Patents by Inventor Niilo Kaartinen
Niilo Kaartinen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20110201121Abstract: A method of testing a liquid sample, a test unit, an and automatized system of a plurality of test units. The system is for large scale testing patient blood samples, comprising a large number of test units at different locations and connected through a common control unit. In an individual test unit there is a liquid dosing chamber, hermetically closed packages of calibrator and control liquids, closed liquid reagent packages, a liquid sample inlet and an actuator for dosing and mixing the reacting components and elements for registering results from the reactions. The test unit can calibrate, control and test reactions automatically under surveillance of the control unit. The system can use the same packaged liquids in each of the test units, enabling calculation of averages of the control results and, through comparison of individual results with an average, letting faults be detected through results outside permitted deviations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2006Publication date: August 18, 2011Applicant: BERGGREN OY ABInventor: Niilo Kaartinen
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Patent number: 7608464Abstract: Diagnostic analyses of medical specimens or analyses of samples taken from industrial processes, waste treatment or the environment are made based on hydraulic dosage of liquids, in which a dosage space (8) of limited volume included in the test unit is filled with the medium needed in the test by means of a liquid actuator, such as a bellows (18), the sample being combined with the medium by absorption into the dosage space with the aid of the actuator, purging a corresponding amount of medium from the space under the effect of suction. If necessary, one or more reactants required in the test are drawn into the dosage space (8) on the same principle. The quantitatively dosed liquids can then be mixed and transferred hydraulically into the incubation and/or detection spaces (25, 26) of the test unit with movements generated by the actuator (18). The system may include data transmission communications.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2002Date of Patent: October 27, 2009Inventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Timo Kaartinen
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Patent number: 7316336Abstract: The invention relates to quantitative dosing of small amounts of liquids having a volume of microliter or nanoliter order. Such a dosing technique is useful for instance for productive serial dosing in applications of clinical chemistry. In dosing device of the invention, flexible bellows (5) attached to a body (1) define a liquid space (15) filled with a liquid to be dosed and communicate with a dosing tip (19). The bellows (5) are provided with an actuator (7) for operation thereof, constricting the liquid space to cause a liquid dose to be discharged from the dosing tip. The invention is further directed to a dosing method based on movements of bellows moved by a magnetic actuator, and to a method wherein liquid is dosed as individual small droplets from the dosing tip by first accelerating and then by slowing down the motion of the bellows by means of the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2003Date of Patent: January 8, 2008Assignee: Fluilogic OyInventor: Niilo Kaartinen
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Publication number: 20040115829Abstract: The invention relates to a method for use in the testing of liquid samples, a test unit for implementing the method, and a system comprising the test units. The invention relates particularly to diagnostic analyses of medical specimens and analyses of samples taken from industrial processes, waste treatment or the environment. The invention is based on hydraulic dosage of liquids, in which a dosage space (8) of limited volume included in the test unit is filled with the medium needed in the test by means of a liquid actuator, such as a bellows (18), the sample being combined with the medium by absorption into the dosage space with the aid of the actuator, purging a corresponding amount of medium from the space under the effect of suction. If necessary, one or more reactants required in the test are drawn into the dosage space (8) on the same principle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2004Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Timo Kaartinen
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Publication number: 20040056048Abstract: The invention relates to qualitative dosing of small amounts of liquids having a volume of microliter or nanoliter order. Such a dosing technique is useful for instance for productive serial dosing in applications of clinical chemistry. In the dosing device of the invention, flexible bellows (5) attached to a body (1) define a liquid space (15) filled with a liquid to be dosed and communicate with a dosing tip (19). The bellows (5) are provided with an actuator (7) for operation thereof constricting the liquid space to cause a liquid dose to be discharged from the dosing tip. In the dosing device of the invention, the actuator (7) is formed of a magnet (8) and a current coil (9), one of the parts of the actuator being attached to the body (1) of the device, and the other part being movably connected to the moving end (6) of the bellows. The magnetic actuator generates the movements of the bellows by changing the magnitude of the electric current passing through the current coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Inventor: Niilo Kaartinen
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Patent number: 6311713Abstract: The invention concerns a freeze vale (2) for controlling the flow of small quantities of liquid in a conduit (1). Further objects of the invention are a network of conduits, a method of opening a freeze valve and a process for the separation of liquid fractions, which all involve the freeze valves (2) of the invention. The freeze valve (2) s defined by a tubular wall (3) integral with the conduit (1) and includes a thermal bridge (4) connecting the wall to a heat sink (5), to close the valve by freezing the liquid inside the wall, as well as a heating element (11) including a source of laser beam targeted at a wall, to open the valve by melting the frozen liquid (7). According to the invention the laser beam (13) is produced in the form of a transversally extended shroud and targeted at the wall (3) at a length extending to both sides of the point of connection (6) to the thermal bridge (4), so as to melt the block of frozen liquid (7) simultaneously along its entire length.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2001Date of Patent: November 6, 2001Inventor: Niilo Kaartinen
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Patent number: 5638986Abstract: The invention relates to a method and equipment for quantitatively dosing small amounts of liquid, especially in clinical or other similar wet-chemical analyzers. The dosing employs a liquid space, the volume of which can be changed and which is connected to a dosing channel so that, by increasing or decreasing the volume of the liquid space, a suction or an injection through the dosing channel is achieved. The liquid space is formed by flexible bellows which are freely movable back and forth to provide the reversible deformations which change the volume of the liquid space. The movements are effected using an actuator which is connected to the bellows without transmissions containing sliding surfaces. The actuator comprises precisely repeatable positions and is calibrated according to the invention by measuring the sizes of the dosages produced by the movements between the positions. The dosing is effected after that by selectively repealing the calibrated movements.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 1996Date of Patent: June 17, 1997Assignee: Fluilogic Systems OyInventors: Pertti Tuominen, Niilo Kaartinen, Unto Okkonen
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Patent number: 5311896Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a heatable and refrigerable element (12) for a system handling small amounts of liquid and to an element manufactured by the method. The element comprises flow channels (11) and one or more liquid spaces (8) communicating with them, the channels being provided with valves (10) connected to a refrigerator (25) and a heater (18), for blocking the channels by freezing the liquid in them. The element (12) is produced by using a removable mould which serves as a substrate for deposition and by depositing one or more metallic materials by electroformation or an equivalent procedure in such a way that the deposited metal forms a shell (5, 7) by removing the mould from inside the shell by dissolving or smelting, and by connecting the shell at the spot of the valves to a refrigerator (25) and a heater (18). The deposition is carried out so that there is a higher thermal conductivity at the spot of the valves (10) than in the adjacent shell areas.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1991Date of Patent: May 17, 1994Inventor: Niilo Kaartinen
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Patent number: 4780202Abstract: The invention concerns a filtering unit comprising a filter diaphragm (11), a backing surface (12) disposed against the diaphragm, and passages through which the liquid to be filtered can be supplied on one side of the diaphragm and the liquid that has drained through the diaphragm can be removed from the opposite side of the diaphragm. As taught by the invention, the backing surface (12) is provided with ridges (13) lying side by side and with grooves (14), moving liquid in the direction parallel to the diaphragm (11), between them and which start in the central part of the surface in different directions and lead to the periphery of the surface, curving in such manner that the spacing of mutually adjacent ridges is substantially constant on the entire area of the backing surface. The backing surface (12) will then to the filter diaphragm (11) lend throughout uniform support.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 1987Date of Patent: October 25, 1988Assignee: Fluilogic Systems OyInventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Teuvo Sorvari
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Patent number: 4766922Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure for forming cocks closable by freezing, belonging to a liquid batch handling unit, and a liquid handling unit set up in accordance with the procedure. The unit consists of two bodies (1,2) placed against each other, the cocks being located between their faces and one of them (2) comprising the flow passages leading to the cock points and the other body (1), which is connected to a refrigerator, being provided with electric heaters located at the cock points and with the aid of which the cocks can be opened and closed.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1986Date of Patent: August 30, 1988Assignee: Fluilogic Systems OyInventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Henrik Johansson, Ahti Leinvuo, Paul Collander
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Patent number: 4689203Abstract: The invention concerns a centrifuge intended for use in mainpulating liquid batches on an analytical scale. The centrifuge consists of a body (2) rotatable about its axis (1) provided with input and output conduits (8,9,11) and presenting the essential feature that therein are contained two parallel, circular arc-shaped volumes (3,4) located at different distances from the axis (1) of the body (2) constituting the center of curvature, and communicating with each other through a narrow gap (7) so that when the body is rotating, the heavier components of the liquid accumulate in the volume (4) further away from the axis, and the lighter components accumulate in the volume (3) closer to the axis, whereafter one of these two volumes can be emptied through a conduit (12), while the surface tension acting in the gap between the volumes keeps the liquid in the other volume in its place. The centrifuge of this invention is particularly appropriate for separating blood plasma from the red and white cells in the blood.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1985Date of Patent: August 25, 1987Assignee: Fluilogic Systems OyInventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Teuvo Sorvari
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Patent number: 4588554Abstract: The invention concerns a procedure for keeping and taking into use an analytic reagent or another substance used in analyses, and a reagent package to be used in the procedure. The package consists of a gas-tight sachet or of a combination consisting of several sachets, where the sachets comprises at least one flexible wall and a blank for forming a discharge aperture. The blank may consist of a hermetically sealed flexible tube extending into the interior of the sachet or a bar-like member with openings defined therein that extend into the sachets. The taking into use of the substance packed in the sachet is then accomplished by opening the flexible tube or the openings in the bar-like member and connecting the tube or the openings to the analyzer with an outward gas-tight connection. The substance is thereafter drawn from the sachet into said apparatus in one or several steps so that the sachet will collapse in connection with the discharge.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1985Date of Patent: May 13, 1986Assignee: Fluilogic Systems OyInventors: Niilo Kaartinen, Henrik Johansson
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Patent number: 4269212Abstract: The application discloses a procedure appropriate in the manipulation especially of small batches of liquid and an apparatus for carrying out the procedure, these being based on the use of valves closable by freezing and openable with the aid of electrical heating elements. The apparatus comprises an integral system composed of volumes and of conduits connecting these, wherein the conduits have been provided with said freezable valves. The transfer of liquids within the sytem is accomplished by means of control signals directed to the valve heating elements. As valve heating elements film resistances incorporated in plate-like components are employed in such manner that one component establishes a plurality of valves. At the same time these valves are connected to a common refrigerator.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1979Date of Patent: May 26, 1981Inventor: Niilo Kaartinen