G - Physics – 01 – N
Patent
G - Physics
01
N
G01N 35/10 (2006.01) G01N 21/59 (2006.01) G01N 21/88 (2006.01)
Patent
CA 2269750
A method and apparatus for detecting improper liquid content of a metering tip of an analyzer. The method detects the content or status using radiation between 630 and 2000 nm, and comprises the steps of: a) aspirating the liquid into one of the tips to fill the tip to a nominal level; b) scanning the liquid in the tip by a scanner comprising a light source and a light detector, the source and detector being aligned along a direction that is generally normal to the tip axis; c) providing relative motion between the tip and the scanner while the step b) is conducted, so that the scanner scans from a first position below the tip where a pendant drop of the aqueous liquid would be located if present, to a predetermined second position above the first position that represents the nominal level; d) while conducting steps b) and c), separately detecting at each of several portions of the tip between and including the first and second positions, the amount of light transmitted to the detector, so that all liquid-containing levels within the tip are detected; e) comparing the detected light of step d) with light known to be transmitted if liquid is present only at all of the levels, free of air bubbles; and f) flagging the results as being in error if water is detected at the first position; or if it is not detected because of air bubbles at any one of the levels within the tip up to and including the second position; or if it is detected above the second position. The apparatus features: a) a scanner comprising a light source, a light detector, and a mechanism for transmitting light from the source to the detector at a wavelength which is between about 800 and about 2000 nm; b) moving mechanism for providing relative motion of one of the tips past the scanner so that the scanner scans the tip and its contents; c) a controller of the moving mechanism and the detector that directs the detector to detect light transmitted through the tip to the detector at at least several adjacent portions of the tip, as well as just below the tip where any pendant drop would be located; and d) a comparator that compares the light transmitted at the several levels with that known to represent the tip containing bubble-free liquid at each of the levels.
Brookes Ronald F.
Jacobs Merrit N.
Lowne Alan J.
Shaw James D.
Gowling Lafleur Henderson Llp
Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc.
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