Patents Examined by Curtis A Thompson
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Patent number: 11561232Abstract: A scanning stage with opposing edges to secure a slide during scanning and guide the slide during unloading. In an embodiment, the system includes a reference edge with a surface facing a first edge of the slide and an opposing edge with a surface facing a second edge of the slide. The opposing edge is controlled by a processor to engage the second edge of the slide and press the first edge of the slide against the reference edge surface. The opposing edge surface is parallel to a side of a slide rack slot into which the slide will be inserted during unloading. The system also includes an assembly having a pull bar configured to pull the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slide rack slot while the first edge of the slide is simultaneously being pressed against the reference edge surface by the opposing edge surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2018Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.Inventor: Nicholas Newberg
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Patent number: 11549957Abstract: An automated analyzer includes an analysis operation part that causes a sample and a reagent to react and based on the reaction result performs analysis of the sample, wherein: the automated analyzer includes a plurality of units constituting the analysis operation part, a temperature adjustment mechanism that heats or cools the units, a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the units, and a control part that controls the temperature adjustment mechanism. The control part sets the measurement startable temperature range of each unit, which is the temperature range of the operation specification thereof, and the operable temperature range, which is a temperature range that is wider than the measurement startable temperature range, and starts the analysis process of the sample when the temperature of each unit has entered the operable temperature range.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2016Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech CorporationInventors: Shunsuke Sasaki, Kenta Imai, Toshiharu Suzuki, Katsuhiko Sakamoto
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Patent number: 11506678Abstract: An automatic analysis apparatus and an operating method for the automatic analysis apparatus. At least two magnetic separation units are introduced, each magnetic separation unit operating independently and being used for performing magnetic separation cleaning on a reaction solution in a reaction cup. Each magnetic separation unit may be used for any magnetic separation cleaning step in a one-step test project or a multi-step test project, thereby significantly increasing the test speed and the test throughput of the automatic analysis apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2020Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: SHENZHEN MINDRAY BIO-MEDICAL ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Wentao Ju, Chongdong He, Jun Wang, Yanwen Weng, Chuanfen Xie
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Patent number: 11474118Abstract: A specimen transporting apparatus and method are provided, in which a specimen container having a non-printed region and a printed region on a side surface of the specimen container is rotated intermittently, each time through a certain angle, during a first rotation. Information printed on the printed region is read during the first rotation, and the location of the non-printed region is identified based on the success or failure of the reading. Next, a second rotation is performed, in which the specimen container is rotated continuously. The information printed on the printed region is read during the second rotation, and the location of the printed region is identified based on the success or failure of the reading. Accordingly, the location of an end portion of the printed region is identified, and the orientation of a specimen bar code is aligned relative to a transfer destination rack.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2016Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech CorporationInventors: Shugo Okabe, Tatsuya Fukugaki
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Patent number: 11446668Abstract: An automatic analysis device which can be accessed from a front surface of the device to a rear surface side of the device when a user accesses the automatic analysis device and reduce the risk of damage to a rod-shaped member due to contact. A reagent suction position, a reagent discharge position, a reagent dispensing nozzle cleaning portion, and a reagent dispensing mechanism retraction portion from which the reagent dispensing mechanism is retracted are disposed on a trajectory of an arm of the reagent dispensing mechanism. A nozzle guide accommodation portion accommodates a nozzle guide of a reagent dispensing mechanism and the reagent dispensing nozzle. The reagent dispensing mechanism retraction portion is a cylindrical member protruding downward from an upper surface cover of the automatic analysis device and prevents direct contact with the reagent dispensing nozzle by positioning the reagent dispensing nozzle in the nozzle accommodation portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2018Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Shunsuke Sasaki, Takenori Okusa
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Patent number: 11422074Abstract: The invention relates to a preparation system and method for preparing a sample for electron microscopy, the preparation system comprising: a liquid handling system (0) comprising a dispensing head (1), wherein said liquid handling system (0) is configured to aspirate and dispense a volume of a sample via the dispensing head (1), a support structure (2) that is configured to accommodate the sample, a temperature-controlled stage (4) that is configured to keep said support structure (2) at a pre-defined temperature, a first adapter (3) configured to hold said support structure (2), and a transfer mechanism (60) that is configured to be connected to the first adapter (3) holding the support structure (2) and to move said support structure (2) into a container (8) containing a liquid cryogen (80) so that the sample on the support structure (2) contacts the cryogen (80).Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2015Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: UNIVERSITAT BASELInventors: Stefan Alexander Arnold, Thomas Braun, Henning Stahlberg
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Patent number: 11366126Abstract: Provided is an analysis apparatus having a control part having a preparatory action setting part for determination of whether the first and second controls are performed or the third and fourth controls are performed. The first control sets a sleep-planned part to a sleep state at a first time point when the state of non-use of the analysis apparatus has lasted for a predetermined time length, and then causes performance of a preparatory action by a first predetermined part; the second control resumes the operation of the analysis apparatus when a command signal to resume the operation is received; the third control places a sleep-planned part in a sleep state at a second time point when the state of non-use has lasted for a time length; and the fourth control causes a preparatory action of a second predetermined part to resume operation.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2018Date of Patent: June 21, 2022Assignee: HORIBA, Ltd.Inventor: Masashi Nishimori
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Patent number: 11360066Abstract: This invention is a gas standard preparation device and method of use for creating a reference material or a certified reference material. The reference material or the certified reference material is used to quantitate air from a collected sample. This is beneficial for identifying if the air within the area contains certain volatile compounds or other undesired compounds. This is accomplished by providing a sealed ampule containing reference material that is eventually broken by the gas preparation device. Once the ampule is broken, the reference material within the ampule is mixed with a diluent gas and forced into a reference material cylinder. The concentration of the final reference material within the reference material cylinder is verified for use in testing collected air sample. Accordingly, this device allows for creating a custom reference material onsite in a laboratory without the need for shipping in pre-made compressed gas cylinders for air quality testing.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Inventor: Doug Markle
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Patent number: 11360111Abstract: Provided is a connection module with a high degree of freedom for an automatic analyzer which does not depend on a device as a discharge destination. For this purpose, a module to be connected to an automatic analyzer with a rack rotor mechanism includes: a rack discharge mechanism for moving a rack from the rack rotor mechanism to a rotation holder; a rack rotating mechanism for rotating the rack moved to the rotation holder; a conveyor mechanism for transporting the rack from the rack rotating mechanism to a discharge port; and a feeder mechanism for pushing the rack out of the rotation holder to the conveyor mechanism, in which the rack rotating mechanism rotates the rotation holder from a direction parallel to the rack discharge mechanism to a direction parallel to the feeder mechanism and the conveyor mechanism in the selected rotation direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2018Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Yudai Fukushi, Takamichi Mori
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Patent number: 11338283Abstract: A kit for centrifugal isolation of a fraction of interest from a multi-component composition according to density, comprising: a separation chamber (200) having an inlet (210) for introducing the multi-component composition and a base through-hole (220); characterized in that the separation chamber (200) comprises: an inlet section (211) communicating with the inlet (210), a base section (212) communicating with the base through-hole (220), wherein the inlet section (211) and the base section (212) communicate with each other via a necked duct (230) for detaching the inlet section (211) and the base section (212) at the necked duct (230), wherein the separation chamber (200) has a form of a syringe in which the inlet of the separation chamber (200) is connectable with an extension nozzle or needle (215) for drawing the multi-component composition, and wherein the kit further comprises a plunger (240) for embedding and being slidably moved within the base section (212) of the separation chamber (200), whereinType: GrantFiled: October 31, 2016Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Inventors: Dominik Olbrzymek, Jakub Olbrzymek
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Patent number: 11320295Abstract: Dosing unit for dosing liquids, having a fluid unit for selectively providing an overpressure and a negative pressure on a working gas, which is accommodated in a fluid channel which is connected at a first end region to the fluid unit and which includes a second end region, having a first valve unit and having a second valve unit, which are arranged spaced apart from one another along the fluid channel and are each designed for selectively blocking or releasing the fluid channel in order to form in the fluid channel a fluid reservoir which is delimited by the two valve units and is provided for storing working gas, having a control unit for controlling the valve units, the fluid reservoir being assigned a pressure sensor which is designed to provide a pressure signal as a function of a working gas pressure and is electrically connected to the control unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: FESTO SE & CO. KGInventors: Martin Bochterle, Bengt Erich Wunderlich, Matthew Peterson
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Patent number: 11305291Abstract: A rack for a diagnostic robot with at least one support for at least one container; at least one gas-outlet to supply the at least one container with a gas at a predefined but individually adjustable pressure level; a first gas pump to generate a gas at a predefined super-atmospheric pressure level; a second gas pump to generate a gas at a pre-defined sub-atmospheric pressure level; a first tubing system attached to the first gas pump and holding the gas generated by the first gas pump; a second tubing system attached to the second gas pump and holding the gas generated by the second gas pump; and at least one tube bridge, wherein one end of the bridge connects via a first valve into the first tubing system and the other end of the bridge connects via a second valve into the second tubing system, and wherein the at least one gas-outlet is connected to the center of the bridge.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2017Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.Inventor: Claus Tuma
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Patent number: 11293935Abstract: An automatic analysis device includes a reagent container, a reagent disk for holding the reagent container, a dispensing mechanism for dispensing a solution into the reagent container, an inversion mixing mechanism for subjecting the reagent container to inversion mixing, and a control unit for controlling the dispensing mechanism and the inversion mixing mechanism. The inversion mixing mechanism has a rotating mechanism for rotating the reagent container and a tilting mechanism for tilting a rotating shaft of the reagent container. The reagent container has a lid which can be pierced. The lid has a tubular mechanism having an opening part formed at the tip end and extending inside the reagent container. The control unit controls the dispensing conditions of the dispensing mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2017Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech CorporationInventors: Rei Konishi, Akihisa Makino
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Patent number: 11291202Abstract: Described are systems and methods for monitoring administration of nitric oxide (NO) to ex vivo fluids. Examples of such fluids include blood in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits or perfusion fluids used for preserving ex vivo organs prior to transplanting in a recipient. The systems and methods described herein provide for administering nitric oxide to the fluid, monitoring nitric oxide or a nitric oxide marker in the fluid, and adjusting the nitric oxide administration.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2017Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Ireland LimitedInventors: Jim Potenziano, Douglas R. Hansell, Jeff Griebel, Eddie Costa, Lisa Cooper, David William Newman
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Patent number: 11285486Abstract: A cover assembly may include a tray assembly frame, a first cover supported by the tray assembly frame, the first cover extending in a first plane and defining one or more first openings; a second cover supported by the tray assembly frame, the second cover extending in a second plane and defining one or more second openings, wherein the first and second planes are different planes, and wherein the second cover is disposed above the first cover. The cover assembly may include one or more tray holders, each tray holder being configured to hold at least one tray in an upright orientation, wherein each tray holder is moveable between an open position and a closed position, the tray holders being accessible for loading or removing the trays in the open position, and the tray holders being positioned beneath the first and second covers in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: GEN-PROBE INCORPORATEDInventor: David A. Buse
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Patent number: 11268971Abstract: An automated analyzer is provided with one or more dispensing lines 109, 209 that are each for loading and unloading, at one end thereof, a sample rack 101 having placed therein one or more sample containers accommodating a sample for analysis and for conveying the sample rack back and forth from a dispensing position for dispensing the sample from the sample containers and sample rack removal parts 111, 211 that are provided adjacent to the other ends of the dispensing lines 109, 209 and provide and receive sample racks to and from the dispensing lines 109, 209. According to this configuration, it is possible to convey an urgent sample while suppressing device complexity, preventing cost from increasing, and also maintaining speed.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2018Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Akihisa Makino, Masashi Akutsu, Hiroyuki Mishima, Akihiro Yasui
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Patent number: 11231346Abstract: A lower-side structure forms a specimen chamber in which a specimen base is provided. An upper-side structure forms a nozzle chamber above the specimen chamber. The specimen chamber and the nozzle chamber are separated by a gate valve. In the nozzle chamber, at least a tip opening of a nozzle that ejects a specimen is present. A control device maintains a relationship of gas pressures such that a gas pressure in the specimen chamber is higher than a gas pressure in the nozzle chamber when the lower-side structure and the upper-side structure are in communication with each other.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignees: JEOL Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial ScienceInventors: Satoru Akai, Ayumi Morioka, Nobuo Handa, Akira Kurokawa, Kazuhiro Kumagai
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Patent number: 11204362Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a single piece radial transfer arm for use in a clinical analyzer in an in vitro diagnostics (IVD) environment. The transfer arm is comprised of a chassis or elongated, rigid member that provides structural and aesthetic properties, acting as both a mounting base and a cover for transfer arm components. The elongated, rigid member is a single component, such as a single piece of injection-molded plastic. The elongated, rigid member has a top surface, a bottom surface, sidewalls, a pivot end, and a component end. One or more access holes and/or internal component mounting locations are provided for mounting one or more components on the bottom surface. A plurality of radial configuration mounting locations are provided on the bottom surface to allow for multiple radial distances between a pivoting axis of the transfer arm and an attached probe to accommodate arcs of different radii.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2017Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.Inventors: William D. Dunfee, Amanda H. Schaffers
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Patent number: 11173492Abstract: Provided in part herein are pipette tip rack assemblies having one or more of the following features: (i) having a plurality of pipette tip receptacle plates, each plate having an array of pipette tips, stacked upon one another supported by a rack base; (ii) each plate having one or more projections from the proximal or distal surface and, optionally, orifices that oppose the projections of the next plate in the stack, and (iii) the rack base having a proximal surface with one or more orifices or projections that oppose the projections or orifices of the plate in the stack. Also provided are methods of dispensing pipette tips from pipette tip rack assemblies and manufacturing pipette tip rack assembly components.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: BIOTIX, INC.Inventors: Juan Martin Mendez Padilla, Arta Motadel, Peter Paul Blaszcak
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Patent number: 11150257Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a sample rack loading system and loading method, and a chemiluminescence detector. The loading system includes: a sample rack storage device, provided with multiple sample holders for storing sample racks; a sample rack transmission device, comprising a rail component and a sample rack block piece mechanism; and a sample rack transfer device, transfers the sample racks between the sample rack storage device and the sample rack transmission device; the sample rack block piece mechanism is configured to block or unblock transmission passages of the rail component; and a guide block is arranged on the sample rack transfer device. When transfer rails of the sample rack transfer device are in abutment with the transmission passages, the guide block drives the sample rack block piece mechanism to unblock the transmission passages.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2018Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Shenzhen New Industries Biomedical Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Xiaotao Chen, Li Yin, Liang Zhu, Yixian Wang, Xiongjie Zhang, Gang Zhou