one of said two opposed walls and the radiation reflective surface being disposed adjacent a second of said two opposed walls, a second source for irradiating the surface, the first detector detecting radiation from the second source reflected from the surface, the second source positioned to transmit radiation through said two opposed walls for reflection by the surface and transmission back through said two opposed walls to the first detector to indicate whether a sample has reached a first point in the cuvette, a third source for irradiating the surface, the first detector detecting radiation from the third source reflected from the surface, the third source positioned to transmit radiation through said two opposed walls for reflection by the surface and transmission back through said two opposed walls to the first detector to indicate whether a sample has reached a second point in the cuvette, the cuvette comprising a region for bearing a code, the instrument further comprising one or more fourth radiation sources for irradiating the code bearing region, one or more second detectors for detecting the transmission of radiation through the code bearing region, the fourth radiation source or sources and second detector or detectors mounted adjacent the code bearing region to detect the code, a heater for maintaining the biological fluid or control at a desired temperature, means for mounting the heater adjacent the surface, means for providing power to the heater and means for monitoring the surface temperature and for feeding the monitored temperature back to the means for providing power to the heater, the heater comprising an electrically resistive foil, the surface comprising a first radiation reflective surface of a tile, the tile further comprising a second surface opposite the first surface thereof, and means for mounting the electrically resistive foil to the second surface of the tile.