Claims
- 1. An automated biological reaction apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable slide support carousel;
- a plurality of slide supports mounted on the slide support carousel in a circular array for supporting a plurality of slides;
- drive means engaging the slide support carousel for rotating the slide support carousel;
- a reagent delivery system for applying a predetermined quantity of reagent to one of the slides on one of the slide supports positioned, by rotation of the slide support carousel, in a reagent delivery zone;
- an evaporation inhibiting liquid application station comprising at least one nozzle positioned for directing a stream of evaporation inhibiting liquid onto a preselected evaporation inhibiting liquid impact zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports;
- a vortex mixing assembly positioned at a vortex agitation zone, the vortex mixing assembly having a nozzle for directing fluid at a vortex agitation zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports and being positioned at the vortex agitation zone;
- a heat zone for heating samples positioned on one of the slides on one of the slide supports;
- at least one rinse station at a rinse zone, the rinse station comprising at least one nozzle positioned for directing a stream of rinse liquid onto a rinse liquid impact zone of one of the slides on one of the slide supports positioned at the rinse zone; and
- a draining means for draining rinse liquid from one of the slides on one of the slide supports.
- 2. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reagent delivery system comprises a reagent carousel for supporting reagent containers and for positioning a selected reagent container at the reagent delivery zone, the reagent carousel being rotatably mounted above the slide support carousel.
- 3. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 2 wherein identification means are provided for identifying each reagent container supported by the reagent carousel and for identifying each slide supported by the slide support carousel.
- 4. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the slide supports on the slide support carousel has raised lateral guide tabs with guide termini between which one of the slides is positioned at a first end of the slide support, and a slide clamping arrangement for clamping one of the slides to the slide support, wherein the guide termini are lower than an upper surface of the slide.
- 5. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 4 wherein the vortex mixing assembly is positioned adjacent an inner circumference of the slide support carousel.
- 6. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 further including a bar code reader for reading bar codes on slides positioned on the slide supports.
- 7. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 6 further including a bar code cleaner for cleaning bar codes on the slides.
- 8. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the draining means comprises a jet drain for directing a fluid stream across an upper surface of one of the slides.
- 9. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one rinse station comprises a first rinsing means at a beginning of the rinse zone and a second rinsing means at an end of the rinse zone.
- 10. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first rinsing means includes at least one nozzle for depositing a layer of rinse liquid onto an upper surface of one of the slides, the slide being positioned at the beginning of the rinse zone, and the second rinsing means includes sweeping means for sweeping the layer of rinse liquid off of the slide when the slide reaches the end of the rinse zone.
- 11. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first rinsing means and the second rinsing means are spaced from one another so that a predetermined period of time transpires during the transport of the slide between the first and second rinsing means before the layer of rinse liquid is swept off of the slide.
- 12. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 11 wherein the sweeping means of the second rinsing means comprises fluid pulsing means for forming pulsed streams of rinse liquid, alternately directed at one and then an other of longitudinal edges of the slides, to sweep the layer of rinse liquid off of the slide.
- 13. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reagent delivery system comprises a reagent carousel having a plurality of reagent container supports thereon, the reagent carousel positioned above the slide support carousel for applying a predetermined volume of reagent to one of the slides on the slide support carousel in the reagent delivery zone.
- 14. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 13 further comprising homing and indexing means, operatively coupled to the reagent carousel, for identifying a position of each reagent container support with reference to a home position.
- 15. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 14 further comprising drive means, engaging the reagent carousel and operatively coupled to the homing and indexing means, for rotating the reagent carousel and positioning a preselected reagent container support in a reagent supply zone wherein the reagent supply zone is oriented so that a reagent in a container in the preselected reagent container support is dispensable directly from the reagent container to a sample on the slide.
- 16. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one rinse station further comprises a rinse liquid application assembly including a heater for providing a rinse liquid having a temperature within a selected temperature range.
- 17. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a delivery assembly, operatively coupled to the rinse liquid application assembly, for delivering liquid from the rinse liquid application assembly to the slide.
- 18. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 14 wherein the reagent carousel is rotatably mounted on a reagent carousel support and the homing and indexing means further comprises a proximity sensor and an object detectable by the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor and the object are in close proximity, one of the object and the proximity sensor being mounted on the reagent carousel, and the other of the object and the proximity sensor being mounted on the reagent carousel support in a position adjacent the path the other.
- 19. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 18 wherein the object is metallic and mounted on the reagent carousel and the proximity sensor is a metal proximity sensor mounted on the reagent carousel support.
- 20. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 15 wherein the reagent carousel is rotatably mounted on a reagent carousel support, the reagent carousel has a bar code zone, and the homing and indexing means further comprises a bar code reader mounted on the reagent carousel support in a position to read a bar code on a reagent container positioned in the bar code zone, whereby a bar code identifying a reagent contained in the reagent container in the preselected reagent container support can be read with reference to the home position by the bar code reader, and the reagent container containing the identified reagent can be automatically positioned in the reagent supply zone.
- 21. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a reagent delivery actuator for engaging a reagent container positioned in the reagent delivery zone and for initiating delivery of a predetermined volume of reagent from the reagent container directly to the slide.
- 22. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 15 wherein the drive means engaging the reagent carousel comprises a stepper motor having a rotational mode for rotating the reagent carousel and a braking mode for resisting rotation of the reagent carousel.
- 23. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 13 wherein the reagent carousel includes a reagent support tray removably supported by a reagent tray support and the reagent support tray has indexing support feet on an underside thereof which are removably positioned in receptors in the reagent tray support such that the reagent support tray can be removed from the reagent tray support and replaced on the reagent tray support in the same indexed position.
- 24. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 16 wherein the rinse liquid application assembly further comprises:
- a container for receiving liquid; and
- a temperature regulating device, operatively mounted on the container, for maintaining liquid in the container within the selected temperature range.
- 25. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 24 wherein the temperature regulating device further comprises:
- a temperature sensor, operatively mounted on the container, for measuring liquid temperature, the temperature sensor generating a signal representing the liquid temperature; and
- a safety thermostat connected to the temperature regulating device for terminating a flow of power to the temperature regulating device if the temperature of the container exceeds a predetermined safety limit.
- 26. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 24 wherein the heater further comprises a heating jacket that contacts at least a portion of an outer surface of the container.
- 27. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 22 wherein the temperature regulating device further comprises a power supply, connected to the temperature sensor and to the heater, for energizing the heater when the temperature of the liquid is below a first pre-determined level and for de-energizing the heater when the temperature of the liquid is above a second pre-determined level, thereby maintaining the temperature of the liquid within the selected temperature range.
- 28. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 17 wherein the delivery assembly further comprises a sprayer assembly for spraying liquid onto a surface of the slide.
- 29. The automated biological reaction apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive means engaging the slide support carousel comprises a stepper motor having a rotational mode for rotating the slide support carousel and a braking mode for resisting rotation of the slide support carousel.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/924,052 (now abandoned), filed Aug. 31, 1992, which is the U.S. national phase application of International Application No. PCT/US91/01149, filed Feb. 28, 1991, published as WO91/13335, Sep. 5, 1991 which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/488,601 (now abandoned), filed Mar. 2, 1990.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
WO8700086 |
Jan 1987 |
EPX |
WO8802865 |
Apr 1988 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
924052 |
Aug 1992 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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488601 |
Mar 1990 |
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