GB2566937A - Cuvette transport - Google Patents

Cuvette transport Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2566937A
GB2566937A GB1715197.8A GB201715197A GB2566937A GB 2566937 A GB2566937 A GB 2566937A GB 201715197 A GB201715197 A GB 201715197A GB 2566937 A GB2566937 A GB 2566937A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
cuvette
cuvettes
rail
carrier
slide
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1715197.8A
Other versions
GB201715197D0 (en
Inventor
Schramm Alexander
Barth Matthias
Trump Martin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Stratec Biomedical AG
Original Assignee
Stratec Biomedical AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stratec Biomedical AG filed Critical Stratec Biomedical AG
Priority to GB1715197.8A priority Critical patent/GB2566937A/en
Publication of GB201715197D0 publication Critical patent/GB201715197D0/en
Publication of GB2566937A publication Critical patent/GB2566937A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G01N35/04—Details of the conveyor system
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/12—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/12—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
    • B65G47/14—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
    • B65G47/1407—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
    • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
    • B65G47/12—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
    • B65G47/14—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
    • B65G47/1407—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
    • B65G47/1414—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl by means of movement of at least the whole wall of the container
    • B65G47/1421—Vibratory movement
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/34—Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor 
    • B65G47/46—Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor  and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points
    • B65G47/51—Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor  and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points according to unprogrammed signals, e.g. influenced by supply situation at destination
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G01N35/025—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G01N35/04—Details of the conveyor system
    • G01N2035/0439—Rotary sample carriers, i.e. carousels
    • G01N2035/0444—Rotary sample carriers, i.e. carousels for cuvettes or reaction vessels
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02—Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G01N35/04—Details of the conveyor system
    • G01N2035/0474—Details of actuating means for conveyors or pipettes
    • G01N2035/0475—Details of actuating means for conveyors or pipettes electric, e.g. stepper motor, solenoid

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Automatic Analysis And Handling Materials Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a device 1 for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into neighboring devices of an automated analyser system, wherein the device comprises a cuvette funnel 10, which is connected to a cuvette rail 20, which is connected to a cuvette slide 40. The cuvette slide comprises a cuvette gate (42, Fig 4) at its lower end, which is connected to a cuvette carrier 50. Optionally, a vibrating motor 30 can be used to move the cuvettes along the rail 20. The loading slot 12 of the loading tray 11 of the funnel 10 can be configured to ensure that the cuvettes only enter it in a top-up position. A light barrier cuvette sensor 41 may be present on the slide 40 at its upper end. The cuvette carrier 50 may be mounted on a stepper motor.

Description

(57) The invention relates to a device 1 for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into neighboring devices of an automated analyser system, wherein the device comprises a cuvette funnel 10, which is connected to a cuvette rail 20, which is connected to a cuvette slide 40. The cuvette slide comprises a cuvette gate (42, Fig 4) at its lower end, which is connected to a cuvette carrier 50. Optionally, a vibrating motor 30 can be used to move the cuvettes along the rail 20. The loading slot 12 of the loading tray 11 of the funnel 10 can be configured to ensure that the cuvettes only enter it in a top-up position. A light barrier cuvette sensor 41 may be present on the slide 40 at its upper end. The cuvette carrier 50 may be mounted on a stepper motor.
Figure 1
Figure 1
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Figure 7
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CUVETTE TRANSPORT
DESCRIPTION
Field of the invention [0001] The invention relates to a device that is a sorting and alignment hardware for bulk cuvettes and their transport.
Background of the invention [0002] Automated analyser systems for use in clinical diagnostics and life sciences are produced by a number of companies. For example, the Stratec Biomedical AG, Birkenfeld, Germany, produces a number of devices for specimen handling and detection for use in automated analyser systems and other laboratory instrumentation.
[0003] In current diagnostics, life sciences and biotechnology applications, either manual or automated, a variety of plastics are used in large numbers. Cuvettes are usually packed in bags as bulk ware. Hardware is needed to sort and align the cuvettes in order to make them usable in medical analysis systems. In existing systems oscillating bowls and screw conveyors or transport chains are used to transfer the cuvettes loaded by the user into the handling system of a medical analysis system.
[0004] Another solution is to use pre-stacked cuvettes as shown in European patent document EP 2 799 886. The stacks disclosed in this document are loaded into the instrument and need to be separated into single cuvettes by the instrument automatically. The single separated cuvettes can then be transported to the following modules.
[0005] The available sorting and alignment hardware for bulk cuvettes is mechanically complex, expensive and may cause reliability issues. It also needs a lot of space within the system. Systems using pre-stacked cuvettes need a mechanically complex de-stacking module and packaging of the cuvettes is more complex compared to bulk cuvettes, which results in higher costs for the consumables.
Object of the invention [0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for sorting and aligning bulk cuvettes and transport them into analyser systems avoiding complex mechanical parts.
Summary of the invention [0007] The instant invention provides a device for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into neighbouring devices of an automated analyser system, wherein the device comprises a cuvette funnel, which is connected to a cuvette rail, which is connected to a cuvette slide, which comprises a cuvette gate at its lower end, which is connected to a cuvette carrier.
[0008] In a further aspect, the device may comprise a motor to vibrate the cuvette rail, wherein the motor may have an unbalanced mass.
[0009] The cuvette funnel may have a loading slot at its lower side configured to take up cuvettes in a top up position, wherein the loading slot may have connected to the cuvette rail.
[0010] The cuvette rail may in a further aspect be sloped towards the cuvette slide and the cuvette slide may comprise a cuvette sensor at its upper end.
[0011] The cuvette sensor can be a light barrier for detecting cuvettes.
[0012] The cuvette carrier can be directly mounted on a stepper motor.
[0013] It is envisaged in a further aspect of the invention that the stepper motor moves the cuvette carrier on a circular path.
[0014] The cuvette carrier can be connected to a device of the automated analyser system.
[0015] The device may encompass a cuvette gate that is a movable or rotatable lever engaging with the cuvette for stopping it in a closed position.
[0016] Another object of the present disclosure is a system for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into a neighbouring device of an automated analyser system, comprising a device as described above and cuvettes having rips at least at the side facing a cuvette gate.
[0017] The use of a device as described above or a system as described above in an automated analyser system for sorting and aligning cuvettes for their transport into neighbouring devices represents another object of the present disclosure.
Summary of the figures [0018] The invention will now be described on the basis of figures. It will be understood that the embodiments and aspects of the invention described in the figures are only examples and do not limit the protective scope of the claims in any way. The invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. It will be understood that features of one aspect or embodiment of the invention can be combined with a feature of a different aspect or aspects of other embodiments of the invention. It shows:
Figure 1 Schematic of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2: Schematic of a funnel comprised in a device according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Schematic of a cross section through a cuvette rail.
Schematic of a cuvette at a cuvette gate.
Schematic of a cuvette gate mechanism.
Schematic of a cuvette carrier mechanism.
Schematic of a cuvette carrier.
Detailed description of the invention [0019] The present disclosure provides a device and a system for sorting and alignment bulk hardware cuvettes and their transport.
[0020] The term cuvette is used within the context of the present invention for designating a small tube or reaction vessel, that may have a circular or square cross section. Two sides of a cuvette maybe plan parallel and the material can be transparent or have at least the plan parallel sides clear so that light can pass through them. Cuvettes may be made of plastic, glass or fused quartz.
[0021] The invention describes a device for cuvette transport comprising a cuvette funnel into which the cuvettes are loaded, a cuvette rail which transports and stores cuvettes, a motor with unbalanced mass to vibrate the cuvette rail, a cuvette slide comprising a cuvette gate and a cuvette sensor, and a cuvette carrier to pick up cuvettes from the cuvette slide and transport them into a following module.
[0022] In a first step the cuvettes are loaded into the funnel from a bag for instance. Then the cuvettes need to be manually moved around by the user either by hand or by using a special paddle, so that they will slide down into a loading slot that is arranged at the bottom of the loading tray. The lower walls of the loading tray are sloped for guiding cuvettes into the loading slot. Once the cuvettes are positioned in the loading slot, they can manually be pushed into a cuvette rail either by hand or with the paddle.
[0023] The loading slot is formed in a manner that cuvettes will only fit into it with its upper side at the top. The top of a cuvette is the side where a cuvette has an opening for adding or removing a liquid. The top side of a cuvette may be sealed to avoid evaporation of a liquid that is already filled into a cuvette.
[0024] The cuvette rail extends from the loading slot of the cuvette funnel. The top of a cuvette may have at least a collar or additionally vertical extensions, so that the cuvette rail, which is open at its bottom side, surrounds the top of the cuvette and the collar is laying onto the inner side of the bottom side of the cuvette. The rail has a substantially inversed U-shape with extensions at its bottom side or a C-shape with an opening at its lower side.
[0025] The rail is connected with a step down from the loading slot to minimize the risk of a cuvette jam. The cuvette rail combines the purpose of transport and storage of cuvettes. This allows the storage of a lot of cuvettes in the system without using the limited space on the deck or pipetting area. The cuvette rail may have several curves, but could also be helix shaped or follow a zigzag pattern. The length of the cuvette rail is designed to store enough cuvettes so that the user does not need to refdl the instrument during operation.
[0026] A motor can be attached to the cuvette rail for moving the cuvettes hanging in a rail. The motr may have an unbalanced mass. Due to the small slope of the cuvette rail, which can be about 7.5°, the motor with the unbalanced mass causes vibrations resulting in cuvette movement in the cuvette rail. When steeper rails are used, it may be unnecessary to use a motor.
[0027] To avoid edges where cuvettes may jam, the cuvette rail is preferably a one piece design. Furthermore, the interface connecting the cuvette rail to the cuvette slide is again designed as step down to eliminate the risk of cuvette jams.
[0028] The cuvette slide is the interface between the cuvette rail and a cuvette carrier. The cuvette slide has a sensor such as a light barrier on its upper end and a cuvette gate at its lower end. The light barrier at the upper end is used to ensure that a minimum number of cuvettes, necessary to push the lowest cuvette into the cuvette carrier by gravity, is present on the upper side of the cuvette slide. These banked up cuvettes ensure a reliable and fast movement of the lowest cuvette into the cuvette carrier once the cuvette gate at the cuvette slide’s lower end opens.
[0029] The lowest cuvette on the cuvette slide is stopped by the cuvette gate. The cuvette gate can be actuated by a drive or by external actuation as for example by using the vertical drive of the pipettor. To reliably stop the cuvettes and to prevent them from sliding into an empty cuvette carrier, the cuvette gate is rotated upward an engages between two rips on the outer side of the cuvettes. The cuvette is blocked by the cuvette gate and moving or rotating it downwards out of the cuvette rips releases the cuvette again..
[0030] The cuvette gate this holds cuvette with rips at at least one side of the cuvette. The blocked cuvettes therefore remain within the cuvette slide, when the cuvette gate is in a closed position. When the cuvette carrier is in position to pick up a cuvette, the cuvette gate opens by turning clockwise or downwards to release the cuvette and all cuvettes within the cuvette slide move down the slope and the first cuvette enters the cuvette carrier. After the cuvette gate moved to a closed position again, the cuvette carrier moves the cuvette into the following module by following either a linear or a circular path. In the following module, the cuvette is pushed sideways out of the transport onto a module internal transport rail.
[0031] In one embodiment, the cuvette carrier is directly mounted on a stepper motor, which moves the cuvette carrier on a circular path. After a cuvette entering the cuvette carrier and the cuvette gate is closed again, the cuvette carrier rotates the cuvette into the following module.
[0032] Another solution is to use sorted cuvettes, for example cuvettes aligned in a box. Such boxes are loaded into the system where single cuvettes get removed from the box.
[0033] The advantages of the invention of the present disclosure can be summarized as follows:
a. The invention enables simple loading of bulk cuvettes into a system.
b. The risk of cuvette jams is reduced compared to more complex solutions and therefore more reliable, due to the simplicity.
c. The invention enables cost effective loading of bulk cuvettes into a system.
d. Reducing the complexity of the system allows to save space within the system.
Detailed description of the figures [0034] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention comprising a cuvette funnel 10, which is connected to a cuvette rail 20, which is connected to a cuvette slide 40, which is connected to a cuvette carrier 50, which is connected to a following module 60.
[0035] The cuvette funnel 10 comprises a cuvette loading tray 11 with sloped sides and a loading slot 12 at the bottom of the funnel 10.
[0036] The device 1 further comprises a motor 30 with may have an unbalanced mass to vibrate the cuvette rail 20 for moving cuvettes that are hanging in the cuvette rail. The cuvette slide 40 comprises a cuvette sensor 41 on its upper end and a cuvette carrier 50 at its lower end.
[0037] Figure 2 shows a cuvette funnel 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The cuvette funnel 10 comprises a cuvette loading tray 11 and a loading slot 12 at the bottom of the funnel 10. The funnel 10 is connected to a cuvette rail 20. The loading tray 11 has sloped sides and the loading slot 12 is configured such that cuvettes can only enter it in a top-up position.
[0038] Figure 3 shows a cross section through a cuvette rail 20 comprising with a cuvette 2 hanging in it. The rail has the shape of a square that is open at is lower side. A cuvette has at least a collar which is laying on the inner side of the lower open side of the rails. The rail may have an other shape as long as it provides an open lower side that is capable of hanging a cuvette in it.
[0039] The cuvette 2 in figure 2 has additionally rips 3 at its side walls, which are interacting with the open lower inside of the cuvette rail 20.
[0040] Figure 4 shows a cuvette 2 stopped by a cuvette gate 42 located at the lower end of cuvette slide 40, preventing the cuvette 2 from sliding into the empty cuvette carrier 50. Other cuvettes on the cuvette slide 40 are not shown.
[0041] Figure 5 shows the working principle of a cuvette gate mechanism. Figure 5 A shows a cuvette 2 comprising cuvette rips 3 at the side of the cuvette 2. The cuvette gate 42 is in a closed position so that the cuvette gate 42 engages between rips 3 of cuvette 2 (not shown). Cuvette carrier 50 is empty.
[0042] Figure 5 B shows a cross section through a cuvette gate mechanism with a cuvette 2 with rips 3 at the cuvette’s side. The cuvette gate 42 turned counter-clockwise to engage between rips 3 of cuvette 2.
[0043] Figure 5C shows a cuvette gate 42 in an open position releasing a cuvette 2 into cuvette carrier 50 adjacent to cuvette gate 42.
[0044] Figure 6A shows a schematic of a cuvette carrier mechanism. Cuvette carrier 50 moves cuvette 2 sidewise. Figure 6B shows how the cuvette 2 is moved by the cuvette carrier 50 into a neighboring device 60. The cuvette enters the cuvette carrier 50 before being moved to device 60.
[0045] Figure 7 shows a schematic of a cuvette carrier 50 according to one embodiment of the invention.
Reference numerals device cuvette cuvette rip funnel cuvette loading tray loading slot cuvette rail motor cuvette slide cuvette sensor cuvette gate cuvette carrier following device

Claims (14)

1. A device for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into neighbouring devices of an automated analyser system, wherein the device comprises a cuvette funnel, which is connected to a cuvette rail, which is connected to a cuvette slide, which comprises a cuvette gate at its lower end, which is connected to a cuvette carrier.
2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a motor to vibrate the cuvette rail.
3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the motor has an unbalanced mass.
4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cuvette funnel has a loading slot at its lower side configured to take up cuvettes in a top up position.
5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the loading slot is connected to the cuvette rail.
6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cuvette rail is sloped towards the cuvette slide
7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cuvette slide further comprises a cuvette sensor at its upper end.
8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the cuvette sensor is a light barrier.
9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cuvette carrier is directly mounted on a stepper motor.
10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the stepper motor moves the cuvette carrier on a circular path.
11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein cuvette carrier is connected to a device of the automated analyser system.
12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cuvette gate is a movable or rotatable lever engaging with the cuvette for stopping it in a closed position.
13. A system for sorting and aligning cuvettes and their transport into a neighbouring device of an automated analyser system, comprising a device of any one of claims 1 to 12 and cuvettes having rips at least at the side facing a cuvette gate.
14. The use of a device of claims 1 to 12 or a system of claim 13 in an automated analyser system for sorting and aligning cuvettes for their transport into neighbouring devices.
GB1715197.8A 2017-09-20 2017-09-20 Cuvette transport Withdrawn GB2566937A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1715197.8A GB2566937A (en) 2017-09-20 2017-09-20 Cuvette transport

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1715197.8A GB2566937A (en) 2017-09-20 2017-09-20 Cuvette transport

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GB2566937A true GB2566937A (en) 2019-04-03

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1832880A2 (en) * 2006-03-10 2007-09-12 Sysmex Corporation Parts supply device, sample analyzing device, parts supply method
US20140295563A1 (en) * 2013-03-28 2014-10-02 Sysmex Corporation Analyzer and analyzing method
EP2860137A1 (en) * 2013-10-10 2015-04-15 F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag Apparatus for separating cuvettes
EP3021122A1 (en) * 2013-07-08 2016-05-18 Jeol Ltd. Measurement-container supply device

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1832880A2 (en) * 2006-03-10 2007-09-12 Sysmex Corporation Parts supply device, sample analyzing device, parts supply method
US20140295563A1 (en) * 2013-03-28 2014-10-02 Sysmex Corporation Analyzer and analyzing method
EP3021122A1 (en) * 2013-07-08 2016-05-18 Jeol Ltd. Measurement-container supply device
EP2860137A1 (en) * 2013-10-10 2015-04-15 F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag Apparatus for separating cuvettes

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