User manual

VITEK

2 Instrument Instrument Hardware Components

VITEK

2 Instrument User Manual 4-9

510731-10EN1

Figure 4-5: Boat Components

A boat, shown in Figure 4-5, has particular features that support its three

major functions:

1— Test Card Transport. The top surface of a boat forms a specially shaped

well into which a cassette is placed. The shape of the well conforms to the

base of a cassette, providing it with a secure platform on which to ride. The

two pins in the well ensure that the cassette is placed into the boat only in the

proper orientation. An arrow is molded into the surface of the well to show the

proper orientation of the boat when placed in the instrument.

2 — Notched Base. The base of each boat is notched in several places.

These notches are used by the VITEK

2 test card transport mechanisms

that move the boats through the module.

3 — Base Supports. Each boat stands on four low-friction feet, providing a

surface on which the boat can easily move.

4 — Spill Prevention. The well in the top of the boat catches any spills from

the cassette.

5 — Test Card Filling. Above the cassette well, there is a flat surface that

extends around the perimeter of the boat. This surface becomes the base of

the vacuum chamber when the boat reaches the Filler station.

Bar Code Reader

After a cassette is loaded onto a boat, the test card transport system moves

the boat past the bar code reader station. This station reads the information

encoded on the bar code label found on each VITEK

2 test card. The

following information is included in the bar code:

Test Card Type — For example, a Gram Negative Susceptibility test card.