U.S. patent number 3,677,091 [Application Number 05/067,319] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-18 for apparatus for transferring liquids.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hoffman-La Roche Inc.. Invention is credited to Jean Guigan.
United States Patent |
3,677,091 |
Guigan |
July 18, 1972 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS
Abstract
An apparatus for transferring a liquid via a liquid conducting
means from a donor receptacle to a receiving receptacle, which
includes cleaning and drying means for the liquid conducting
means.
Inventors: |
Guigan; Jean (Paris,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Hoffman-La Roche Inc. (Nutley,
NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
22075196 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/067,319 |
Filed: |
August 27, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
73/864.22;
422/530; 73/864.25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N
35/1079 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01N
1/00 (20060101); G01n 001/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;73/423A,421B
;356/244,246 ;23/253,259 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Swisher; S. Clement
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for transferring a liquid substance from a donor
container to a receiving container via a liquid conducting means
comprising a support means, a carrying member mounted on said
support means for relative rotational movement about its vertical
axis through a 360.degree. angle and for relative vertical movement
along its vertical axis, a plurality of said liquid conducting
means secured to said carrying member at positions radial to the
vertical axis of said carrying member, said liquid conducting means
extending downwardly from said carrying member, and cleaning and
drying means for the said liquid conducting means, including at
least one cleaning trough and one drying trough, said troughs being
disposed on the support means in the path of relative vertical
movement of said liquid conducting means with respect to said
troughs.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the liquid conducting means
comprises hollow, double pronged needles extending downwardly from
said carrying member.
3. An apparatus as in claim 2 above wherein there is associated
with the liquid conducting means, a hollow conducting member
connected to a pressure supplying means whereby the liquid
substance to be transferred is transferred through the hollow,
double pronged needles under the influence of the pressure provided
by the pressure supplying means.
4. An apparatus for transferring a liquid substance from a donor
container to a receiving container comprising a support means, a
carrying member mounted on said support means for relative
rotational movement about its vertical axis and for relative
vertical movement along its vertical axis, a plurality of liquid
conducting means, n in number, carried by said carrying member and
fixed to the carrying member at positions equadistant radially from
the vertical axis of the carrying member, said liquid conducting
means extending downwardly from said carrying member, cleaning and
drying means for the liquid conducting means, including at least
one cleaning trough and one drying trough, said troughs being
disposed on the support means in the path of relative vertical
movement of the liquid conducting means with respect to the said
trough, a pressure means supplying member comprising a guide fixed
against movement relative to the support means, and a hollow
conducting member operatively connected to the guide for vertical
movement relative thereto, said hollow conducting member being
disposed adjacent a liquid conducting means which liquid conducting
means does not have a trough disposed in the path of relative
vertical movement thereof, a first actuating means operatively
connected to said carrying member and being energizable to effect
rotational movement of said carrying member about its vertical axis
relative to said support means in equal rotary increments, a second
actuating means also operatively connected to said carrying member
and being energizable to effect movement of said carrying member in
a vertical direction relative to said support means and means for
effecting relative vertical movement of the hollow conducting
member with respect to said guide.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the support means
comprises a base, an upper member positioned above the base and
vertical mounting means secured on the lower portion thereof to the
base and on the upper portion thereof to the upper member whereby
relative movement of the base and the upper member is
precluded.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said carrying member is
adapted to move vertically in response to actuation of said second
actuation means, and said mounting member and said carrying member
are provided with cooperating means for guiding said carrying
member along its path of vertical movement.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said cooperating means
includes a projection formed at the periphery of said carrying
member, and a vertical groove formed along a portion of the length
of a vertical mounting means, said projection adapted to be
slidably received in said vertical groove during the vertical
movement of said carrying member.
8. An apparatus as in claim 7 in which the vertical mounting means
include a reduced portion adjacent said upper member and a
non-reduced portion containing said vertical groove, said
non-reduced portion being disposed in the path of horizontal
movement of said projection, said reduced portion being out of the
path of horizontal movement of said projection, whereby when said
projection is received in said groove, vertical but not horizontal
movement of the carrying member is permitted, but when said
projection is received in the space defined by the reduced portion,
vertical and horizontal movement of the carrying member is
permitted.
9. Apparatus for transferring a liquid substance in accordance with
claim 5, in which the said horizontal movement of the carrying
member is through an angle equal to 2 .pi./n and the first
actuating means is a motor of the step-by-step type secured to said
base, the vertical axis of an axle driven by said motor being
coincident with the vertical axis of the carrying member, said axle
being operatively connected to said carrying member for relative
vertical movement and for conjoint rotational movement.
10. Apparatus for transferring a liquid substance in accordance
with claim 4, in which said second actuating means includes a
screw-jack or an electromagnet acting thereon.
11. Apparatus for transferring a liquid substance in accordance
with claim 4, in which the said pressure means supplying member
includes a supporting plate slidably mounted on said guide for
movement in a vertical direction, said hollow conducting member
being secured to said supporting plate and extending downwardly
therefrom, a biasing means mounted on said guide and biasing said
supporting plate in an upward direction, said supporting plate
being disposed in the path of vertical movement of the carrying
member whereby vertical movement of the carrying member in a
downward direction effects vertical movement of the supporting
plate in a corresponding direction against the bias of said biasing
means.
12. Apparatus for transferring liquid substances in accordance with
claim 11, in which a level detector is connected to the said
supporting plate for vertical movement therewith, said detector
being adapted to sense the upper level of the liquid substance to
be transferred and to cause a signal to be sent to the second
actuating means when such level is detected whereby downward
vertical movement of said carrying member ceases, the position of
the detector relative to the said supporting plate predetermines
the quantity of liquid substance to be transferred.
13. Apparatus for transferring liquid substances in accordance with
claim 4, in which the said liquid conducting means comprises a
double branched hollow needle and the said cleaning troughs include
two cavities into each of which dips one branch of said double
needle, the walls of one of said cavities being provided with
openings adapted to receive inlet and outley cleaning liquid
conduits, whereby a cleaning liquid can be provided, renewed and
maintained at a substantially constant level, said one cavity also
being provided with an opening adapted to receive a compressed gas
conduit; and the walls of the other cavity being provided with an
opening adapted to receive an evacuating conduit whereby the
cleaning liquid transferred into said other cavity by the said
hollow needle can be evacuated.
14. Apparatus for transferring liquid substances in accordance with
claim 4, in which the said liquid conducting means comprises a
double branched, hollow needle, said drying troughs include two
cavities, into each of which dips one branch of said double needle,
one of said cavities having secured to the wall defining this
cavity, an inlet conduit for hot gas and the wall defining the
other of said cavity being provided with an escape conduit for the
said gas after its transfer through the said hollow needle.
Description
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus which comprises a support
means, a carrying member mounted on said support means for vertical
and horizontal movement, a plurality of liquid conducting means,
preferably hollow, double pronged needles, secured to said carrying
member and a plurality of cleaning and drying means disposed on
said support means and adapted to receive the liquid conducting
means, whereby the latter can be cleaned and dried. In operation,
the liquid conducting means cooperates in the transfer of a liquid
substance from a donor container to a receiving container and then
moves upwardly, horizontally and then downwardly into the cleaning
receptacle, where it is cleaned by liquid means. It then again
moves upwardly, horizontally and ten downwardly through
predetermined distances into the drying means, where any residual
liquid substance is removed by drying. Preferably, the substance is
a sample taken from a human, and the sample is destined for
analysis for diagnostically significant features.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It is known to cause the transfer of a liquid by means of a hollow,
double pronged needle, one branch of which dips into a donor
container and the other branch of which dips into a receiving
container, under the influence of a compressed gas introduced into
the donor container by another needle. In many instances, in such
an operation, the hollow, double pronged needle traversed by the
liquid is contaminated so that it is important to effect a careful
cleaning of said needle prior to its re-use. This is particularly
true in the case of medical analyses where microbiological
contamination from one sample to the next must be avoided. The aim
of the invention is an apparatus whereby this cleaning, drying and
transferring is accomplished automatically.
The invention has for its object an apparatus for transferring
liquid samples by liquid conducting means, which is put into
communication simultaneously with the donor container and a
receiving container. A hollow needle directs a pressure means into
the donor container, whereby the interior of the donor container is
put under pressure and including cleaning and drying means for said
liquid conducting means. The apparatus of the invention is
characterized by the fact that it includes: (a) a support means
which may comprise a base and a first horizontal member connected
to the base by vertical mountings; (b) a plurality of hollow,
double pronged needles, preferably n in number, carried by a second
horizontal member and positioned on said second member equadistant
radially from the vertical axis thereof, the said second horizontal
member being operatively disposed on the support means, for
example, between the said base and first horizontal member, whereby
relative horizontal and vertical movement thereof is permitted; (c)
a plurality of cleaning and drying vessels or troughs, for the
liquid conducting means equal, preferably, in number to at most
n-1, said vessels or troughs being disposed on the base of the said
support means in the path of vertical movement of the liquid
conducting means effected concurrently with the vertical movement
of the said second member; (d) a hollow conducting member connected
to a source of positive pressure and resiliently mounted in
relation to said support means on a guiding member for movement in
a downward vertical direction upon coaction with said second
horizontal member and disposed opposite a double hollow needle
which is not in vertical communication with a cleaning or drying
vessel or trough; (e) a first actuating means operatively connected
to said second horizontal member and energized to effect rotational
movement of said second member relative to said support means in
successive rotatory movements with an angle equal to 2 .pi./n; and
(f) a second actuating means also operatively connected to said
second horizontal member and energizable to effect movement of said
second member in a vertical direction relative to said support
means.
In a preferred embodiment,
the movement in a vertical direction of said second horizontal
member is guided by means of longitudinal projections integral
with, and extending from the said second horizontal member, said
projections being slidably received in longitudinal grooves of the
vertical mountings disposed on the base of the supporting means,
these grooves opening laterally at the upper extremity of the
mountings thereby removably receiving said projections so that they
can move laterally;
the said rotary movement with an angle equal to 2 .pi./n of the
said second horizontal member about its vertical axis may be
effected by a motor of the step-by-step type fixed on said support
means, the axis of the said motor passing through the axis of the
said second horizontal member and the latter being connected in
rotation but free in vertical movement;
the means for moving the said second horizontal member in vertical
direction include a screw-jack or an electromagnet acting
thereon;
the means for moving the hollow conducting member consist, in
descent, in the action of the second horizontal member on a small
plate supporting the said hollow needle and, in rising, in the
action of a return spring, disposed below said small plate;
the cleaning vessels or troughs include two cavities into each of
which there dips one branch of one, double needle; the first cavity
being provided with an inlet and an outlet conduit for compressed
gas; and with an inlet conduit for a cleaning liquid which is
renewed and maintained at a substantially constant level, the
second cavity being provided with a conduit for evacuating cleaning
liquid transferred thereto by the double needle;
the said drying vessels or troughs include two cavities into each
of which dips a branch of a double needle; a first cavity being
provided with an inlet conduit for hot gas; the second cavity being
provided with an escape conduit for the said gas after its transfer
through the said needle.
In a variant embodiment, a level detector, connected to the plate
supporting the hollow pressure conducting needle, stops the descent
of the second horizontal member when the free surface of the liquid
contained in the donor container is detected; the positioning of
the said detector relative to the plate permits predetermination of
the quantity of liquid to be transferred.
The present invention will be better understood by consideration of
the exemplary embodiment given hereinafter with reference to the
accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention in
perspective view;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus
corresponding to FIG 1;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the
donor and receiving containers;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the
cleaning means;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the
drying means.
Referring to the drawings, more particularly, FIG. 1, the apparatus
comprises:
The fixed support comprises a base member 1 and a first horizontal
member 2. The first horizontal member 2 is provided with an opening
about its central vertical axis and comprises five radially
extending arms positioned about the opening. Four upstanding
mountings 3 are fixedly secured to the base member 1 at one end
thereof and to the horizontal member 2 at the other end of the
mountings. The mountings are preferably annular in configuration
and are provided at their upper ends with a semi-circular reduced
portion 5. Mountings 3 also have formed along the length of the
non-reduced portion thereof, a longitudinally extending groove
4.
A second horizontal member 6 supports five sets of hollow, double
pronged liquid conducting means on five radially extending arms.
Said liquid conducting means comprises five double pronged hollow
needles 7. Member 6 is provided with longitudinal projections;
namely, lugs 8, which are slidably and guidably received in grooves
4. Member 6 has a central opening in which is fixedly received, a
hollow axle 9. Axle 9 is connected on one end with the piston of an
actuator 10. The actuator 10 may comprise a screw-jack such as a
pneumatic jack operated by rapid-action electromatic valves, an
electrohydraulic jack or any device for transmitting the required
movements. The other end of axle 9 receives interiorly, the axle or
shaft 11 of a motor 12. Shaft 11 is rectangular in configuration
and is received in a corresponding opening in the hollow axle 9.
Thus, relative rotational movement about the vertical axis of axle
9 and shaft 11 is precluded but relative sliding movement along the
vertical axis thereof is permitted.
The apparatus also comprises cleaning and drying troughs 13
disposed directly opposite to four of the hollow needles 7 when in
operative position.
A single pronged hollow needle 14 is fixedly secured to a plate 15.
One end of needle 14 is connected to a source of gas or air under
pressure through conduit 62. The plate 15 is mounted on a mount 16
for vertical movement. Mount 16 is fixed to a projection 17, formed
integrally with member 2 and extending downwardly from member 2.
Mount carries a stop 18. A biasing means such as helical spring 22
is disposed about mount 16 between the underside of plate 15 and
the upper surface of stop 18, whereby plate 15 is biased in an
upward direction under the influence of spring 22. Plate 15 has a
downwardly extending leg 60. To the free end of leg 60, detector 23
is fixed. Movement of plate 15 is limited by projection 17 and stop
18.
A donor container 20 and a receiving container 21 are removably fed
below needle 7 by any suitable means. In operation, containers 20
and 21 are positioned on the apparatus so that the branch of the
needle 7 adjacent to needle 14 is above donor compartment 20 and
the other branch of needle 7 is above receiving compartment 21. The
actuator 10 is then energized by any suitable means causing the
second horizontal member 6 to descend. One branch of needle 7
penetrates donor container 20, and the other branch penetrates
container 21. The other needles 7 as described hereinafter, enter a
cleaning trough or a drying trough. The second horizontal member or
needle carrying member 6 engages plate 15 as shown in FIG. 3, as it
moves downwardly causing needle 14 to enter the donor compartment
20, while also causing compression of spring 22.
As FIG. 3 indicates, needle 14 and one branch of a double needle 7
enters the donor container 20 and the other branch of the
last-mentioned double needle enters the receiving container 21. The
needle 14 is connected to a source of compressed gas or air through
conduit 62 as indicated above. The liquid contained in the donor
container 20 is driven into the container 21 via hollow needle 7.
The optical level detector 23 disposed below the small plate 15
additionally permits, by controlling the drive of the piston 10,
the predetermination of the volume of liquid substance to be
transferred. To accomplish this latter purpose, it is sufficient to
adjust the difference of level between the detector 23 and the
extremity of the double needle; as the detector stops the descent
of the second horizontal member 6 when it detects the initial level
of the liquid in the container 20, then the volume transferred is
equal to that comprised between this initial level and the
extremity of the double needle.
Simultaneously, with the transfer operation carried out by needle 7
to adjacent container 21, the four other needles are cleaned and
dried as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, and described
hereinafter.
Referring to the drawings, more particularly to FIG. 4, one of the
needles dip into cleaning trough 47, including two cavities 40 and
41. Cavity 40 contains a cleaning liquid 45 which can be replaced
and maintained at a substantially constant level by conduits 42 and
43. Conduit 44 permits the liquid contained in cavity 40 to be put
under pressure, whereby the liquid contained therein circulates
through the interior of the dollow, double pronged needle 7. The
liquid transferred is removed from cavity 41 via conduit 46.
Referring to the drawings, more particularly to FIG. 5, another set
of hollow, double pronged needles 7, dips into a drying trough 54
analogous to a cleaning trough 47 except for the liquid feed
circuit. Conduit 50 introduces a hot gas into cavity 51, this
circulates through the interior of the double needle 7 and escapes
from cavity 52 by conduit 53.
The movement of a set of hollow, double pronged needles from one
position to the next is effected by means of motor 12. When the
second horizontal member 6 is in its uppermost position, the
projections 8 are situated adjacent the semi-circularly reduced
positions 5 free from grooves 4. The motor 12 which is operatively
connected to plate 6 via axles 9 and 11 cause the flat carrying
member 6 to rotate to the next operative portion. Each projection 8
is then adjacent a groove 4, and each needle 7 is above either a
sample container, a cleaning trough, or a drying trough. It should
be evident that a cleaned and dried needle 7 is above the donor
container and the needle 7 which last transferred the sample is
above a cleaning trough.
It is to be noted that the relative number of cleaning and drying
troughs can be two or more depending upon the result desired.
Likewise, the total number of positions can be modified by changing
in the same fashion the number of the corresponding elements such
as mountings, needles, and the like.
The apparatus described herein can be particularly useful in
conjunction with the automatic transfer apparatus described in U.S.
Pat. Application Ser. No. 793,498, filed Jan. 23, 1969 in the name
of Robert Laucournet.
In a more detailed operation, when a control signal occurs, the
actuator 10 pushes the needles through plugs 70 positioned in all
of the containers, i.e., the donor receiving container; the
cleaning trough or the drying troughs, into the position
illustrated in FIG. 1. One branch of the needle 7 enters the donor
container 21 and contacts the liquid substance contained therein.
The needle 14 arrives at a position above the surface of the liquid
sample. The opening of the needle 14 permits compressed air to
enter the free portion of the donor container 20 without disturbing
the surface of the liquid. The pressure established in the free
portion pushes the liquid in the donor container 20 into the open
end of needle 7. When the designated amount of liquid is
transferred from the donor container 20 to the receiving container
21, the actuator 10 causes upward movement of plate 6, downward
movement being stopped when the detector 23 senses the upper
surface of the sample. The plate 6 and the needles 7 associated
therewith, moves upwardly until the lugs 8 are no longer in
communication with the grooves 4. Thereafter, the motor 12 rotates
about its vertical axis causing concurrent rotation of the plate 6.
Rotation is continued until the device is in a position whereby the
needles can penetrate the plugs or resiliently deformable covers 70
contained in the receptacle disposed next adjacent the container,
cleaning or drying trough where they were last positioned. In this
way, there can be provided a means for transmitting an aliquot of
sample into a system which is to analyze it for diagnostically
significant factors. For example, the apparatus defined herein can
be utilized with a system described in application Ser. No.
793,498, referred to above. In the system, a compartment contained
upon a film strip is charged with a material to be analyzed for
diagnostically significant factors, such as the presence of urea in
blood and the like. The apparatus herein defined is also well
suited for providing a transfer of liquid into such compartment.
Therefore, in the embodiment, in lieu of compartment 21, a
receiving compartment contained on a film strip can be
utilized.
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