Apparatus for automatic analysis of samples on gel cards

1. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards, comprising compartments superimposed in a single cabinet, each compartment having a floor, a heating and lifting assembly comprising a heater electrically connected by a flexible connection and configured to displace said gel cards between at least two of the compartments, and having in at least one of the compartments a card transport unit configured to displace said gel cards along the entire transverse cross-section wherein movement of said gel cards is effected by a control computer.

2. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , further comprising a removable box with one or more containers for wash liquids, waste liquids and waste cards in the lower compartment.

3. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 2 , wherein the box for waste cards further comprises an auxiliary buffer container for waste cards having a bag-shaped body and a tilting door configured to close when the box for waste cards has been removed.

4. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control means for the successive and staggered coordination of the stages of different processes of analysis to permit continuous operation of the apparatus without interruption.

5. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , wherein said heating and lifting assembly further comprises vertical guides, and supports for gel cards that can be moved on said guides, and wherein said guides are configured to transport said gel cards between the different floors.

6. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 5 , wherein said heating and lifting assembly comprises a lower heating unit associated with the supporting body which has multiple locations for the gel cards and clamps to prevent the gel cards being moved during pipetting.

7. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 6 , wherein the clamps for retaining the gel cards in the incubator housings comprise movable cards located opposite each other and provided with magnetic means which attract each other, clamping the cards located between pairs of these cards.

8. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 6 , wherein the body holding the housings for the gel cards associated with the heat generating unit is made of a material having a high thermal transmission coefficient and is provided with lateral windows to render the heat path between the heat generating unit and the various housings for the gel cards uniform so that they are heated evenly.

9. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate compartment containing multiple boxes removable from the front, which allow the original card supports to be inserted, any of the cards being accessible by means of a unit carrying a transporting clamp for the same which can be moved along coordinates X, Y, Z at right-angles covering the entire transverse surface area of the apparatus, providing access to both the gel cards and the incubation supports for the same, the lower position of which along their vertical movement guides substantially coincides with the level of the gel cards located in the boxes, the unit being further equipped with a bar code reader for the labels on the cards and a laser sensor to detect whether cards are present in the supports of the boxes.

10. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 9 , wherein the intermediate compartment has a body in a fixed arrangement with a reading device for the gel cards for interpreting the results, which is accessible by means of the unit carrying the transport clamp for the gel cards.

11. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 9 , wherein the removable boxes carrying the original supports for the gel cards are located with separations between the said boxes to permit the gel cards to pass vertically to and from the centrifuges and/or other devices such as the reader or to the card disposal box.

12. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , wherein the centrifuges for the cards hang beneath the boxes in the supporting structure within the apparatus assisting their fitting and removal through the bottom thereof for the purposes of maintenance, cleaning and other purposes.

13. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 12 , wherein the centrifuges are fitted with upper covers with an opening for the entry and removal of one of the gel cards by means of the carrier unit of the clamp carrying the cards.

14. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , wherein the upper compartment of the apparatus has boxes which can be removed from the front for the insertion of reagents, boxes which can be removed from the front for the insertion of samples and a double container for diluting samples, in addition to a unit which can be moved along coordinate axes X, Y, Z at right-angles in such a way that it covers the entire transverse surface area of the apparatus to gain access to all the elements located in the upper compartment and also the incubators in the high position at the level of the reagent and sample containers.

15. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 14 , wherein the unit which can be moved along coordinate axes at right-angles in the upper compartment has removable and independently controllable pipetting probes for pipetting operations into two card wells, into reagent containers, into sample containers or into the device or double well for performing dilutions.

16. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 15 , wherein the said unit includes a laser presence detector to detect the presence of containers of reagents and samples and to determine the diameter of the sample tubes, as well as bar code readers associated with a body which can move vertically with respect to the said unit so that the readers can be located on both sides of each reagent or sample box thus permitting the codes on the labels of the said reagents and the said samples to be read.

17. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 15 , wherein the movable unit carrying the pipetting probes is associated with a block for washing the same comprising tubular conduits surrounding the pipetting probes each of which are fed independently with wash and rinsing liquids from the lower floor, and having conduits located in a higher position than the inlet conduits for collecting the used wash liquids for the purpose of leading them to the discharge.

18. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 14 , further comprising a block in the upper compartment which includes all the electronic control elements, including the source of power and the control computer.

19. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 14 , wherein the double container for performing sample dilutions comprises a fixed support carrying an upper body with a double cavity for dilutions, each of the said cavities having their own inlet and outlet openings for the liquids and the said body being attached to the fixed support by means of a resilient block and having beneath a rotatable eccentric mass which is capable of imparting an orbital stirring movement to the upper body supporting the dilution cavities.

20. An apparatus for the automatic analysis of samples on gel cards according to claim 1 , further comprising a unit for controlling the feed and pressure of the liquids used in the apparatus which comprises a feed conduit to a point where conduits branch off to the various electromagnetic valves, with an impeller pump located in the said conduit, and as a branch with respect to each pump a proportional valve powered through an electronic control connected to a sensor for the pressure of the liquid at the feed point to the electromagnetic valves, so that the feed pressure to them can be controlled.