Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Analyzer – structured indicator – or manipulative laboratory... – Sample mechanical transport means in or for automated...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2001-10-09
Warden, Jill (Department: 1743)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Analyzer, structured indicator, or manipulative laboratory...
Sample mechanical transport means in or for automated...
C422S050000, C422S068100, C422S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299840
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an automatic testing apparatus in which a specimen is mixed with a reagent and is subsequently stored to perform a reaction between the specimen and the reagent.
In the prior art, a transferring robot transfers a specimen receiving container between a specimen-reagent mixing device and a reaction performing device.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a high automatic-operating-efficiency and high testing-accuracy in an automatic testing apparatus in which a specimen is mixed with a reagent and is subsequently stored to perform a reaction between the specimen and the reagent.
According to the present invention, an automatic testing apparatus comprises, a specimen holder area adapted to hold thereon a specimen substrate or test plate for receiving therein a specimen, a reagent injector adapted to inject a reagent toward the specimen in the specimen substrate on the specimen holder area to mix the specimen with the reagent, a mixture reaction device adapted to hold thereon the specimen substrate including the mixture of the specimen and the reagent within a predetermined circumferential (environment) condition, for example, within a controlled temperature suitable for a reaction between the specimen and the reagent during a time period for performing sufficiently the reaction therebetween, and a transferring device for transferring the specimen substrate relative to the specimen holder area, wherein the mixture reaction device has a take-in area to which the specimen substrate is transferred from the specimen holder area by the transferring device, and the take-in area is arranged adjacent to the specimen holder area.
Since the take-in area to which the specimen substrate is transferred from the specimen holder area by the transferring device is arranged adjacent to the specimen holder area, a time necessary for transferring the specimen substrate by the transferring device between the mixing between the specimen and the reagent and the reaction therebetween within the predetermined circumferential ential condition, that is, an undesirable time loss causing an undesirable reaction proceeding within an undesirable circumferential condition different from the predetermined termined circumferential condition after the mixing, is minimized. Therefore, the operating-efficiency and testing-accuracy in the automatic testing apparatus is improved.
If the automatic testing apparatus comprises a specimen substrate stocking device adapted to hold thereon the specimen substrate before mixing the specimen with the reagent on the specimen holder area, the specimen substrate stocking device has a take-out area from which the specimen substrate is transferred to the specimen holder area by the transferring device, and the take-out area is arranged adjacent to the specimen holder area, a transferring movement of the transferring device is performed around the specimen holder area as a central point of the transferring movement of the specimen substrate so that a time within which the transferring device returns to the specimen holder area from the specimen substrate stocking device is minimized. Therefore, the undesirable time loss causing the undesirable reaction proceeding within the undesirable circumferential condition different from the predetermined circumferential condition after the mixing between the specimen and the reagent and the transferring of the specimen substrate relative to the specimen substrate stocking device is minimized to improve the operating-efficiency and testing-accuracy in the automatic testing apparatus. The specimen holder area may be arranged between the take-in area and the take-out area in a transferring direction of the transferring device and/or in a proceeding direction of the specimen substrate so that the specimen substrate is prevented from proceeding between the take-in area and the specimen holder area over or through the take-out area and from proceeding between the take-out area and the specimen holder area over or through the take-in area. If the take-in area and the take-out area face to each other through the specimen holder area, the specimen substrate transferring direction of the transferring device may be simplified or as straight as possible.
When the specimen holder area is adapted to hold thereon a plurality of the specimen substrates, and the transferring device transfers one of the specimen substrates over another one of the specimen substrates, a horizontal area in which the transferring device moves can be small so that a horizontal size of the automatic testing apparatus can be small.
When the automatic testing apparatus comprises a mixture testing device for measuring a condition (for example, chemical and/or biochemical characteristic, physical characteristic or the like) of the mixture of the specimen and the reagent on the specimen substrate, and the transferring device transfers the specimen substrate from the specimen holder area on which the mixture is formed to the mixture testing device arranged at a relatively lower position in comparison with a vertical position of the specimen holder area, the mixing degree of the mixture is increased by the vertical movement of the specimen substrate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4298570 (1981-11-01), Lillig et al.
patent: 4483927 (1984-11-01), Takekawa
patent: 4554839 (1985-11-01), Hewett et al.
patent: 4647432 (1987-03-01), Wakatake
patent: 5055408 (1991-10-01), Higo et al.
patent: 5332549 (1994-07-01), MacIndoe
patent: 5356525 (1994-10-01), Goodale
Daikoku Takashi
Higuchi Akira
Ishiyama Kenji
Kitahara Hideyoshi
Kuroda Kenichi
Gakh Yelena G.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher LLP
Warden Jill
LandOfFree
Automatic testing apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Automatic testing apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic testing apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2600028