CA2133477A1 - Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items

Info

Publication number
CA2133477A1
CA2133477A1 CA002133477A CA2133477A CA2133477A1 CA 2133477 A1 CA2133477 A1 CA 2133477A1 CA 002133477 A CA002133477 A CA 002133477A CA 2133477 A CA2133477 A CA 2133477A CA 2133477 A1 CA2133477 A1 CA 2133477A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
sample
cuvette
holders
analyzer
station
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002133477A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Michael D. Huber
Stephen L. Frye
John C. Mazza
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Dade International Inc
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2133477A1 publication Critical patent/CA2133477A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/00584Control arrangements for automatic analysers
    • G01N35/0092Scheduling
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/02Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations
    • G01N35/025Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor using a plurality of sample containers moved by a conveyor system past one or more treatment or analysis stations having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N35/00Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
    • G01N35/00584Control arrangements for automatic analysers
    • G01N2035/0097Control arrangements for automatic analysers monitoring reactions as a function of time
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S436/00Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
    • Y10S436/807Apparatus included in process claim, e.g. physical support structures
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T436/00Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
    • Y10T436/11Automated chemical analysis
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T436/00Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
    • Y10T436/11Automated chemical analysis
    • Y10T436/113332Automated chemical analysis with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T436/00Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
    • Y10T436/11Automated chemical analysis
    • Y10T436/115831Condition or time responsive
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10TTECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T436/00Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
    • Y10T436/12Condition responsive control

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
A sample analyzer is disclosed for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples. The analyzer includes a movable sample support for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in a sequence for movement in a first direction. An indexing drive for the sample support advances the sample support in the first direction in a set of one or more increments, wherein one increment in the set is a net amount equal to a second plurality of holders greater than one holder and less than the first plurality such that the second plurality is relatively prime with respect to the first plurality.

Description

r~33~77 I~TI~'' 94 / ~3 ~ 5 4 ~

METHOD ~ND APP~RA~8 FOR ~HE 8~EP~I8E ~OVENENT OF ITEM~

BACRGRO~ND ~F TH~ INVEN~ION
Fi~l~ O ~he I~v~ntio~
The present invention relates generally o conveyor systems. The present invention has a specific application to conveyor ~ystems ~or sample analyzer~ such as chemical analyzers for testing characteristics of ~odily fluidsO

R~lated Art Automated analyzers ~or chemical, immunochemical and/or biological testing of samples taken from patients are well known. Chemical or physic~l tests are performed on biological flui.ds such as urine, blood serum, plasma, cerebrospina-l fluid and the like. A sample o~ the fluid is typically combined with a prepar~d reagent liquid, buffer liquid and/or diluting liquid and therea~`ter maintained at a contxolled temperature until analytical measurements can be taken, such as by a photometer. For example, the measurement process analyzes the presence in the original sample of a given biochemical substance or characteristic.
There are several types of automatic sample analyzers.
Pre~erably, each analyzer occupies a minimum o~ physical space, has a high throughput, analyzes dynamic as well as completed reactions and optimizes the placement o~
equipment. One type o~ analyzer has a plurality of parallel, simultaneously operating channels, each of which is arranged to accomplish a specific analy~is~ The analyses may he identical, to maximize throughput, Ol they may be distinct, to provide a variety of tests. A second type operates in series havlng one single processing channel for carrying out a speci-fic analysis~ Samples are supplied in sequen¢e and analyzed sequentially according to the specific analysis assigned to the apparatus. In both of these types of systems, physical positioning of the various processing apparatus, such as sample load units, reagent add units, reagent mix units and sample unload units, is highly constrained for small systems. Such proce~sing apparatus must be positioned xelatively closely 3 3 ~ 7 ~ PCT/I ' 9 4 1 0 1 5 4 () to one another so that each apparatus can accomplish .its desired function at the proper time in the testing sequence. For large analyzers, processing apparatus, which might be spaced further apart physically ~rom one another hecause of spacing requirements, often are too far away from the starting point for a sample to be processed within the required r~action or sensing time. Thereforel there are both close physical constraints and time restrictions on conventional sample analyzers. Limitations cxeated by unique analysis procedures such as ~or dynamic reactions also restrict analyzer design and operation. These physical and time constraints lower sample throughput and inhibit the maximum use of m~chanical equipment or the number of operations available in a given time period or step.
Accordingly, there is a need for a sample analyzer and process which increases sample throughput, which permits anaiysis of dynamic reactions and provides for multiple scans of a given sample, maximizes the use of processing apparatus and the number of operations occurring during the process, optimizes the residence time for a given sample in the system and which analyze~ a large number of samples with a single analyzer. There is also a need ~or a sample analyzer which disassociates physical and temporal space, e.g~ which separates the logical processing st~ps from the physical limitations of a given syætem, thereby allowing diæ~rete processing apparatus to be spaced out over the architecture of the system and so that the pro~ssing apparatus can still confor~ to the æpacial and t miny re~uirements for the analyæer~
It i~ an object, therefore, o~ the present inv~ntion to provide a sy~tem and apparatus for Qfficiently, in terms of both time and space, transporking samples or other items for processing~ which provides a high throughput, which maximizes the use and positioning o~ processing apparatus, which maximixe~ the number of operations occurring in a given amount of time and which optimizes th~ residenGe times o~ and analysis ske~s for the sa~ples or other itemsO

PCT)~9 4 / 015 4~
, ~3~77 It is a further object of the present invention to disassociate logical and physical space with respect to the samples or other items being analyzed and with respec~ to the processing apparatus, and t~ permit operation on a large number of samples or items with a single processing apparatus. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sample analyzer which moves samples a plurality of times and which can perPorm an operation such as scanning for all samples every time the samples are moved. It is an additional. object to provide a sample analy7,er which can track blank sample areas for calibration or other processing.

~MM~RY OF ~ I~VE~TION
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus such as a sample analyzer is provided which achieves high throughput, maximizes the po~itioning and use of mechanical processing equipment, maximizes the number of operations on a giv~n sample or item, and which allows analysis of a large number of itemS with a given piece of mechanical aquipment. A sample analyzer according to the present invention analyzes the characteristics of a plurality of sample~. The analyzer includes a movable sample support for holding sampl~s arranged in a ~irst plurality of positions for movement in a fir~t direction. An indexing drive fox the sample support moves the samples in the sample support in the first direction in a set o~
increments wherein each increment represents a move~nt of the samples an a~ount corrQsponding to a number of samples and wherein the set of increments has a number of increments constituting one or ~ore incremants. The movement of samples within all of the increments in the set o~ increments added together produc~ a sum which .is a net move of the sample support an amount~of samples equal to a second plurality of holders greater than one holder and less than th~ first plurality such that the greatest commsn factor between the seco~d plurality and the first plurality is the number of increments in the set. Such a system -~` 2133477PG C

enables separation of logical space from physical space in the system, allowing more freedom in plarement o~
mechanical equipment whil~ permitting proper sequencing of operations both in space and in time~ Such a system can also optimize residence time for the ~ubject items. In the context of a sample analyzer using a ~canner or other sensing equipment, the sample analyz~r according to the present invention allows scanning o samples with every advance or increment. Once the system and its controls are defined, the location and movement of each sample at any given time can be easily determined.
As an example of one pre~erred configuration which has been found to be especially convenient, the first plurality o~ holders constitutes 90 hold~rs grouped in pairs. The set of increments constitutes two increments, a first increment of which includes a mov~m~nt of 103 sample holders constituting a net movement of 13 sample holders, and a second increment of which constitutes a movement of 91 sample holders, constituting a net movement of one sample holder. In this configuration, the number o~
increments is two and the set of increments added together produce a sum of 194 which is a net movement of the sample support an amount equal to 14, which is greater than one holder and less than the first plurality 90. As a result, the Greatest Common Factor between the second plurality 14 and the first plurality 90 is 2, the number of increments in the set.
In a preferred ~rm o~ the invention, the ~ample support is a substantially round precessor wheel which rotates about an axis in a circle ~or presenting a sample to a plurality o~ processing equdpment stations. For example, a photometer may be used to scan every sample placed befor~ it. Sample holders are grouped into 45 pairs (90 samples t3tal) whereby the indexing drive advances or shifts th~ pre~essor whe~l in pairs of rotations. The first rotation is a first increment or large rotation constituting 103 sampl~ positions, namely a full rotation of 90 sample position~ plus 13 sample positions and th~

.

~IU' ~ 5 ~ ~9 33~77 second rotation i~ a second increment or small rotation constituting 91 sample positions, namely a complete rotation plus one sample position. In this configuration, a given sample will rotate past the photometer or other scanning instrument once each turn and returns to its original starting position after a cycle of 45 rotation pairs. Because the total net shift of 14 sample positisns and the 90 position~ on the pxecessor wheel have a greatest common factor of two, the number of increments in a set, the sample position does not return to the start position until 45 rotation pairs occurs, a first large rotation having a net increment of 13 and a second small rotation having a net increment of lo L~kewise, the same cycle occurs for every other sampl~ position.
By rotating the precessor wheel so as to present each sample before the photomater every rotation, all samples can be read during each rotation. As a result, time dependent reactions can be continually monitored without interrupting the ssquence and timing of other operations.
In a ~urther form o~ the invention, a sample analyzer has a plurality of operations stations at which are positioned individual pieces of mechanical equipment, such as sensors, adding stations, mixing ~tations, and the like.
While the ~tations are physically separated, they are still positioned around the precessor wheel according to the logical or kemporal s~quence to be followed by the samples for proper che~ical analysis. Therefore, mecnanical equipment need not be positioned about the sample support wheel 501ely as a function of when, during a ten ~inute reacti~n ~or example, the sample must be scanned, mixed or otherwise processed. For example, ~f scanning is to occur after mixing, the scanner need not necessar:ily by physically next to the mixer to be next in timeO The sample analyzer of the present invention allows separation o~ logical or temporal space from physical spac~ so that mechanical equipment can be positioned not only as ~
function of how much space the e~uipm~nt occupies and the time that the ~echanical eguip~ent operates on a given P~T, ~ 5 ~33~77 sample, but also as a function of how often the mechanical equipment may need to be accessed, such as by service personnel.

BRI~F DE~CRIP~ION OF ~H~ DR~INGB
FIG. 1 is schematic plan vi~w of a sample analyzer for use with the present invention including various equipment units which operate with the sample analyzer.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ~a~ple analyzer according to one aspect of the present invention showing a movable preces~or wheel and a plurality of sample holders.
FIG. 3 is a schematic linear representation of an endless conveyor such as a precessor wheel depicting spatial and temporal relationships for movement of the precessor wheel in single increments of thirteen.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the precessor wheel of FIG. 1 and depicting equipment stations.
FIG. 5 is a schematic linear representation similar to that o~ FIG. 3 depicting ~patial and temporal relationships for ~ovement o~ the precessor wheel in pairs of increments, first a net increment of thirteen and then a net increment of one.

DE~AI~B~ D~8CRIP~XO~ 0~ PR~FE~R~D~ ODI~T~
According t~ the present in~ention, a sample analyzer and method of operating ~ sample analyæer is described which carries out processing steps oorresponding to sequential, adjacent logical events or '~positions" that may be physically separated, there~y maximizing use of available space and available mechanical equipment, while still allowing optimum physica~ arrangement of that equipment. At the same time, an optimal sample testing process is provided whereby sample~ are repeatedly scanned or analyzed while the sample is oh the analyzer. The repeated scanning or analysis can be accomplished for a larg~ number of 5amples and even using a single analyzer.
A sample analyzer 100 according to the present invention analyzes the characteristics of a pl~rality of ~T l)S ~ 5 2~33~77 samples (FIGo 1)~ The sample analyzer ls typically the main part of an overall automated diagnostic apparatus, pre~erably requiring a minimum of human ~upervision or intervention. The sample analyzer accepts a plurality of samples, adds associated reagents andtor solutions, mixes the sampl~ solution, measures the desired reaction or characteristic, i~ any, and then disposes of the sample.
The optimal coordination and control of these steps, as well as the optimal positioning for carryi~g out these steps, is accounted for by this invention. Preferably, the coordination and control provided by this inve~tion are applicable to a wide range of processes and configurations.
The invention accounts for variations in the number of discrete operations to be carried out with respect to a specific sample, the size o~ the equipment being used, the space available, the desired sample throughput, the types and number o~ reactions or other steps to be carried out and measured/ reaction t.imes i~ any, and serviciny requirement~.
The sample analyzer 100 includes a sample support pre~erably in the form of an endless conveyor, such as a precessor wheel 102. The preces~or wheel 102 preferably includes a first plurality o~ sample holders 104 for holding individual reaction vessels or ~ample containers to be placed into the sample holders and transported with the pr~aessor wheel. In the preferred embodiment, each sample holder 104 preferably holds a pair of associated, discrete reaction vessels or cu~,.~ttes.
Exemplary cuvettes which may be used with the analyzer such as that de~cribed herein is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,815,978.
Cuvettes, or other containers ~or sample analysis, may be loaded onto the precessor wheel 102 by a cuvette load unit 106 which transports cuvettes ~xom a cuvette supply alld preparation unit 10~ to an empty sample h~lder on the precessor wheel when the precessor wheel presents an empty holder at the cuvette load station 110. The cuvette load station 110 is one oP a plur~lity of stations at which each ~ 2 ~ ~ 3 ~L 7 7 ~ 5 ~ ~

sample holder on the pr~c~ssor wheel will be presented on a cyclical basis. Each cuvette, or in the preferred embodiment each cuvette in a linked pair of cuvettes, will be presented to a number of other discrete stations at which various equipment is position~d for carrying out specific operations on each cuvette positioned be~ore it.
While there are a number of equipment units that can be used with the sample analyzer of the present invention, the equipment units discussed in con~unction with the present invention include a photometer, sample dispense unit, a sample mix unit, an ISE instrument (ion sensitive electrode), a reagent add unit and a reagent mix unit.
However, any other suitable equipm~nt may also be used.
Each piece of equipment is positioned at a respective station oriented at selected locations about the precessor wheel.
While it is possible that the precessor wheel can be rotated so that each cuvette is advanced around a circle one cuvette position at a time, such a sequencing process would require much of the equipment units used with the sample analyzer to be positioned very close to the sample load station 110 in order to accomplish necessary operations within the required time interval. Because of the time dependent nature of many sample reactions, many of the processes carried out by the other discrete equipment units must be carried out relatively closs in time ~o one another. Using stepwise advances of the precessor wh~el to move each cuvette one position wi.th each m~vemen~".would require the discrete equipment units to be physically positioned close togethex so that the associated processes can be carried out close in tim~. Significantly, the present invention allows the various equipment units to be separated spacially relative to one another about the precessor wheel while still permit~ing their associated operations to occur close in time. Therefore, the present invention per~lits disassociation of logical and temporal space in terms of the sy~tem opzratio~ and timing requirments from the physical space, in terms of not only , ~ 2 ~ 3 3 4 7 7 positioning of discrete equipment units, but also in optimizing the number of samples that can be handled on the precessor wheel, locating equipment units for such considerations as service requirements, and for optimum us~
of individual equipment units.
The cuvettes loaded at the load station llo may be empty, dry cuvettes or may include solutions, reagents or o~her materials already added to the cuvette prior to loading on the precessor wheel. Any number of steps can be accomplished in the cuvette supply and preparation unit 108 or preliminary thereto as would be known to those skilled in ~he art. The cuvette supply and preparation unit 108 may take the form of any number of apparatus for separately or in combination preparing a cuvette for loading on the precessor wheel.
Additional equipment used for carrying out the sample analysis is distributed about the precessor wheel at such locations as to permit the ne~essary operations within the time constraints dictat~id by the possible reactions and analyses carried out by the sample analyzer and also according to spatial constraints. A 5en50r such as a shcrt duration pulse photometer 112 is preferably placed at a first station 113 downstream from the cu~ette load station 110 so that the first operation condusted on the cuvette just loaded is a photometer scan of the cuvette and its eontents, after the pr~cessor wheel moves in a first counterclockwise direction as indicated by arrow 114, and before sample solution or other reagent is added ,~o the cuvette. The photometer al80 scans each cuvette as it passes, as described more fully below. I n t h e preferred embodiment, a sample dispensing unit 116 obtains sample from a sample delivery assembly 118 and adds a sample portion to an individual cuvette presented at a sample dispensing sta~ion 120. The sample dispensing unit 116 is shown schematically in FIG. 1, but it should be understood that the sample dispensing unit can take one of many ~orms known to those skilled in the art. ~liquots of sample can be tak~n from containers held in the sample 6~ t~
~ CTJ~ 5 ~ ~

d~livery assembly 118 and transferred directly to a cuvette assigned to accept the sample portion, or the sample dispensing unit 116 can physically remove the sample container from the sample deliv~ry assembly and thereafter transfer a portion of the sample from the container to the cuvette.
A sample mix unit 122 is pre~erably po.sitioned at a sample mix station 124 downstream from the sample dispensing station 120 to mix the sample portion just added to the cuvette with any material that was already present in the cuvette. The sample mix unit may be any well known unit u~ed for that purpose.
A cuvette unload unit 126 is prefsrably located downstream Prom the sample mix unit 122 for removing a cuvette pair from its a~sociated sample holder when the cuvette pair is prese~ted at the cuvette unload station 128. Preferably, each cuvette is sealed ~efore it is disposed of in an appropriate container or other disposal unit. As will be apparent from the discussion below, the cuvette unload unit is not the next unit which operates on the cuvette immediately after the cuvette leaves the mixing unit 122. The cuvette unload unit ~6 is positloned apart ~rom the sample delivery assembly 11~ and the cuvette load station 110 so that the container of unloaded cuvstte pairs can be easily accessed by technicians. However, even though the cuvette unload unit 126 is adjacent the sample mix unit 122, the operations carried out by those two units on th~ same cuvette occur temporally far apart from each other. With the method and apparatus of the present invention, the cuvette unload unit 126 can be ~laced at a number of phy~ical locations about the precessor wheel and still unload cuvettes from the precessor wh~el near the end of 2 given cycle, a cycle beginning when a particular cuvette is loaded in a sample holder and ending when the same sample holder, now empty, returns to the same position for loading of a new cuvette.

~3~77 An ISE aspiration unit 130 is placed downstream from the cuvette unload unit for conducting further operations on individual cuvettes placed before it when the precessor wheel stops. The ISE aspiration unit is an ion sensitive electrode available from Baxter Healthcare ~or determining characteristics of a solution, such as the solution in a cuvette. In the preferred embodiment, a given cuvette which has just finished being mixed by the mixing unit 17.2 is next presented to the ISE aspiration unit 130 at the ISE
station 13Z. Even though the ISE unit 130 is physically adjacent the cuvette unload unit 126, the controlled sequence o~ operations on a given cuvette places the cuvette at the ISE station 132 after the CUVtte leaves the mix station 124 and be~ore the same cuvette is presented before the unload unit 126. A~ will be apparent below, in the preferred form of the invention, a given cuvette is presented first to the photometer 112 after it is loaded on the precessor wheel, and then presented to the sample dispensing unit 116, the sample mix unit 122 and then the ISE unit 130.
A reagent add unit 134 is positioned physically downstr~am from the ISE unit 130 for adding reagents, if nece~sary, to cuvettes presented at a reagent add station (138, 140). The reagent add unit 134 takes reagent ~rom a reagent supply 136 to be added, i~ necessary~ to a cuvette presented at a first reagent add station 138. The same or di~erent reaqents may be added, if neces~ary, to cuvettes pre~ented at a second reagent add station 140 eithe~.by an additional reagent add unit or by the fir~t reagent add unit 134 with appropriate modification o~ the unit. As will become apparenk below, a sing~e reagent add unit can be used to add reagent to the cuvette at add station 138 and can also be used to add reagent to re~gent add station 140. The reagent add statiorls 138 and ~40 are physically adjacent, but also are temporally far apart, hecause the cuvett2 at station 138 is not shi~ted in the very next ~tep to the immediately adjacent cuvette po~ition -' ~133~77 ~T/~, 9~ 5 4 ~i r --12 ~
at ~tation 140. Th~refore, a single reagent add unit can cover two stakions r~th~r than only one.
A reagenk mix unit 142 is positioned physically downstream from the reagent add unit 134 and before the cuvette load station 110. The reagent mix unit 142 can operate on a cuvette presented at the ~irst reage~t mix station 144 and can also operate on a second reagent mix station 146. The reagent mix unit 142 ~ay be a conventional device as known to those skilled in the ar~.
The sample analyzer further includes an indexing drive 148 for rotating the precessor wheel 102 preferably in the first direction 114 in a set of one or more increments. The increments are used to advance a given cuvette, according to khe preferred time schedule, and present the given cuvett~ before the appropriate stations to allow the units at each station to accomplish their respective operations as to that cuvette. The indexing drive 148 is controlled by a control unit 150 according to software, firmware or hardware commands or circuits to advance the prec~ssor wheel according to the pxeferred set of increments.
An increment is an amount by which the precessor wheel is advanced. The increment is defined in terms of a single cuvette holder, or it~ equivalent, such as degrees of arc for the prec~ssor wheel. There~orel in the preferred embodiment where the precessor wheel includes 90 cu~ette holders, ~r 45 pairs of cuvette holders, an increment of one cuYette holder is that amount of prec~ssori..wheel movement necessary to move a single cuvette holder Pro~ a current position to the next adjacent single cuvette position in the counterclockwise direction. It should also be understood that an increment constituting a net amount of one cuvette holder could also include a precessor wheel movement of exactly 360 plu~ an 'amount equal to one ~5 cuvette holder, in other words a total of 91 cuvette holder positions in one preferred embodiment~ The end resul in either case i5 to advance, shift or increment khe given cuvette holder an amount of one cuvette holder po5ition.

~ ~ ~ 3 ~ 7 7 ~ 5 ~ ~

In a prefexred e~bodiment of the invention, the cuvette holders on the precessor wheel are shifted in a first direction in a set of increments wherein each increment represents a movement of the cuvattes an amnunt corresponding to a number of samples. Specifically, there are two increments in the set of increments and the first increment represents a movement of the cuvettes an amount corresponding to 103 cuvettes and the second increment constitutes a movement of the cuvettes an amount ~0 corresponding to 91 cuvettes. The ~ovement of the cuvettes with the two increments in the set of increments added together produce a sum of 194 which constitute~ a net move of the precessor wheel 14 cuv~ttes. The 14 cuvettes is greater than one cuvette and less than the 90 cuvettes and 1 15 the greatest common factor between the 14 cuvettes and the 90 cuvettes is 2, the number of increments in the set. The control unit 150 controls the indexing drive 148 to advance the precessor wheel 102 a *iræt net amount of 13 holders and then a second net amount of 1 holder. The net amount o~ 14 holders is greater than one holder, and it is also les~ than the first plurality of 90 holders. A net increment of 14 holders with 2 increments in a set, one 13 and the other 1 t will place each cuvette at each o~ the 90 cuvette positions on~e at some point during the cycle, without duplication because the greatest common factor betwçen 14 and 90 i5 2. The net total increment of 14 holder3 also returns a given cuvette holder to the cuvette load station after 30 precessor wheel rotat~.ons or 45 pairs.
In the preferred embodiment, an increment includes 90 ~ample holders plus one or more/ sample holders so that every shift o~ the precessor wheel 102 is greater than 360 degrees. This pre~erred incr~ment allows th~
photometer 112 to scan each individual cuvette ~s the cuvette passes the photometer station 113. Therefore, even though the net amount o~ shi~t is less than gO, the control unit 1~0 controls th~ indexing drive ~48 to advance the : ;
prece~sor wheel a full 90 sa~ple holder positions plus a : :
.

~ 1 33 4 7 7 P~TllJ~ ~ 4 / O 1 5 4 ~

net amount, preferably equal to 14~ By scanning all cuvet~es which are present in sample holders, and any empty sample holders which hav~ yet to be loaded, dynamic reactions can be regularly monitored. Repeated scanning with the photometer also provides for scanning a wide variety of reactions e~en though the reactions go to completion at different rates. Scanning empty sample holder~ provides a control quantity. There~ore, repeated scanning tied to every shift of the precessor wheel ensures proper scanning of a wid~ variety of reactions.
In th~ preferred embodiment, the control unit 150 provides control signals to the indexing drive 148 according to a variation on the following module arithmetic relationship:
I = remainder mod M; Eq. (1) where I - the increment or shift by which the precessor moves; Eq. (2) M - the total number of positions on the precessor wheel; and Eq. (3) "remainder" = the number of positions remaining a~ter the number o~ positions M is divided into khe increment I. Eq. (4) If the basic relationship of Equation (1) is met, it shows that as long as the "remainder" and "M" are relatively prime, the precessor wheel wlll be indexed ~y the indexing drive 90 times in a cycle before a given sample hold~ will return to its original position from which it started at the cycle start. The relation~hip also shows that bafore the sa~ple holder returns to it~ ~tarting position, the sample holder will stop at all the positions corr~sponding to the other 89 sample holder positions on the precessor wheel. Therefore, with this relat~onship, it will take 90 shifts ~or a given sample holder to return to its starting position and ~very sample holder will be presented at every discrete location about the circumference o~ the precessor wheel once befoxe the cycle ends. Therefor~, 2 ~ 3 3 ~ 7 7 PCTIU~ 0 ~L 5 4 0 equipment can be placed around the circumference of the precessor wheel since every sample holder will stop once and only once in a given cycle of 90 shifts at any given position.
At th.is point, the only undetermined parameter is the precise time at whicA a given sample holder will be presanted to a particular position around the circumference of the precessor wheel. This time element depends first on the amount of the shift forward, "I", the time interval required for each shift forward and the time delay b~tween the end of one shift ~orward and the beginning of the next subsequent shift forward. As an example, disreg~rding for the moment the time interval for each shi~t ~orward and the delay, a net shift ~orward of one sample holder means that the sample holder will arxive at a position which is phy~ically close to the startin~ position in a relatively short amount of time. Likewise, a position which is far awa~ from the initial starting po~ition would mean the sample holder would take a commensurately longer time to 20 arriYe at that position with net shifts o~ only one ~ample holder. Conversely, a larger shift forward, for example a fir~t net amount of 13 sample holders puts the sample holder position 13 relat.ively close in time. Sample holder position 26 is the next closest and so on~ Therefore, ~or a 13 sample hold~r net shift, an operation which would need to be done fairly soon after the sample is placed in the precessor wheel at sample holder position 1 could be placed at sample holder position 13.
The foregoing example assum~s only one sîze of increment in the cycle. Equation (1) can be generalized for situations where the pr~cessor~wheel rotaStes through a pair of increments, or through any set of increments greater than one~ A plurality of increments are useful, for example~ where the c~vettes are associated in cuvette pairs, ~uch as where two cuvettes are linked by a physical web for e~e of handling, and where each operation on one cuvett~ is preferahly next carried out on the associated cuvette~ If the sequence of operations were otherwise, the ~ ~133477 PCT~ 94/015~ :

difficulty of handling the second cuvette and its associated operations is compounded, and may make for an ine~ficient system. There~ore, a relationship applicable to a set of increments having more than one increment is the ~ollowing:
GCF tS~, M) = n Eq. ~5) where GCF means Greatest Co~mon Factor;
n - number of cuvette positions in a group; Eq. (6) S~ = S' ~ Sum over j of Sj'' tnamely, the net primary position shi~t plus the net of the sum of all secondary position shi~tsj Eq. (7) ~ = g . n; Eq. (8) g = num~er o~ "groups" of cuvettes on the wheel. Eq. (9) In a pr~erred embodi~ent of the invention, S total is a net shift of 14 cuvette positions constituted by a net Z0 primary pos~tion shift o~ 13 plus the net sum of all secondary position shifts, namely a single net increment o~
1, resulting in an S total of 14. The value o~ ~5m~ is 90 so that the greatest common factor ~etween 14 and 90 is 7~n~
or 2. Sp~cifically~ the number o~ increments in the set of increments, "n", equals 2 which in the preferred embodiment is determined by the numbR.r o~ cuvettes associated with one another, namely 2 as determined by a cuvette pairS., The relationship in Equation (8) is also satisPied since ;'m" is 90, the number of "groups", or "g", o~ cuvettes on the wheel is 44 and "n~' equals 2, ~he num~er of cuve~te positions in a group.
With the forego.ing relationships, the indexing drive 148 is controlled by signals ~rom the control 150 so as to turn the precessor wheel according to the following general sequenc~:
1. Position precesscr wheel to sample holder position 1 (start) ~33~ 9 4 / ~ 1 S ~ ~

2. rotate S"
3. Perform operation 4O s = 1 5. While j is le~s than s, 6. rotate precessor wheel an amount S
7. Perform operation;
~. j = j + 1 9. End j 10. Go to line z.
To illustrate the spatial and temporal relationships defined by these relationships, an ~xample for "s" = 1 will be discussed, followed by a discussion of an example where "s" = 2. A precessor wheel 102 (FIG. 2) has been shown at rest in a starting configuration with every ~ifth sample holder position numb~red, namely 5l lo, 15, etc. The numbering system corresponds to phy~ical sample holder po~itions relative to other stationary equipment, such that i~ ~ cuvett~ placed in sample holder position 1 is ~hi~ted by rotation of the precessor wheel, "sa~ple holder posi'cion 1" will still be as ~hown in FIG. 2 even though the physical sample or cuvette originally occupying that position has shifted counterclockwise. Specifioally, the sample holder position numbers remain stationary even if the precessor wheel moves. FGr purposes o~ understanding and easier illustration, the sample holder positions ~or the preces~or wheel have been ~eparated into three 30-segnent linear row~ (FIG. 3) with the sample holder position ~umbers entered in th2 boxes. While FIG. 3 is a linear depiction of the sample holder positions, it~should be under~tood that FIG. 3 is a linear representation of the continuous conveyor endles~ sy~tem~shown in FIG. 2.
In order to det~rmine suitable locakions for equipment unit~, it is assumed that an individual sample cuvette is ~irst loaded into ~ample holder posîtion ~ Various equipment units will carry out respective operation~ on cuvettes as the cuvettes are presented befor~ e~ch equipment unit. For '~M" equals 90, an increment or shi~t forward of "103" c~n be seleeted. The shi~t ~orward of ~133~77 P~T/lJS 94 / ~ ~ 5 4 ~

"103~' results in ~ net advance of 13. The Greatest Common Factor between 13 and 90 is 1. The reasons for selecting a net shift equal to 13 will become appar~nt in conjunction with the discussion below of the preferred embodiment relative to FIGS. 4 and 5. While it sAould be understood that the preferred shift or advance equals "103", only the net shift of 13 will be used for clarity. With a first cuvette loaded in sample holder position "1l', the first net shift of 13 sample holder positions places the cuvette at sample holder position "14" (FIG. 3). After the second nek shift of 13, the cuvette is presented at sample holder position "27". Each net shi~t is identified by a step number, and these step numbers are mapped onto the corresponding positions shown in FIG. 3. Because each cycle takes 90 rotations to ~omplete and return the cuvette holder to its start position, there will be 90 steps and 90 step numbers. As will be discussed more fully below with res~ect to the preferred embodiment, the step number also represents a time interval. Assuming the precessor wheel revolution time for a shift of "103" and the precessor wheel stop time are constant, the ~tep number also represents the time elapsed from the start with respect to the first cuYette.
As shown in FIG. 3, the positions taken by the first cuvette after each of the first six shifts are relatively evenly distributed about the cirsumference of the precessor wheel. Therefore, in a hypothetical situation where there are six equipment units, all six can be evenly distr~buted around the circum~erence of the precessor wheel and still have t~e ~irst cu~ette placed be~ore all six stations in the first six time intervals. Addi~onally, i~ it is found that all reactions are completed a~t2r 60 time intervals, ~he cuvette unload station can be placed at a cuvette holder position corresponding to any of the time intervals between time intervals or step numbers 61 and 89. For example, a suitable ~patial pOSitiOTI for a cuvette unload station could be sample holder position 7~, which is five cuvett~ positions apart ~rom sample holder po~ition 79 ~ ~133~77 PG~I ~ 94/~540 which may have the sixth equipment unit. Ther~fore, while the sample unload unit may be physically close to the sixth ~quipment unit, they are greatly separated in time.
Hypothetical equipment units have bee~ positioned about the precessor wheel so that six units, namely photometer read, sample dispense, sample mix, sensor two, reagent add and reagent mix, are relatively evenly di tributed spatially about the circum~erence o~ the precessor wheel. These units have been placed so that the first cuvette i6 presented before each of the six units in the first six steps or increments out of a total of 90 steps. Such an arrangement separates the logical sequence of cuvette movement ~rom the physical positioning of a cuvette on the precessor wheel. It also permits optimum physical placement of the equipment units and optimum placement of such units as a cuv~tte unload unit at any desired location around the precessor wheel which the cuv~tte will Visit near the temporal end o~ its cycle of 90 position shi~ts. Therefore, assuming sample holder position numbers 55 through 75 are at the front of the sample analyzer apparatus and the cuYette unload unit is placed at position 74, thP cuvette wlload unit is easily accessible for service.
Another beneficial feature of the invention can be ~5 seen by-considering the reagent add and reagent mix units depicted in FIGSo 2 and 3. With a reagent add unit which can access two dif~`erent locations relative to the sample holder positions on the precessor wheel, such as ~ample holder positions 66 and 68, a single reagent add unit can be u ed to per~orm operations on the sample cuvette when it is pre~ented at position 66 as well ~s when it is presented later at position 68. Since the cuvette in this example is presented at position 66 at the ~ifth step number, or after the ~iPth time interval, and the sam~ cuvette is presented at position 68 a~ter the l9th time interval, the reagent add unit has sufficient time a*ter operating at position 66 to prepare for per~orming an operation at position 680 Speci~ically, the. reagent add unit has approximate~y 3 3 ~ 7 7 14 time units to p~epare for the first cuvette to arrive at position 68. As a result, a single equip~ent unit can be locatPd at one physical position relative to the precessor wheel and make two or more operations which occur at different times. The same comments apply to the reagent mix unit or other equipment units which may be used.
Conversely, operations which are intended to occur close in time can be spaced far apart. For example, the sample dispense operation occllrring at sample holder position numb~r 27 occurs only two time units before the sample is analyzed at sensor two at sample holder position number 53.
Such spatial separation permits optimum positioning o~
equipment units and efficient use o~ space about the precessor wheel. Therefore, physical location and temporal location are disassociated.
With a shi~t or advance of ~'103", each cuvette will pass the photometer read station within the span of each shi~t or time interval. As a result, the photometer unit can monitor dynamic reactions in every cuvette, starting with the ~irst shift after sample is dispensed at the sample dispense unit at sample position holder position 27.
The reaction in each cuvette is thereafter monitored with each precessor wheel shiPt until the cuvette is unloaded at sample holder position 74.
The wide ~patial separati~n o~ equipment units permits a relatively large number of samples to be maintained on the precessor wheel at any given time. This proYides a significantly high throughput of samples in the jsample analyzer. It also maximize~ the numb~r of operations occurring with each step since mechanical equipment can be positio~ed as desired around the~ circumference of the precessor wheel using a format such as depicted in FIG. 3.
Once the relationships shown in FIG. 3 are defined, and the time intervals are determined, eve~y op~ration and the location of every sample at any given time is known.
In a prefexred embodiment, sample cuvet~es are handled in pairs wherein two cuvettes are connected by a web. Th~
cuvette pair is then loaded onto the prece~sor whePl at the 3~,~77 PCT'IIS 94 /0~5a~

cuvette load station 110 so that the ~orward or "A" cuvette is in sample holder position 2 and the following cuvette "B" is in sample holder position 1 ~FIGS. 4 and 5). While it is clear that handling of the sample and reagent in cuvette 'IA" can be handled expeditiously under the sche~e ¦ discus~ed above with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, the second cuvette C'B~' of the pair is not accounted for. Therefore, treatment of the second cuvette "Bi' is pre~erably tied to the proce~ing o~ cuvette l'A~'.
10In the pre~erred embodiment, the precessor wheel shi~ts a set of two increments for each cuvette pair. The quantity "n" i~ 2 and the index "j'~ is therefore 1. The first increment in the set shifts cuvette t'A'3 to present ~he cuvette beforQ a particular equipment unit, af~er which the prece~sor wheel moves the second increment in the set to present the second cuvette ~'B" be~ore the same equipment unit. There~ore, the same equipment unit processe~ first the cuvette "A", and i~mediately thereafter the second cuvette "B" 50 that each cuvette o~ the pair visits the same precessor position one after the other. This avoids having two photometer units, one for each cuvette in ~he pair, as well as dual equipment units at other equipment stations. There~ore, in the pre~exr~d embodiment, a~ter a cuvette pair is loaded at the cuvette, load station 110, the precessor wheel rotates an increment or large rotation~
o~ 103 sample holder positions, resulti~g in a net shift of 13 sample hold~r po~itions to place the first cuvette "A"
a~ sample holder position 15, the photometer stati~,~ 113.
After th~ cuvette "A~' stops and i5 scanned by the photometer 112, the precessor wheel rotates a sec4nd increment or small rotation of 91 ~ample holder units to present the second cuvette t'B" at the phatvmeter station 113 to ~e scanned~ The net shit fox the large and small rotations S~ is 14 sample ~holder units~ Th~
precessor wheel then un~ergoes a second set of large and small rotations to sequ~ntially present the first and second cuvettes before the sample dispense station 120 at sample holder posi~ion 29. A third set of large and small ~133477 p~T/U~ 9 4 / ~ ~ 5 4 ~

rotations brings the first and second cuvette~ sequentially before the sample mix statiGn 124 at sample holder position 43. A ~ourth set of large and small rotations bring the first and second cuvettes be~ore the ISE
station 132 at sample holder position 57. The first and second cuvettes are then presented to reagent add station 13~ at sample holder position 71 after a f.ifth set of large and small rotations, after which th~ first and second cuvettes are presented to reagent mix 1 station 144 at ~ample holder position 85. In the pre~erred embodiment, each cuvette in the precessor wh~el, including the ~irst and second cuvettes "A" and "B'^ are ~canned during each large and small rotation, since each shi~t is at least 90 sample holder positions. Each cuvette is scanned by the photomet~r 11~ as the prec~ssor wheel ro~a~es~
As shown in FIG. S, after 18 steps, the first and second cuvettes are present~d be~ore the reagent add 2 I station 140 at sample holder position 73, and thereafter presented to reage~t ~ix 2 station 146 at sample holder position 87. After 42 sets of large and ~mall rotations~
the cuvette pair is presented at the cu~ette unload position 128, in sample holder positions 49 and 50 to be sealed a~d unloaded ~rom the precessor wheel. The sample holders corresponding to th~ removed cuvettes remain empty for the remaining three sets of large and small rotations until the pair of sample holders are again presented before the cuvette load station 110 a~ter the 45th set of large and small rotations. In the pre~erred embodimen,~ t the photometer 112 scans the empty sample holders on each large and small rotation ~fter the cuvette pair are unloaded as a calibration and sy~tem check.
It should be noted that the step nu~ber~ shown in FIG. 5 correspond to each set or pair of large and small rotations. Therefore, the sample h~lder corresponding t~
the first and second cuvett2s returns to the cuvette load ~tation 110 a~ter 45 setæ cr pairs of large and small rotations. Only the fir~t large rotation of each set is depi~ted by the step numbers in FIG. 5. Each small ~ ~ 3 ~ ~ 7 7 p~ 4 ~

rotation in the se~ advances the cuvette one sample holder position. For example, the first cuvette "A" is shifted in a large rotation to sample holder position 15. After the small rotation of 91, the first cuvette 'IA" is located at sample holder position 16 while the second cuvette "Bl' is positioned at the photometer read position corresponding to sample holder position 150 Subs~quent sets of large and small rotations result in similar shift~.
In the preferred embodiment dep.icted in FIGS. 4 and 5, equations 1 - 7 are satisfied where the number of positions "M" is 90, the incremen~ or shift advanoe "I" is 103 for the large rotation, "n" is 2 and the number of increments in a set is 2. The quantity S~ equals 14, the sum of the net primary position shift S' of 13 and ths n~t of the sum of the single secondary position shift Qqual to 1. ~he number "g" is 45 groups of cuvettes on the whe21 and "n"
equals 2 such that Equation (8) is satis~ied. Therefore, the Grea~est Common Factor between S~ (1~) and "m" (90) is 2. These values are then used to operate the indexing drive according to the gener~l proces~ described a~ove~
The proces~ using these values will now be demonstrated.
A~ter th~ cuvette pair is added at the cuvette load ~tation 110, fvllowing a small rotation of 91 to place the first and second cuvettes as shown in FIG. 4, the precessor wheel rotates a first rotation "S"', corresponding to a net advance o~ 13. ~he photometer 112 then scans the first cuvette '7A" at the photometer skation 113. Then, while "j"
equals 1, which is less than ~l5~ = 2, the precessor; wheel rotates a small rotation o~ 91 corresponding to "Sj",' after which the second cuvette "B" is scanned by the photometer 112. The index ~'j" is ~ncremented to be equal to "j" plus 1, making ";" no longer less than "s". The process then returns to step 2, wh~re the wheel then makes a large rotation "S~' and the process~continues. It should be noted that this process can be carried out with triplets o.~ linked cuvettes and any number of cuvettes where Equation (8) is satis~ied. It should also be noted that ~~33,~77 PcTJll~94L~ 4u ; -24-! the large rotation can have a ne~ shift other than 13 as I long as the Greatest Common Factor of S~ and "M" is "n".
The relationship o~ Equation ~5) pxovid~s a number of benefits. In the particular embodiment disclosed in 5 FIGS. 4 and 5, a net shift on the first large rotation of 13 sample holder positions allows the photometer to be spaced apart from the cuvette load unit. It also permi~s the first operakion for the newly lo~ded cuvette to be a photometer scan to give a standard or calibration 10 measurement ~or the ~uvette. The second, small rotation of 91 sample holder positions takes care o~ the second o~ th~
pair of cuvettes loaded at the cuvette load position 110.
These net shi~ts of the precessor wheel al~o allow the other equipm~nt units to be spaced apart a~ound th~
15 circum~erence of the precessor wheel but still have the sample dispense operatio~, the sample mix operation, the ISE op ration, the reagent add 1 and reagent mix operations occurring se~uentially in a relatively short amount o~ time. However, ~ecaus~ each cuvette will be 20 presented in subsequent rotations to the same general arcuate are~ or sector as each of these six equipment units, these e~uip~ent units can be positioned to perform an operation on the cuvette at almost any ~elected step or time interval during the cycle ~or which the particular 25 cu~ette is on the precessor wheel. ~herefore, the unload unit 126 can be placed just about anywhere on the precessor wheel within the constraints defined ~y the spacial restrictions of the other equipment and the necessi,$y for servicing the equipment at the unload station 128.
30 Moreover, b~cause each çuvette will revisit a given sector on the precessor wheQl at a number pf di~ferent times over the cycle, a giv~n ~quipment unit can be designed to operate a~ different times on dif~ererlt but relatively close sample holder positions. For éxample, ~he reagent 35 add and reagent mix uni.~s prefer~bly can operate on sample holder positions 71 and 73 and sample holder position~ 85 and 87, resp~ctively (~IG. ~). Therefor~, logical and temporal space can be separated fro~ physical space. This ~ ~ 3 3 ~ 7 7 ~ 4 1 (~

also maximizes the use of the equipment units.
Additionally, by spacing the equipment units around the circum~erence of the preces~or wheel, the number of operations occurring with each shift can be maximized.
As shown in FIG. 5, a cuvette pair is unloaded fro~
sample holder positions 49 and 50 after the 42nd step or p~ir of rotations is completed. During the next subsequent rotation, there are six vacant sample holders which are scanned by the photometer 112 to provide a baseline, standard or calibration measurement. A given pair o~
sample holder positions remain vacant for three pairs o~
large and small rotations before a new cuvette pair is loaded after the 45th rotation pair.
Each rotation pair generally results in a new cuvette ~5 pair being loaded at the cuvette load station 1~0. For example, after the first and second cuvettes "A" and ~Bl' are shifted to samp].e holder positions 15 and 14, respectively, ~he vacant sample holder which was at sample holder posi~ions 77 and 78 are shifted after a large rotation first to sample holder positions 90 and 1, and ~hen a~ter a small rotation to positions 1 and 2.
Therefore, a~ter the small rotation and whil~ ~uvette "B"
is being read at the photometer station 113, a new cuvette pair is being loade,d at the load station 110. This ~econd cuvette pair then ~ollows the same procedure as describe~
above with respect to cuvettes "A" and "B". The proce~s continues as long as there is demand for sample analyses.
However, ~ample analyzers can be programmed as is k~wn to those skilled in the art to discontinue loading cuvettes if there is no demand.
In the preferred embodiment, ~the fir~t plurality of sample holders "M'l is preferably 90. A total of 90 sample holder positions provides a relatively large number of positions for the desirable sampl~ throughput for the sample analyzer. Additionally, given the rotation parameters and size of the precessor wheel for 90 holders, the apparatus ~nd the method for carrying out the shifts provides an assembly which ccmpletes a cycle in ~ 3 ~ 7 7 '' 9 ~

approximately the same time that it taXes for the anticipated longest reaction to occur. Ninety positio~s also permits a suitable number of shifts or advances of the precessor wheel, namely six ~or the pre~erred ~mbodiment, before a given cuvette pair returns to the ~ame general area or sector from which it started. For example, the first cuvette pair stops at sample holder position~ 15, 29, 43, 57, 71 and 85 (FIG. 5) befor~ it returns to the general sector between positions 1 and 15, namely before it returns to position 9 in the 7th step. There~ore, the six equipment units can be adequately placed around the circumference of the precessor wheel. With a larger shift, it is po~sible that ~ewer equipment uni~s could be placed around the circumference of the precessor wheel and still operate a~ closely in time as do the photometer 112, the sample dispense unit 116~ the sample mix unit 122 and the ISE unit 130. An increment for the large rotation shorter than 13 may require e~uipment units to be placed closer together.
In the pre~erred embodiment, six e~uipment units are used in th~ sample analyzer in addition to the load and unload units. With six equipment units at six di~ferent stations around the precessor wheel, and 90 sample holder positions, the qUotient of 90 divided by 6 is lS. With the precessor wheel operating with cuvette pairs, the number of increments in each set ?'s~' iS 2. A small rotation provides a net incre~ent o* 1 leaving the large rotation with a net increment of 14 (15 = 14 ~ 1). An S~ of 15 does no,.~ meet the relationships of the ~oregoing equations, and therefore is not used if all 9o sample holder positions are to ~e used. A set of two increments whi~h giv~ a total shi~t of 16, with a large rotation having a net shift of 15 may be used because 16 does satis~y the foregoing e~uation~.
~owever, 14 would be a suitable numb~r representing the sum of the net shift5 of the large and small rotations, as discussed above. Depending on the size and number of the equipm~nt units, a net shift for a large rotation of between 10 to 20 sample holder positions is adequate.

r~ 33~ 7 7 It can be determined by experiment~tion that there are a number of values for "S~" which satisfy the ~oregoing equations. While these values ar~ theoretically p~ssible, it will be ~nderstood that not all are practical for one reason or anoth~r. Values for '~St~" which satisfy the ~oregoin~ equations include 2, 4, 8, 14, 16, ~21 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 44, and so on, it being under~tood that the precessor wheel can advance two or reverse 88 and still operate in the same mann~r.
Typical reactio~ times for analyse~ to be conducted on such samples as human blood serum, plasma and the lilce is approximately 10 ~inutes. With a r~tation time, including stationary time ~or both the larg~ and small rotations o~
approximately 7 1/2 seconds9 wherein each cuvette is scanned once on every rotation, 10 minute~ per reaction times 60 second~ per minut~ divided by 7.5 seconds per rotation gives approxi.mately 80 rotations or 40 rota~ion paiLs to insure that all reactions are complete be~ore a giVQn cuvette pair is unloaded. There~ore, unloading cuvette pairs aPter 42 rotation pairs is adequate.
Additionally, operation within these parameters with 90 sample holder positions leave~ empty sample holder positions for three ro-tation pairs for purposes of calibration.
Other characteristirs o~ the specific embodiment de6cribed above with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5 will now be de~cribed. In the pre~erred embodiment, each cuvette pair spans eight degrees o~ arc on the prece~sor wheel.; There is 3.395 degrees within a cuvette pair, center to-center, and thexe is ~.605 degrees between cuvette pairs, center-to-~enter. Th~ distance a~zoss a cuvette pair is preferably 0.943 inch. The distance bekween the centers of the cuvettes within a given pair is 0.4 inch, while the distance between the centers of the ~uvettes between pairs 35 i9 O. 543 inch. It takes 0.1163 seconds to traverse one cuvette pair and 0.04937 seconds to trav~r e center-to-center within a cuvette pair. It takes 0.0669~ se~o~ds to traverse center-to-center between ~ ~3~77 PCT/U~ 9d~/01~40 -2~-cuvett~ pairs. The small and large rotations occur at the same an~ular velocity. The numbers provided herein assume that acceleration and dec~leration times for all rotations are zero. A large rotation of 103 ~uvette or sample holder positions rotates 51 cuvette pairs plus 1 between pair distance. A small rotation of 91 cuvette or sample holder positions rotates 45 cuvette pair~ plus 1 within-pair distance. A large rotation is 412.605 degrees and a small rotation is 363.395 degrees. A larg~ rotation is completed in 6.0 seconds and a small rotation is completed in 5.2844 seconds. It takes 5.2350 seconds to complete ~ne 360 degree rotation of the precessor wheel. The radius of the precessor whe~l is preferably 8.75 inches.
Table I shows th~ relationships between the time dura~ion from time equals zero to the angular displacement o~ the precessor wheel and the operations carried out by the various eguipment unitsO The Table assumes that time zero is defined for a cuvette pair as the start o~ rotation immediately after that pair has been loaded onto the precessor wheel. A~ discussed above, the precessor wheel will make 45 rotatio~ pairs be~ore a given sample holder posîtion returns to exactly the same position. The time to make thæse rotations is 675 seconds (45 rotation pairs times 15 seconds per rotation pair)~
~he temporal relationship between a cuvette pair and the cuvette pair next to it in a counterclockwise direction is T~l+1)~a~ Tj~j + 195 (seconds) mod 675 Eq~ (10) The shi~t of 195 ~econds can be determined from the ~ollowing relationships.
(Displacement x N) mod l'M'I = ~ Eq. (11) where diæplacement is derived from the fac-t that every 15 seconds, 7 cuvette pairs are moved and "M" corresponds to 45 cuvette pairs. The desired in~ex is l, and the next cuvett~ is counterclockwise. Therefore, the equation becomes (7 x N) mod 45 = 1, or Eq. (12) N = (45 * K ~ l) / 7, Eq. (13) pc~S~ 5 ~33~77 where "N" and "K'l are integers. The smallest values of "K'l and "N" which are solutions to this equation are K equals 2 and N equals 13. Multiplying l'N9l by the time requird . for indexing one pair is 13 times 15 or 195 seconds.
The Table I also 6how~ a column indicating whether ox not the prececsor wheel is moving ~M) or ~topped (S) when the partic~lar operation is accomplish~d. A column is also provided showing the rotation size, namely a large rotation o~ 103 sample holder po~itions or 91. The ~inal column show~ the step number corresponding to the step numbers identi~ied in FI~. 5. It should be noted that only the large rotations are identified with the step size, such that the large and ~mall rotations as a pair constitute one step. It also should be noted that the step number in Table I is positioned in the table opposite th~ rotation size which is about ~o occur as shown in the table.
Considering ~able I, it can be se~n that each cuvette is scanned by the photometer at least Pvery 7.5 seconds and each of the ~irst and second cuvettes after loading are 2 0 presented to the photometer, the sample dispense unit, the ~ample mix unit the IS~ unit, the reagent add I, and the reagent mix I unit within a minute and a half.

TA~
Time Angular (M)oving Rota-25 (sec) Disp from or tion Stop ~next~ T - O Operation (S~to~ped ~Size No.

0 0 finl~h load M 103 cuvette pair i~
position 8 and start xotate o. 76~ S2 . 6~5 read cuve~te ~ ~S
o . 814 56 . 0 read cuvette B
6.0 52.60S stop rotatQ S
3 5 read cuvette ~ S
7 . 5 52 . 605 start rotate M 91 3 3 ~ ~ 7 --3 o--7 . 549 56 . o read cuvette B ~ -12 . 735 52 . 605 xead cuvetke A M
12 . 7~4 56 . 0 stop rotate S
read cuvette B 5 515. 000 56. 0 start rotate M 103 2 2 0 .18 6 read cuvette A M ..
2 0 . 2 3 5 read cuvette B rq - -21. 000 108 . 605 stop rotate S
add sample to cuv P.
22 . 500 start rotate M 91 26 . 921 read cuvette A M
26 . 970 read cuvette B M
27 . 784 112 . 0 stop rotate S
add sampl~ tc) S
c~v B
30 . 000 start rotate M 103 3 34 . 371 read cuvette A M
34 . 421 read cuvette B M
2036r~ 000 164L ~ 605 s1:op ro~;~te S
mix cuvette A S
37 . 500 start rotat~ M 91 41.106 xead cuvette P, M
41.156 read cuvette E~ M
2542 . 784 168 . 00 stop rotake S
mix c:uvette B S
45. 000 start rotate ~ N 103 4 557 reacl cuvette A M

48.606 read cuvette B M
3051. ûO0 220. 605 stop rotate S
ISE aspirate S
cuv ~
52 . 500 start rotate M 91 P~ S ~4 55 . 292 read cuvette A M
55 . 341 read cuvette B M
57 . 784 2~4 . 0 stop rotate S
ISE aspirateS
cUv B
60 . 000 start rotateM 103 5 62 . 743 read cuvette A M
62 . 792 read cuvette B M
~6. 000 276. 605 stop rotate S
Rgt 1 add S
cuvette A
67 . 500 start rotateM 91 69 . 478 read cuv~tte A M
69 . 527 read cuv~tt~ B M
15 72 . 784 280. 0 stop rotate 5 Rgt 1 add S
cuv~tte B
75. 000 start rotateM 103 6 76. 928 read cuvette A M
20 760 978 read cuvett~B M
81. 000 332. 605 stop rotate S
Rgt 1 mix S
cuvette A
82 . 500 start r~tate M g:l 25 83 . 663 read cuvetteA M
83 . 713 read cuvette B M
87 . 784 33~. 0 sto~ rotate S
Rg~ 1 mix ~ S 103 7 cuvette B
30 90~ 000 start rotateM
91.114 read cuvette A ~i 9 1 .1 6 3 read cuvette B M
960 000 28. 605 stop rotate J~ 3 3 ~ 7 7 P~T~

97.500 start rotate S 91 97.849 read cuvette A M
j 97.~98 read cuvette B
102.7~4 32.0 stop rotate S
105.000 ~tart rotate S 103 8 105.300 read cuvette A M
105.349 read cuvette B M
110.53S read cuvette A
110.584 read cuvette B
111.000 84.605 stop rotate S
112.500 star~ rotat~ M 91 117.270 read cuvette A M
117.319 r~ad cuvette B M
117.784 88.0 stop rotate S
1~0.000 start rotate M 103 9 124.720 read cuvette A M
124.770 read cuvette B M ~:
126.000 140.605 stop rotate S
127.500 start rotate ~ 91 131.455 read cuvette A M ;
131.505 read cuvette ~ M
13~.784 144.0 stop rotate S
1350000 start rotate ~ 103 10 138.906 read cuvette A M
138.955 read cuvette B
141.000 196.605 stop rotate S
142.500 start rotate M 91 145.541 read cuvette A
145.690 read cuvette B M

3 3 ~ ~T~

147.784 200.0 stop rotate S
150.000 staxt rotate M 103 11 153.092 read cuvette A M
153.141 read cuvette B M
156.000 252.605 ~top xotate S
157.500 start rotate ~ 91 159.827 read cuvette A
159.876 read cuvette B M
16~.784 256.0 stop rotate S
10 165.000 start rotate M 103 12 167.277 read cuvette A M
167.327 read cuvette B M
171.000 308.605 stop rotat~ S
172.500 start rotate M 91 15 174.012 read cuvette A N
174.062 read cuvette B M
177.784 312.0 stop rotate S
180.000 start rotate M 103 13 181.463 read cuvette A M
20 181.512 read cuvette B M
186.000 4.605 stop rotate S
187.500 start rotate M 91 188.198 read cuvette A
188.247 read cuvette B M
25 192.784 8.0 stop rotate S
195~000 start rotate M 103 14 195.649 read cuvette A M
195.698 read cuvette B M
200.884 read cuvette A M

~ ~133477 ~T/lJ~, 94 /0~ 5 4 ~

200. 933 read cuvette B
201. OoO 60. 605 stop rotate S
~02 . 500 start rotate ~ 91 207. 619 read cuvette A M
207. 668 read cuvette B ~q 207 . 784 64 . o stop rotate s 210. 000 start rotzte ~ 103 15 ~:
215. 069 read cuvette A M
215.119 read cuvette B
216.000 116.605 sts~p rotate S :
217 . 500 star~ rotate M 91 221.804 read cuvette A ~9 221. 854 xead cuv~tte B
222 . 7S4 120 . 0 stop rota3:e S
225 . 000 start rota1:e M 103 16 229 . 255 read cuvette A M
229 . 304 read cuvette B M
231.000 172.505 stop rota1:e S
232 . 500 ~tart rotate ~1 91 2350990 read cuvette A M
236. 039 read cuvette ~3 M
237.7~ 176.0 stop rotate S
240. 000 ~ta~t rotate M 103 17 243 . 4'41 read cuvette A M
243 u 490 read cuvette B
24fi. 000 22~ . 605 s'cop rotate S
247 ~ 500 :~;tart rotate M 91 250.176 read cuYette A Pl 2 5 o . 2 2 5 read cuvette B 2 ~ ~ ~ 3 4 7 ~ ~T~U~

~35-252.784 232.0 stop rotate S
255.000 start rotate M 103 18 ¦ 257.6z6 read cuvette A M
257.676 read cuvette B M
261.000 284~605 stop rotate S
~gt 2 add S
cuvette A
262.500 start rotate ~ 91 264.361 read cuvette A M
264.411 read cuvette B
267.784 288.0 ~top rotate S
Rgt 2 add S
cuvette ~
270.000 start rotate M 103 19 271.812 read cuvette A ~
271.861 read cuve~te B M
276uOOO 340.605 s~op rotate S
Rgt 2 mix S
cuvette A
277.500 start rotate M 91 278.547 read cuvette A kl 278~596 read cuvette B
282.784 344.0 stop rotate S
Rgt 2 mix S
cuvette B
285.000 start rotate ~ 103 20 285.998 read cuvette A

~6.047 read cuvette B
291.000 36.605 stop rotate 292.500 start rotate M 91 292.733 read cuvette A M
292.782 read cuvette B ~

PCT/U~ 94/01 540 1 297.784 40.0 stop rotate S
¦ 300.000 start rotate M 103 21 ¦ 300.183 read cuvette A M
300.~33 read cuYette B M
1 5 305.418 read cuvette A M
305.~6~ read cuvette B
306.000 92.605 ~top rotate S
307.S00 start rotate M 91 .
312.153 read cuv~tte A M
312~203 read cuvette B M
312.784 96.0 stop rotate S
315.000 start rotate M 103 22 319.604 r~ad cuvette A M
319.653 read cuvette B M
321.000 1~8.605 stop rotate S
322.500 start rotate M 91 326.339 read cuvette A M
326.388 read cuvett~ B
327.784 152.0 stop rotate S
330.000 start rotate M 103 23 333.790 read cuvette A M
333O839 read cuvetta B
336.000 204.605 stop rotate S
337.500 skart rotate M 91 340.525 read cuvette A
340.574 reacl suvette B M
342.784 208.0 stop rotate S
345~000 start rotate M 103 2 347.97S xead cuvette A

PC~/l 9 4 / ~ 1 ~ 4 0 - 37~
¦ 348.025 ' read cuvette 8 ¦ 351.000 260.605 stop rotate s 352 . 500 start rotate M gl 354.710 read cuvette A M
354.76n read cuvette B M
357.784 265. O stop rotate S
360.000 start rotate ~ 103 25 362.161 read cuvett2 A M
362 . 210 read cuvette B M
366 . 000 316. 605 stop rotate S
367 . 500 start rotate M 91 36~ . ~96 read c::uvette A M
368.945 read cuvette B M
372.784 320. O stop rotate S
375.000 start rotate M 103 26 376.347 read cuvette A M
376.396 read cuvette B M
381.000 12.605 stop rotate s 382.500 - start rotate M 91 383 . 082 read cuvette A M
383.131 read cuvette B M
387 . 784 16 . 0 stop rotate S
390. 000 start rotate M 103 27 390.532 read cuvette A M
390.582 read cuvette B M
395.767 read cuvette A
395.817 read cuvette B
396. OdO 68.605 stop rotate S
397.500 start rotate M 91 ~ 1 3 ~ ~ 7 7 PCT/lJ5 4 ~ O 1 5 4 o 402 . 502 read cuvette A M : :
402 . 552 read cuveltte B M
4.02 . 784 72 . O stop rotate S
405. 000 start rotate M 103 28 409 . 953 read cuvett~ A M
410. 002 read cuvette B
411.000 124.605 ~top ro~a~e S
412 . 500 start rota~e M 91 416 . 688 read cuvette A M
10 416 . 737 read cuvette B M
417 . 784 128 . O stop rotate S
420. 000 star~ rotat:e M 10~ 29 424.139 read cuvet~e A M
424.188 read cuvette B
15 426 . 000 180. 605 stop rotate S
427 . 500 start rotate M 91 430. 874 read cuvette A M
430 . 923 read cuvette B 2 432 . 784 184 . 0 stop rotate S
20 435 . 000 start rotate M 103 30 438 . 324 read cuvett~ A
438 . 374 read cuv~tte B M
441. t9t~0 236. 605 stop rotate S
4J.2 . 5()0 start rotate M 91 25 445 . 059 read cuvette A M
445.109 read cuvette B M
~4,7.7~4 240.0 stop rvtate S
450. 000 start rotate M 103 31 452 . 510 read cuvette A M

r- ~ L 3 3 ~17 7 P~ 4 ,~ 0 ~
-3g 452.559 read cuvette B
456~000 292-605 stop rotate S
457.500 ~tart rotate M 91 459.245 read cuvette A M
459.294 read cuvette B M
~62.784 296.0 stop rotate S
465.000 st2lrt rotate M 103 32 466.696 read cuvette A
466.745 rea~ cuvette B
471.000 34~.605 stop rotate S
472.500 start rotate M 91 473.431 I read cuvette A
473.480 read cuvette B M
477.784 ~2.0 stop rotate S
4~0. 000 start rotate M 103 33 480.881 read cuvette A
480.931 read cuvette B M
486. 000 0,~.605 stop rot~te S
487.500 start rotate ~ 91 l 487.616 read cuvette ~ M
487~666 read cuvette B
492.784 48.0 stop rotate S
95 O start rotate M 103 34 5.067 read cuvette A M
.116 read cuvette B M
302 read cuvette A M
51 read cuvett~ B M
~0 100.605 s~op rotate S
start rotate M 91 ll ~133477 P~T/US^4/~ 40 507.037 read cuvette A M
507.086 read cuvette B M
~07.784 104.0 stop rotate S
510.000 start rotate M 103 35 514.488 read cuvette A M
514.537 read cu~ette B M
516.000 156.605 stop rotate 517.500 start rotate M 91 521.223 read cuvette A M
lO 521~272 read cuvette B M
522,784 160.0 stop rotate S
525.000 start rotate M 103 36 523.673 read cuvette A M
528.723 read cuv~tte B M
531.000 212.605 stop rotate S
532.500 start rotate M 91 535.408 read cuvette A M
53.458 read cuvette B M
537.784 21600 stop rotate S
540.000 start rotate ~ 103 37 542.859 read cuvette A M
542.903 read cuvette B M
546.000 268.605 stop rotat~ S
547.500 start rotate M 91 549.594 xead cuvette A M
549.643 read cuvette B -~ -552.784 272.0 stop rotate S
555.000 start rotate M lG~ 38 557.045 read cuv~tte A M

~ ~ 3 3 41~Çi,T/US 9 4 ~ ~1 5 4 0 557. 094 read cuvette B M
561. ûO0 324 . 605 stop rotate S
562 . 500 start rot:ate M 91 563 . 7~0 r~ad cuvette A M
563 . 829 read cuvette B
567 . 784 328 . 0 stop rotate S
570. 000 start rotate M 103 39 571. 230 read cuvette A M
571. 280 read cuvette B M
10 576. 000 20. 605 stop rotate S
577. 500 start rotate M 91 577 . 965 read cuvette A
578 . 015 read cuvette B M
582.784 24.0 stop rotate S
15 585. 000 start rotate M 103 40 585 . 416 read cuvette A M
585 . 465 read cuvekte ~ M
590. 651 r~ad cuvette A M
5gO. 700 read cuvette B M
20 591. 000 76. 605 stop rotate S
592 . 505~ ~;tart rotat~ M 91 597 . 386 r~ad cuvette A M
597 . D~35 read cuvette B M
597 . 784 80 . 0 stop rotate S
25 600 . 000 s~art rotate M 103 41 :
604 . 837 read cuvette A
604 . 886 read cuvette B
606. 000 132 . 605 stop rotate S
607 . 500 start rotate M 91 PCT/lJS 9 4 ~ ~ ~ 5 a~
~93~7 611. 572 read cuvette A M
6121. 62 read cuvette B Pg 612 . 784 136. 0 stop rotate S
5 615. 000 start rotate M 103 42 619. 022 read cuvette A ~q 619 ~ 072 read cuvette B M - -621. 000 188 . 605 stop rotate S
622 . 500 start rotate M 91 10 625 . 757 read cuvette A M
625 . 807 read cuvett2 B M
627 . 784 192 . o stop rotate S
cuvette pair S
removed 15 630. 000 start rotate M 103 43 633 . 208 read cuvette A M
633 . Z57 read cuvette B M
636. 000 244 . 605 stop rotate S
637 . 500 start rotate M 91 20 639 . 943 read cuvette A M
63~. 992 read cuvette B M
642 . 784 248 . 0 stop rotate S
645 . 000 start rotate M 103 D,4 647 . 394 read cuvl3tte A M
25 647 . 443 r~ad cuvette B
651. 000 300. 605 stop rotate S
652 . 500 start rotate M 91 654.129 read c:uvette A
654.178 read cuvette B M
30 657. 784 304 ~ 0 stop rotat~ S

~TIU~

660.000 start rotate ~ 103 45 661.579 read c~vette A M
i 661.629 read cuvette B M
666,000 356.605 stop rotate S
667.500 s~art rotate M 91 668.314 read cuvette A M
668.364 read cuvette B M
672.784 360.0 stop rotate S
cuvette pair S
inserted 675.0 start rotate M 103 The a~ove descrihed apparatus and processes provides a mekhod of dete~mining the physical pcsition of each sequential logical or temporal operation. The apparatus optimizes the uæe of mechanic~l equipment and also optimizes the number of mechanical operations occurring each time the precessor wheel stops. Once the desired relationship b~-tween the ~hift amounts, the number and location o~ mechanical equipment and the number o~ sample positions are determined, the location and sequence of all samples are known at any given time. Equipment units can be distributed around the prece~sor wheel or other conveyor system as necessary to provide the desired operations.
Additlonally, a full 360 degree rotation with each large and small rotation permits repeated scanning ofj.,every cuvette as it passes the photometer station.
It ig 'tG be understood that the embodiments of the invention di~closed herein are~ illu~trative of the principles o~ th~ invention and that other modifications may be employed which are still within the scope of the invention~ Accordingly, the present i~vention is not limited to those embodiments precisely shown and describ2d in the speci~ication but only by the following claims,

Claims (39)

IN THE CLAIMS:
1. A sample analyzer for for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples, the analyzer comprising:
a movable sample support for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in a sequence for movement in a first direction;
an indexing drive for the sample support for moving the samples in the sample support in the first direction in a set of increments, wherein each increment represents a movement of the samples an amount corresponding to a number of samples, wherein the set of increments has a number of increments constituting one or more increments and wherein the movement of samples with all the increments in the set of increments added together produce a sum which is a net move of the sample support an amount of samples equal to a second plurality of holders greater than one holder and less than the first plurality such that the greatest common factor between the second plurality and the first plurality is the number of increments in the set.
2. The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the sample support is substantially round and rotatable in a circle to present a sample to at least one activity station.
3. The analyzer of claim 2 wherein the sample support has a radius of approximately 8.7 inches.
4. The analyzer of claim 2 wherein the sample holders are grouped into forty-five pairs, each spanning an arc of approximately eight degrees.
5. The analyzer of claim 4 wherein the set of increments is two and wherein the first increment is approximately 412 degrees and wherein the second increment is approximately 363 degrees and wherein the sample support includes a first sample position which rotates from and PCT/US94/?????

returns to a given position after forty-five pairs of rotations.
6. The analyzer of claim 5 wherein the first increment constitutes 103 sample holders and the second increment constitutes 91 sample holders.
7. The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the indexing drive includes a control for advancing the sample support the one increment equal to a sum of the first plurality and the second plurality so that the sample support is advanced a net amount equal to the second plurality.
8. The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the second plurality equals the quantity "(n * g) + 1" where "n" is a positive integer and "g" equals the number of increments in a set.
9. The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the set includes a single increment wherein the single increment results in a net amount equal to the second plurality.
10. The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the first plurality is 90.
11. The analyzer of claim 6 wherein the second plurality is 13.
12. The analyzer of claim 12 wherein the set of increments is 2, and wherein a second increment in the set is a net amount of 1 holder.
13. The analyzer of claim 13 wherein the second increment is a total of 91 holders to give a net amount of 1 holder.

PCT/US94/?????
14. A sample analyzer for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples, the analyzer comprising:
a movable sample support for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in an endless sequence for movement in a first direction;
an indexing drive for the sample support for advancing the sample support in the first direction in a set of one or more increments, at least one of which is greater than the first plurality of holders.
15. The analyzer of claim 15 wherein each increment in the set is greater than the first plurality of holders.
16. The analyzer of claim 15 wherein the number of increments in the set is evenly divisible into the first plurality of sample holders.
17. The analyzer of claim 15 further including a photometer positioned relative to the sample support so as to analyze a characteristic of the sample whenever a sample is passed before the photometer, and further including means for analyzing a characteristic of each sample for every advance of the sample support.
18. A sample analyzer for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples, the analyzer comprising:
a movable sample support for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in an endless sequence for movement in a first direction;
an indexing drive for the sample support for moving the sample support in the first direction in a set of one or more increments, wherein one increment in the set is a net amount equal to a second plurality of holders greater than one holder and less than the first plurality;
a sample load station positioned at a first position relative to the sample support; and PCT/US94/0??40 a plurality of operations stations distributed in the first direction in a spatial sequence substantially uniformly about the movable sample support at defined positions spaced sequentially in the first direction from the sample load station such that a given sample to be presented in a time sequence to each operations station is presented to at least one operations stations in a time sequence different from the spatial sequence of the operations stations.
19. The sample analyzer of claim 18 wherein the sample support has 90 sample holders, wherein the analyzer further includes six operations stations including the sample load station and wherein the second plurality is approximately the quotient of 90 divided by 6.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first plurality is 90.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sum of the increments is 14.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set of increments includes 2 increments wherein 1 increment is a net movement of sample holders equal to 13 sample holders and wherein the other increment is a net movement of sample holders equal to 1 sample holder.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the 1 increment constituting a net sample holder movement of 13 constitutes a movement from the end of one pair of cuvettes to the beginning of another pair of cuvettes.
24. The apparatus of claimed in claim 22 wherein the increment of one sample holder position constitutes movement from the beginning of one cuvette pair to the end of the same cuvette pair.

PCT/U?94/01540
25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transport is a circular transport.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein each increment constitutes a transport movement of at least 360 degrees.
27. The apparatus of claim in claim 1 further comprising an empty sample container insert assembly and a sample scanner spaced from the empty sample container insert assembly wherein the spacing between the insert assembly and the sampler scanner corresponds to the number of intervening holders such that a single movement of the indexing transport places an empty sample container from the insert assembly before the scanner to be scanned.
28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein the indexing transport is a circular transport.
29. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising a sample add station wherein the sample add station is separated form the sample scanner a distance corresponding to 13 sample holder positions.
30. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein the indexing unit is a 90 position wheel for holding cuvettes, wherein the sample holders are arranged about the circumference of the circular wheel and further comprising a plurality of stations distributed about the circumference of the wheel and wherein each station comprises a separate space corresponding to approximately 15 sample holder positions and wherein each station includes an operating apparatus positioned so as to operate at a cuvette corresponding to one of the 15 positions.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising stations distributed about the wheel, being with an empty sample container insert assembly and wherein a cuvette in the wheel is not presented to all stations in sequential positional order as the wheel rotates and presents a cuvette to stations.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising two operations stations and a cuvette unload station wherein the cuvette unload station is placed physically between the two operations stations about the circumference of the wheel.
33. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising a sample dispensing station, a mixing station, a detection station, a reagent mixing station, and a reagent adding station wherein the empty sample container insert assembly is approximately 15 cuvette positions away from the sample scanner station, the sample dispense station is approximately 15 cuvette holders away from the sample scanner station, the sample mixing station is approximately 15 cuvette holder positions away from the sample dispense station, the read station is approximately 15 cuvette positions away from the sample mix station and the reagent add station is approximately 15 cuvette positions away from the read station.
34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein the indexing drive is timed to complete a cycle in approximately 10 minutes.
35. The apparatus of claim 27 comprising a plurality of stations, two of which are the empty sample container insert assembly and the sample scanner, wherein the empty sample container insert assembly is positioned next to the moveable sample support and wherein the empty sample container insert assembly is positioned in an area subtended by an arc approximately equivalent to 15 sample holder positions and wherein a cuvette inserted by the empty sample container insert assembly stop at approximately six other areas before returning to the empty sample container insert assembly area.

PCT/??94/01540
36. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movable sample support is moved in the first direction by the indexing drive in a first increment in the set of increments over a time span of approximately 6 1/2 seconds during in which time each cuvette in the movable sample support is scanned by the sample scanner.
37. A method for controlling a sample analyzer for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples, the method comprising the steps of:
moving samples in a sample support, for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in a sequence, in a first direction in a set of one or more increments, wherein one increment in the set is a net amount equal to a second plurality of holders greater than one holder and less than the first plurality such that the second plurality is relatively prime with respect to the first plurality; and repeating the step of moving the sample support to move the samples so as to present a sample supported by the sample support to at least one station for operating on the sample.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of moving includes the step of moving the sample support an increment greater than the first plurality of holders and further comprising the step of scanning each sample in each sample holder during the step of moving.
39. A sample analyzer for analyzing the characteristics of a plurality of samples, the analyzer comprising:
a movable sample support for holding samples arranged in a first plurality of holders in a sequence for movement in a first direction, wherein the first plurality of holders can be grouped into a second plurality of groups wherein each group contains an equal number of holders such that a first holder in one position in a group relative to PCT/U?94/01540 the remaining holders in the group corresponds to a second holder in a corresponding position in a second group relative to the remaining holders in the second group, wherein the first and second holders are separated by a number of intervening holders greater than zero and wherein the greatest common factor between the number of intervening holders between the first and second holders and the first plurality is equal to the number of holders in each group; and an indexing drive for the sample support for moving the sample support from a holder in the first group to a holder in the second group not adjacent to the holder in the first group.
CA002133477A 1993-02-09 1994-02-09 Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items Abandoned CA2133477A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/015,120 US5352612A (en) 1993-02-09 1993-02-09 Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items
US8/015,120 1993-02-09
PCT/US1994/001540 WO1994024570A1 (en) 1993-02-09 1994-02-09 Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2133477A1 true CA2133477A1 (en) 1994-10-27

Family

ID=21769637

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002133477A Abandoned CA2133477A1 (en) 1993-02-09 1994-02-09 Method and apparatus for the stepwise movement of items

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US5352612A (en)
EP (1) EP0635133B1 (en)
JP (1) JP3350731B2 (en)
AU (1) AU6238894A (en)
CA (1) CA2133477A1 (en)
DE (1) DE69415739T2 (en)
WO (1) WO1994024570A1 (en)

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EP0635133A1 (en) 1995-01-25
JPH07506197A (en) 1995-07-06
EP0635133B1 (en) 1999-01-07
AU6238894A (en) 1994-11-08
DE69415739D1 (en) 1999-02-18
JP3350731B2 (en) 2002-11-25
DE69415739T2 (en) 1999-09-02
US5352612A (en) 1994-10-04
WO1994024570A1 (en) 1994-10-27

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