Optics: measuring and testing – Sample – specimen – or standard holder or support
Patent
1998-11-18
2000-08-22
Font, Frank G.
Optics: measuring and testing
Sample, specimen, or standard holder or support
422102, G01N 2101
Patent
active
061080802
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL AREA
The invention relates to a cuvet bar for the accommodation of substances to be optically examined, preferably for employment in automated analysis operations, which possesses serially disposed measuring cuvets which are open on one end and interconnected within the aperture area.
Cuvet bars in conformity with the type in question are employed e.g. in the determination of parameters of the blood coagulation system. The performance of the analyses is for the most part and to a great extent effected in an automated manner, in which case the cuvet bar or the measuring cuvets are already provided with reagents and possibly with a stirring member and the measuring cuvets are closed e.g. with the aid of a sealing foil, mostly of aluminium.
For this, several variation possibilities are known. Thus and "endless" cuvet bar has been proposed which, however, ultimately involves measuring cuvets that are interconnected by means of the foil sealing the same. In case of need, the required number of cuvets are severed with the foil.
However, in this case it is disadvantageous that a mounting means is required for the further use of the measuring cuvets, which makes a use and, above everything else, an automated use only possible. In addition, the risk is very great of the foil becoming detached and that individual measuring cuvets become prematurely unserviceable.
A pertinent cuvet bar is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,744. This cuvet bar is comprised of an elongated cubic member which serves as retaining means and into which the individual measuring cuvets are inserted, one measuring cuvet being in this case disposed so as to be asymmetric in relation to the other measuring cuvets.
In other variants, such as e.g. known from the DE-U 92 18 750, the measuring cuvets are rigidly interconnected, a defined number of measuring cuvets being provided in this instance. In such a case parts of the walls of the measuring cuvets are constructed in the form of a connecting element or the connecting element, surrounding the apertures of the measuring cuvets serves to form a common surface. When the surface is covered with the sealing foil, the apertures of the sealing cuvets are closed.
Also in these cuvet bars the application of the sealing foil proves to be disadvantageous since damage of the foil on the rim side results in at least one measuring cuvet being opned.
Moreover, in all the systems with the exception of the system according to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,744, it is not ruled out that, on account of a handling error, an employment of a cuvet bar filled with samples in an analysis apparatus is performed in such a way that the cuvets are not analyzed in the planned sequence, in which connection, in the aforementioned publication, the technical expenditure in the analyzer is uneconomical.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, TECHNICAL PROBLEM, SOLUTION, ADVANTAGES
That is why it is the technical problem of the invention to provide a cuvet bar that guarantees a safe and perfect handling and analysis.
The technical problem is resolved by the feature of claim 1.
Furthermore, it is intended to provide a cuvet bar which permits a secure closure of the individual measuring cuvets with a sealing foil, where even damage of the sealing foil on the side of the rim will not lead to an opening of the measuring cuvet itself.
For this, provision is made in accordance with the invention to provide a cuvet bar in conformity with the type in question which possesses a handling and mounting member provided with an essentially cubic basic configuration, in which at least one asymmetrically arranged recess is constructed and wherein cuvets are disposed at uniform intervals and disposed in a symmetric arrangement, in which case the cuvets project from the handling and mounting member with their closed end and, with the rim of their aperture, jut out from the handling and mounting member.
By means of the construction according to the invention it is ensured that each measuring cuvet can be individuallys closed at the rim with a seal
REFERENCES:
patent: 4639135 (1987-01-01), Borer et al.
patent: 4787744 (1988-11-01), Hissung
patent: 5128104 (1992-07-01), Murphy et al.
patent: 5679948 (1997-10-01), Carey et al.
patent: 5741708 (1998-04-01), Carey et al.
patent: 6016193 (2000-01-01), Freeman et al.
Font Frank G.
Nguyen Tu T.
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