ANALYZER WITH AUTO-LOADER
An analyzer includes an analytical unit, the analytical unit including at least a mixing wheel, a piercing system, a reading cell and a hydraulic system, a rack holding system holding homogeneous racks, each of the homogeneous racks including sample tubes, a robotic arm to pick up any one of homogeneous racks and load sample tubes from it into the mixing wheel, and a system handler processor, the analytical unit, the rack holding system and the robotic arm communicatively linked by the system handler processor.
1 . An analyzer comprising:
an analytical unit, the analytical unit including at least a mixing wheel, a piercing system, a reading cell and a hydraulic system;
a rack holding system holding a plurality of homogeneous racks, each of the plurality of homogeneous racks comprising a plurality of sample tubes;
a robotic arm to pick up any one of the plurality of homogeneous racks and load sample tubes from it into the mixing wheel; and
a system handler processor, the analytical unit, the rack holding system and the robotic arm communicatively linked by the system handler processor.
2 . The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analytical unit further includes a reader configured to read a code or identification located on each of the plurality of sample tubes.
3 . The analyzer of claim 2 wherein the rack holding system is interchangeable based on a rack type.
4 . The analyzer of claim 3 wherein the rack type is an interchangeable rack type.
5 . The analyzer of claim 3 wherein the robotic arm reaches every rack location in the rack holding system.
6 . The analyzer of claim 3 wherein the robotic arm grips each sample tube inside a rack and extracts sample tubes from the rack.
7 . The analyzer of claim 3 wherein the robotic arm detects a sample tube identification.
8 . The analyzer of claim 3 wherein the robotic arm positions an extracted tube into the mixing wheel and re-positions a measured tube from the mixing wheel to an original rack position.
9 . The analyzer of claim 1 wherein the system handler processor is communicatively linked to a Laboratory Integration System (LIS).
10 . The analyzer of claim 9 wherein the Laboratory Integration System is configured to provide information on whether a particular sample tube requires analysis.
11 . A method comprising:
providing an analyzer, the analyzer comprising:
an analytical unit, the analytical unit including at least a mixing wheel, a piercing system, a reading cell and a hydraulic system;
a rack holding system holding a plurality of homogeneous racks, each of the plurality of homogeneous racks comprising a plurality of sample tubes;
a robotic arm to pick up any one of the plurality of homogeneous racks and load sample tubes from it into the mixing wheel; and
a system handler processor, the analytical unit, the rack holding system and the robotic arm communicatively linked by the system handler processor;
selecting a rack of sample tubes;
picking up each one of the sample tubes in the selected rack with the robotic arm and placing the picked sample tube into a mixing wheel;
performing an analysis on the picked sample tube; and
returning the picked sample tube to the selected rack.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein performing an analysis comprises:
reading an identification on the picked sample tube;
sending the identification to a Laboratory Integration System (LIS).
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the Laboratory Integration System is configured to provide information on whether an analysis is to be performed on the picked sample tube.
14 . The method of claim 12 wherein the identification is a barcode.
15 . The method of claim 12 wherein reading the identification is performed by the analytical unit.