Patent ID: 6630108
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
An optical measuring head for an automatic laboratory chemical or biochemical reaction analyser designed to determine the dosing of components contained in samples after mixing with reagents in cups (16, 16a) of a reaction analysis plate (18), said measuring head comprising:a first colorimetric analysis detector (12, 122) controlled by a light source (20) associated to an optic fibre (28) for transmission of the light beam to one of the sides of the reaction analysis plate (18), coinciding with the optic axis of a predetermined cup, which cup is made of transparent material, means for focussing the light beam when the latter passes through the reaction mixture (34) in said cup (16), a photodetector device (37) arranged on the opposite side of the analysis plate (18) to collect the light beam emerging from the cup (16) after this beam has been subjected to an attenuation, and an electronic processing circuit (46) for processing the signal delivered by the photodetector device (37) to determine the light spectrum or the optical density of the reaction mixture (34), characterized in that:the light source (20) and the reaction analysis plate (18) are fixed, the measuring head (10, 100) comprises a U-shaped mobile support (19) framing the parallel opposite sides of the reaction analysis plate (18), and a drive mechanism (48) of said mobile support to bring the first calorimetric analysis detector (12, 112) to face a predetermined cup, the optic fibre (28) has one end secured to the fixed light source (20) and an opposite end arranged in a first housing (30) of the mobile support (19).