Claims
- 1. An apparatus for use in carrying out electrochemiluminescence test measurements, comprising:
- a rotatable support member having a plurality of locations thereon for each supporting a corresponding one of a plurality of fluid containers at least some of which contain electrochemiluminescent fluid samples;
- an electrochemiluminescence testing means for measuring electrochemiluminescence of said fluid sample;
- a motor system operatively coupled with the rotatable support member to rotate the same to position each of the plurality of fluid containers at a predetermined sampling position in a predetermined sequence; and
- a fluid sampling system coupled with the electrochemiluminescence testing means for successively transferring electrochemiluminescent test samples from the plurality of fluid containers to the testing means as each is transported to the predetermined sampling position;
- the rotatable support member including a first drive member having an outer peripheral surface;
- the motor system having a second drive member coupled with the outer peripheral surface of the first drive member to drive the first drive member for rotating the rotatable support member.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first drive member is provided with a plurality of gear teeth arranged on its outer peripheral surface and the second drive member comprises a gear having a plurality of gear teeth operative to mesh with the gear teeth of the first drive member.
- 3. An apparatus for use in carrying out electrochemiluminescence test measurements, comprising:
- a movable support having a plurality of spaced apart support positions for each releasably holding a sample container for an electrochemiluminescent test sample at a predetermined container position;
- an electrochemiluminescence testing means for measuring electochemluminescence of said fluid sample;
- a motor system operatively coupled with the movable support to move the same to present each of the support positions thereof at a predetermined sample transfer location in a predetermined sequence;
- a sample transfer device located at the predetermined sample transfer location and operative in response to an actuation signal to transfer an electrochemiluminescent test sample from a sample container present at the predetermined sample transfer location to the electrochemiluminescence testing means; and
- a detection system operative to detect the presence of a sample container at the predetermined sample transfer location and to produce the actuation signal based on the detected presence of the sample container.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detection system comprises a light emitter positioned to emit light toward a predetermined container position of a respective one of the spaced apart support positions moved to the predetermined sample transfer location, a light detector positioned to receive light from a sample container in the predetermined container position and operative to produce a detection signal representing light received thereby, and means for producing the actuation signal based on the detection signal.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detection system further comprises power source means for energizing the light emitter to periodically emit light toward the predetermined container position.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means for producing the actuation signal is operative to sample the detection signal produced by the light detector in phase with the light emitted periodically by the light emitter to produce a sampled detection signal and to produce the actuation signal based on the sampled detection signal.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power source means is operative to energize the light emitter with a periodic sequence of energy pulses.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the energy pulses have a duty cycle no greater than substantially five percent.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power source means includes control means for controlling an energy level of the energy pulses in response to a control signal and the light detector comprises a light sensor operative to produce a light signal representing light received by the light detector and a comparator operative to compare a level of the light signal with a threshold level based on the control signal to produce the detection signal.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/061,676 filed May 14, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,416.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
61676 |
May 1993 |
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