TY - PAT T1 - United States Patent: 7485153 - Fluid free interface for a fluidic analyzer Y1 - 2009 A1 - Padmanabhan, Aravind A1 - Rezachek, Tom A1 - Bardell, Ron L. A1 - Bird, Douglas A1 - Fritz, Bernard S. AB - Instrument-cartridge interfaces for fluidic analyzers that have an instrument and a removable cartridge are disclosed. For example, and in one illustrative embodiment, the instrument may include a needle that is adapted to penetrate a septum on a removable cartridge. In another illustrative embodiment, the instrument may include a plunger that is adapted to deform a deformable membrane on a removable cartridge. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the instrument may include a nozzle that is adapted to mate and seal with a flow channel on a removable cartridge. Techniques for detecting the flow rate in a flow channel on a removable cartridge, as well as the position of fluid in a flow channel of a removable cartridge, are also disclosed. UR - http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=15&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=%22Bardell%3B+Ron%22.INNM.&OS=IN/%22Bardell;+Ron%22&RS=IN/%22Bardell;+Ron%22 ER -