Automatic device for the automated conduct of analyses, notably medical analyses

Abstract

Automatic device for the automated conduct of analyses, notably medical analyses, including: a storage zone for bottles, an automated sampling system for selectively sampling the content of a bottle among those present in the storage zone, a loading zone for introducing a new bottle into the automatic device, an unloading zone for collecting a bottle previously present in the storage zone, a bottle conveyor and storage system, configured selectively and individually to transport a bottle from a location in the storage zone to the unloading zone or from the loading zone to a location in the storage zone.

1 . An automatic device for the automated conduct of analyses including:
 a storage zone for bottles,   an automated sampling system for selectively sampling the content of a bottle among those present in the storage zone,   a loading zone for introducing a new bottle into the automatic device,   an unloading zone for collecting a bottle previously present in the storage zone,   a bottle conveyor and storage system ( 20 ), configured selectively and individually to transport a bottle (F) from a location in the storage zone to the unloading zone ( 72 ) or from the loading zone ( 71 ) to a location in the storage zone,   the conveyor and storage system including at least one storage module defining at least a part of the storage zone and a bottle entry/exit zone, this module being provided with means for driving bottles within it in a closed loop, enabling selective positioning of a bottle in the entry/exit zone.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , including a plurality of juxtaposed identical storage modules. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , the or each module being removably mounted in the automatic device. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic device according to  claim 4 , the or each module being received in a housing including a locking lever on which an operator can act to release the module for its removal from the automatic device. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , the or each module including a belt, carrying separators defining between them housings receiving bottles. 
     
     
         7 . The automatic device according to  claim 6 , the belt being tensioned between front and rear wheels and having between these wheels to rectilinear portions, the or each module including a casing having a curved portion guiding the bottles present between the separators in their movement around the rear wheel. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , the or each module including a plurality of pulleys each carrying at least one permanent magnet, the pulleys being disposed so that each generates as it rotates a rotating magnetic field for driving a stirring rod present in a bottle at a corresponding location on the module, the pulleys being driven by the same belt circulating between them. 
     
     
         9 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , the conveyor and storage system including a transport mechanism configured to transport a bottle from the loading zone to the module in which it must be stored or from a module in which it was stored to the unloading zone. 
     
     
         10 . The automatic device according to  claim 9 , the transport mechanism including a front belt and a rear belt, the rear belt providing at least a part of the transport from the loading zone to the module that has to receive the bottle and the front belt at least a part of the transport to the unloading zone. 
     
     
         11 . The automatic device according to  claim 10 , the front belt and the rear belt being moved in opposite directions by the same motor. 
     
     
         12 . The automatic device according to  claim 10 , the transport mechanism including a deflector that expels a bottle driven against it by the rear belt toward the front belt. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic device according to  claim 10 , including a mechanism for controlling the spacing between the bottles on the rear belt. 
     
     
         14 . The automatic device according to  claim 13 , the spacing control mechanism including two upstream and downstream pusher members mobile between retracted positions enabling the passage of bottles driven by the rear belt and deployed positions blocking the passage of the bottles, the distance between the pusher members being chosen to trap a single bottle between them when they are in the deployed position. 
     
     
         15 . The automatic device according to  claim 7 , the path of a bottle driven around the front wheel of a storage module passing over the rear belt. 
     
     
         16 . The automatic device according to  claim 1 , at least one bottle being of smaller size and received in an adapter the outside diameter of which corresponds to that of bottles of the largest size that can be used. 
     
     
         17 . The automatic device according to  claim 16 , the adapter having an inclined and off-center housing such that the opening of the bottle remains centered. 
     
     
         18 . A method of managing a set of bottles in an automatic device as defined in  claim 1 , including:
 transporting a bottle from the loading zone to the storage zone and disposing the bottle at a predefined location thereof, or   transporting a bottle from a predefined location of the storage zone to the unloading zone.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , the method including the step consisting in combined movement of the bottles of a module by driving the belt in one direction, until the bottle to be removed from the module is moved onto the rear belt, then moving the belt in the opposite direction to move away the separator that has pushed the bottle onto the rear belt and to free the bottle to allow it to continue on its path by being driven by the rear belt. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , the method including the step consisting in moving the downstream pusher member into the deployed position and the upstream pusher member into the retracted position, moving a bottle coming from the loading zone until it is pressed against the downstream pusher member, stopping the movement of the rear belt, moving the upstream pusher member into the deployed position, then moving the downstream pusher member to the retracted position and restarting movement of the rear belt so as to position the bottle in front of the storage module that has to integrate it. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , including the storage of a table of correspondences between identifiers of the bottles present in the module or modules and the locations receiving bottles defined by the module or modules, and updating this table on each movement of bottles within a module. 
     
     
         22 . An automatic device according to  claim 1 , for the automated conduct of medical analyses. 
     
     
         23 . An automatic device according to  claim 9 , the front belt and the rear belt being parallel to one another. 
     
     
         24 . An automatic device for the automated conduct of analyses including:
 a storage zone for bottles,   an automated sampling system for selectively sampling the content of a bottle among those present in the storage zone,   a loading zone for introducing a new bottle into the automatic device,   an unloading zone for collecting a bottle previously present in the storage zone,   a bottle conveyor and storage system, configured selectively and individually to transport a bottle from a location in the storage zone to the unloading zone or from the loading zone to a location in the storage zone, at least one bottle being of smaller size and received in an adapter the outside diameter of which corresponds to that of bottles of the largest size that can be used.   
     
     
         25 . An automatic device according to  claim 23 , the adapter having an inclined and off-center housing such that the opening of the bottle remains centered.