公开(公告)号：US20070079653A1

公开(公告)日：2007-04-12

申请号：US11246349

申请日：2005-10-07

申请人： Marco Zuleta ,  William Li ,  Elgardo Echevarria ,  Tan Nguyen ,  Rongchang Xin

发明人： Marco Zuleta ,  William Li ,  Elgardo Echevarria ,  Tan Nguyen ,  Rongchang Xin

IPC分类号： G01F23/26

CPC分类号： G01F23/26 ,  G01F23/243

摘要： A method and apparatus for sensing different levels of liquids in their respective containers in a liquid-consuming and/or producing instrument system. According to a preferred embodiment, an elongated liquid-sensing probe having axially spaced electrodes adapted to sense liquid at multiple levels is arranged in each container of liquid. A controller, e.g. a suitably programmed microprocessor, operates to selectively poll different pairs of electrodes carried by the probe to determine whether or not the polled electrode pairs are immersed in the contained liquid. Preferably, the polling circuit comprises an electronically-controlled resistor that serves to normalize the level-sensing output signal for liquids of different bulk resistivity.

公开(公告)号：US07275430B2

公开(公告)日：2007-10-02

申请号：US11246349

申请日：2005-10-07

申请人： Marco Zuleta ,  William W. Li ,  Elgardo Echevarria ,  Tan Nguyen ,  Rongchang Xin

发明人： Marco Zuleta ,  William W. Li ,  Elgardo Echevarria ,  Tan Nguyen ,  Rongchang Xin

IPC分类号： G01F23/24

CPC分类号： G01F23/26 ,  G01F23/243

摘要： A method and apparatus for sensing different levels of liquids in their respective containers in a liquid-consuming and/or producing instrument system. According to a preferred embodiment, an elongated liquid-sensing probe having axially spaced electrodes adapted to sense liquid at multiple levels is arranged in each container of liquid. A controller, e.g. a suitably programmed microprocessor, operates to selectively poll different pairs of electrodes carried by the probe to determine whether or not the polled electrode pairs are immersed in the contained liquid. Preferably, the polling circuit comprises an electronically-controlled resistor that serves to normalize the level-sensing output signal for liquids of different bulk resistivity.

摘要翻译： 一种用于在耗液和/或产生的仪器系统中检测其各自容器中的不同液面的液体的方法和装置。 根据优选实施例，具有轴向间隔开的电极的细长液体检测探针被布置在每个液体容器中。 控制器，例如 适当编程的微处理器操作以选择性地轮询由探针承载的不同电极对，以确定被轮询的电极对是否浸没在所容纳的液体中。 优选地，轮询电路包括电子控制电阻器，其用于对不同体积电阻率的液体的电平检测输出信号进行归一化。

公开(公告)号：US20070012123A1

公开(公告)日：2007-01-18

申请号：US11183145

申请日：2005-07-15

申请人： William Li ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Pablo Larrea ,  Santiago Galvez

发明人： William Li ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Pablo Larrea ,  Santiago Galvez

IPC分类号： G01N1/22

CPC分类号： G01N35/1016 ,  G01N2035/1025 ,  Y10T436/2575

摘要： Apparatus and method for aspirating liquid from a container, e.g., a test tube or other vessel, includes apparatus for sensing that an aspiration probe tip is contacting the inside bottom wall of the container, whereby a maximum volume of liquid can be aspirated from the container. According to the invention, an encoder is mounted on the driven member of a motor (e.g., on a rotatably-driven drive shaft or a nut of a stepper or D.C. motor, or on a linearly-driven shaft of a linear actuator) used to rectilinearly advance the probe tip into the container. Such encoder produces a series of pulses indicating the speed and/or linear position of the probe tip. A motor controller responds to a predetermined change in pattern of pulses from the encoder indicating that movement of the probe tip has been resisted by the vessel bottom, whereby further movement of the driven member and of the probe connected thereto is arrested, and the probe tip remains in contact with the vessel bottom.

摘要翻译： 用于从容器（例如试管或其他容器）吸出液体的装置和方法包括用于感测吸入探针尖端接触容器的内底壁的装置，由此可以从容器中吸出最大体积的液体 。 根据本发明，编码器安装在电动机的从动构件上（例如，在可旋转驱动的驱动轴或步进或直流电动机的螺母上，或在线性致动器的直线驱动轴上） 将探针尖端直线推入容器。 这种编码器产生一系列指示探针尖端的速度和/或线性位置的脉冲。 马达控制器响应来自编码器的脉冲图案的预定变化，指示探针尖端的运动已经被血管底部抵抗，从而阻止从动构件和与其连接的探针的进一步运动，并且探针尖端 保持与血管底部接触。

公开(公告)号：US07284453B2

公开(公告)日：2007-10-23

申请号：US11183145

申请日：2005-07-15

申请人： William Weigong Li ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Pablo Larrea ,  Santiago Galvez

发明人： William Weigong Li ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Pablo Larrea ,  Santiago Galvez

IPC分类号： G01N1/14 ,  F04B49/02 ,  F04B49/06 ,  B01L3/02

CPC分类号： G01N35/1016 ,  G01N2035/1025 ,  Y10T436/2575

摘要： Apparatus and method for aspirating liquid from a container, e.g., a test tube or other vessel, includes apparatus for sensing that an aspiration probe tip is contacting the inside bottom wall of the container, whereby a maximum volume of liquid can be aspirated from the container. According to the invention, an encoder is mounted on the driven member of a motor (e.g., on a rotatably-driven drive shaft or a nut of a stepper or D.C. motor, or on a linearly-driven shaft of a linear actuator) used to rectilinearly advance the probe tip into the container. Such encoder produces a series of pulses indicating the speed and/or linear position of the probe tip. A motor controller responds to a predetermined change in pattern of pulses from the encoder indicating that movement of the probe tip has been resisted by the vessel bottom, whereby further movement of the driven member and of the probe connected thereto is arrested, and the probe tip remains in contact with the vessel bottom.

公开(公告)号：US06363802B1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-02

申请号：US09275707

申请日：1999-03-25

申请人： Paul M. Grippo ,  Richard A. Marquis ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Christopher J. Falvai

发明人： Paul M. Grippo ,  Richard A. Marquis ,  Marco Zuleta ,  Christopher J. Falvai

IPC分类号： G01N100

CPC分类号： G01N35/1011 ,  G01N35/1079

摘要： Apparatus for precisely aspirating small volumes of liquid, e.g., a blood sample, contained in a vessel, e.g., a test tube or vial, includes a mechanism for sensing that the tip of an aspirating probe is contacting the bottom of the vessel during the aspiration process. Such a bottom-sensing mechanism is adapted to sense a predetermined forcible interaction between the probe tip and the vessel bottom. In a preferred embodiment, such forcible interaction is sensed by detecting movement of a movably mounted platform that supports the vessel during aspiration. In a second embodiment, the forcible interaction is sensed by detecting the back-emf in a motor winding used to advance the aspiration probe.

摘要翻译： 用于精确抽吸容器（例如，试管或小瓶）中容纳的小体积液体（例如血液样品）的装置包括用于在抽吸期间感测吸入探针的尖端接触容器底部的机构 处理。 这种底部感测机构适于感测探针尖端和血管底部之间的预定的强制相互作用。 在优选实施例中，通过检测在抽吸期间支撑血管的可移动安装的平台的移动来感测到这种强制相互作用。 在第二实施例中，通过检测用于推进吸气探针的电动机绕组中的反电动势来感测强制相互作用。