Patent WO-2013072710-A1 (WO)
Title: Procedure and automatic apparatus for in vitro blood coagulation diagnostic tests
Inventor: KISS LEVENTE
IPC: G01N35/02
Filed: 2012-06-13
Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure for in vitro blood coagulation diagnostic tests, in the course of which favourably a series of tests is performed, where empty cuvettes are kept under controlled temperature circumstances, test samples placed in sample tubes arranged in sample container racks are forwarded to cuvettes, and, if necessary, a test reagent (reagents) is (are) dispensed in the cuvettes. The cuvettes with the test samples and, if necessary, reagent(s) inside them are incubated for a desired period of time, and the blood coagulation reactions of the test samples are measured according to photo-optical principles, then the cuvettes are removed, and the individual steps and their order are attuned and automated with the help of a control unit, favourably a computer. The procedure is based on that during the tests incubated cuvette removal point, test reagent removal point and test sample measuring point are handled as preferred positions, these preferred positions are arranged along the same circular arc, and in the geometric centre of this circular arc, on a common axis of rotation cuvette-moving arm and reagent-dispensing arm are operated. Rinsing and washing positions are created for the reagent-dispensing arm, and a receptacle is created for removing the cuvettes after measuring. At the same time, in the case of further procedural steps further similarly preferred positions are created, where sampling position, sample dispensing position and further rinsing and washing positions are created along further circular arc. In the geometric centre of this further circular arc, on a further axis of rotation sampling arm is operated, and the cuvette-moving arm, the reagent-dispensing arm and the sampling arm are moved along the circular arc and the further circular arcs in horizontal and vertical planes. The invention also relates to an automatic apparatus for in vitro blood coagulation diagnostic tests, which apparatus has a cuvette-dispensing unit, a test sample dispenser and a reagent dispenser, and it contains an incubation unit and a measuring unit for the photo- optical measurement of blood coagulation reactions of blood plasma samples. It also has a control unit, favourably a computer, connected to the above. The automatic apparatus is constructed in such a way that its test sample dispenser contains a module (R) moving the sample container racks (23) and a sampling arm (MK), its reagent dispenser has a reagent holder module (3) and a reagent-dispensing arm (K2), its further units have a modular construction, where the output of the cuvette-dispensing module (C) joins a system of storage tracks (31) connected to the nests (33) of the rotatable disc (32) of the incubation module (1), the cuvette removal point (lA) of the incubation module (1), the reagent removal point (3A) of the reagent holder module (3), the measuring point (2A) of the measuring module (2) and the receptacle (X) where the cuvettes are collected after measuring are all arranged along the same circular arc, in the geometric centre (O) of the circular arc there is the common axis of rotation (4) of the cuvette-moving arm (Kl) and the reagent-dispensing arm (K2) moved in horizontal and vertical planes, the reagent-dispensing arm (K2) has rinsing position (W3) and washing position (W2), and the sampling position (26) of the module (R) moving the sample container racks, one cuvette nest (33) of the rotatable disc (32) of the incubation module (1), the removal point (EA) of a further emergency module (E), and further rinsing (W4) and washing positions (W1) of the sampling tip (MK*) are arranged along a further circular arc, and the axis of rotation (Z) of the sampling arm (MK) is placed in the geometric centre (Y) of the further circular arc.