Patent ID: 6267927
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for performing laboratory tests automatically comprising:a first main region of equipment and a second main region of equipment, operation of the equipment in each region being controlled separately, the first region, to which the user has interactive access, permitting loading of a plurality of samples, controls, calibrators and diluents for performing the sampling and the dilutions, and receiving a plurality of plates on which a plurality of tests are performed, and the second region, to which the user has selective access, comprising a plurality of stations permitting stages of the tests including at least incubation, washing and, reading, the second region being able to hold at least two plates at different stages of the testing, the apparatus having means for automatically moving the plates along three coordinate axes X, Y, Z in order to transport the plates to complete the testing, for enabling several tests to be performed at the same time on a set of samples on one or several plates, and for enabling a new series of tasks with the same or different sets of tests and the same or different sets of samples to be started even when the previous ones have not been completed, the apparatus comprising, beneath the first and second main regions, a series of containers for storing a plurality of auxiliary liquids;wherein the automatically moving means includes a carriage movable on two horizontal guides along the X and Y axes, the carriage being movable on a vertical Z-axis guide and carrying a plurality of probes for the manipulation of liquids, the probes incorporating individual level detectors, the carriage also having an independently vertically movable gripper for picking up the plates, enabling the plates to be moved to a new position, and for depositing the plates in a predetermined location.