CUVETTE FOR AUTOMATED TESTING MACHINE

摘要

A consumable, non-reuseable cuvette (10) for containing a sample or specimen during an automated test thereof, primarily for medical diagnostic purposes. The cuvette has a single, main reaction chamber that is pre-loaded at the factory with the precise quantity of a particular liquid or dry reagent useful for a specific test. The cover (20) of the cuvette includes an opening (26a) to permit the introduction of a diluent or liquid reagent into the reagent chamber, a manually loaded, recessed sample receiving chamber having a frangible bottom floor (36) and a purge reservoir. A cap (28) is hinged to the cuvette cover and includes a rigid protruding member (34) that pierces the sample or specimen chamber floor when closed by the testing machine, sealing the contents of the cuvette, allowing the sample to be dispensed into the chamber containing the reagent and diluent. The side walls (18) and floor (16) of the reaction chamber include optically transparent windows for radiant energy testing of the reagent before and after the sample is added to the reagent. Because the cap seals the contents of the cuvette, the cuvette is safely disposable after the test is completed.