초록 ▼

An apparatus for transporting racks of sealed sample tubes, mixing a sample material contained within the tubes, and aspirating samples from the tubes. The apparatus includes a car which runs along a rail. The car drives racks containing the sample tubes into a mixer channel disposed above and runni

An apparatus for transporting racks of sealed sample tubes, mixing a sample material contained within the tubes, and aspirating samples from the tubes. The apparatus includes a car which runs along a rail. The car drives racks containing the sample tubes into a mixer channel disposed above and running parallel to the rail. The mixer channel is mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to the rail to mix samples and position the tubes to be aspirated. A push pin mounted adjacent to the mixer channel extends into the mixer channel and urges individual tubes against an aspirator assembly mounted on the opposite side of the mixer channel. An input queue is disposed proximate the input side of the rail and an output queue disposed proximate the output side of rail. The input queue supports the racks and feeds them into position to be driven by the car mechanism into the mixer channel. The output queue receives racks after being aspirated and feeds them aft to make room for subsequent racks driven by the car from the mixer channel. The racks include a lateral front wall, a lateral rear wall and a horizontal bottom wall connecting the front wall to the back wall. The racks also include a plurality of vertical side walls connected to the front wall and the back wall to define a plurality of tube receptacles. The bottom wall includes a plurality of equidistantly spaced apertures, each of which is centrally located within a tube receptacle to provide the push pin access to the tubes. The bottom wall also includes a plurality of ribs extending from the front wall to the back wall to be engaged by the car. Biasing means are disposed within each of the tube receptacles to support sample tubes therein.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A rack for supporting a plurality of sealed sample tubes, said rack comprising;a laterally extending front wall;a laterally extending rear wall disposed behind said front wall in a plane substantially parallel to said front wall;a plurality of vertical side walls connecte

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A rack for supporting a plurality of sealed sample tubes, said rack comprising;a laterally extending front wall;a laterally extending rear wall disposed behind said front wall in a plane substantially parallel to said front wall;a plurality of vertical side walls connected to said front wall and said back wall, said side walls being equidistantly spaced apart from each other, thereby defining a plurality of tube receptacles;at least one ear mounted to each of an outermost pair of said side walls, wherein said ears are mounted at different vertical heights;a horizontal bottom wall connecting said front wall, said back wall and said vertical side walls, said bottom wall including a plurality of equidistantly spaced apertures, each one of said apertures centrally located below one of said tube receptacles;a plurality of ribs disposed on said bottom wall, said ribs extending from said front wall to said back wall and being adapted to engage a drive pawl; andbiasing means disposed within each of said tube receptacles for supporting sample tubes therein.