Diagnostic analyzers with pretreatment carousels and related methods

• US 10,001,497 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Ochranek, Brian L., Arnquist, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Xu, Xiaoyun R
• Application Number:
  US14/142,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0455 Coaxial carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0456 Spiral tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0465 Loading or unloading the conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0467 Switching points ("aiguillages")
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1072 with provision for selective pipetting of individual channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

Diagnostic analyzers with pretreatment carousels and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first carousel that includes a first annular array of slots to receive a first vessel. The example first carousel also includes a first track of rotation about the first carousel having a first diameter and a second track of rotation about the first carousel having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. The example apparatus includes a first diverter to move the first vessel from the first track to the second track. In addition, the example apparatus includes a second carousel coaxial with the first carousel. The example second carousel includes a second annular array of slots to receive a second vessel.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first carousel comprising;

a first annular array of slots to receive a first reaction vessel;

a first track of rotation about the first carousel having a first diameter; and

a second track of rotation about the first carousel having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter;

a first diverter to move the first reaction vessel from the first track to the second track;

a second carousel coaxial with the first carousel, the second carousel comprising a second annular array of slots to receive a second reaction vessel;

a vessel loader to load the first reaction vessel into one of the first annular array of slots and to load the second reaction vessel into one of the second annular array of slots;

a sample container having a liquid sample;

a first pipetting mechanism; and

a computer processor including software programmed to control the first pipetting mechanism to aspirate an amount of the liquid sample from the sample container and dispense the amount of the liquid sample into the second reaction vessel on the second carousel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second carousel is concentric to the first carousel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second diverter to move the first reaction vessel from a first portion of the second track to a second portion of the second track.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a third diverter to move the first reaction vessel from the second track to a wash station.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a fourth diverter to remove the second reaction vessel from the second carousel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first carousel comprises a first inner circumference and a first outer circumference, the second carousel comprises a second inner circumference and a second outer circumference, the second inner circumference is disposed outside of the first outer circumference.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first pipetting mechanism is disposed outside of the second outer circumference.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the first pipetting mechanism to aspirate from the second reaction vessel on the second carousel and to dispense to the first reaction vessel on the first carousel.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a second pipetting mechanism disposed outside of the second outer circumference, the computer processor including software programmed to control the second pipetting mechanism to aspirate from a first reagent container disposed outside of the second outer circumference and to at least one of aspirate from or dispense to the second reaction vessel on the second carousel and to dispense to the first reaction vessel on the first carousel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first pipetting mechanism has a first pipette arm that is movable along a first path of travel over the first reaction vessel on the first carousel and the second reaction vessel on the second carousel during a stop of the first and second carousels, and the second pipetting mechanism has a second pipette arm that is movable along a second path of travel over a third reaction vessel on the first carousel and a fourth reaction vessel on the second carousel during the stop of the first and second carousels.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first path of travel intersects the first carousel in two locations and the second carousel in two locations.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a third pipetting mechanism disposed inside of the first inner circumference, the computer processor including software programmed to control the third pipetting mechanism to aspirate from a second reagent container disposed inside of the first inner circumference and to dispense into the first reaction vessel on the first carousel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the third pipetting mechanism is offset from a first axis about which the first carousel and the second carousel are to rotate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the first pipetting mechanism to dispense to the first reaction vessel when the first reaction vessel is on the first track of the first carousel.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the second pipetting mechanism to dispense to the first reaction vessel when the first reaction vessel is on the first track of the first carousel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the third pipetting mechanism to dispense to the first reaction vessel when the first reaction vessel is on the second track of the first carousel.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the second pipetting mechanism to dispense a paramagnetic microparticle liquid into at least one of the first reaction vessel on the first carousel or the second reaction vessel on the second carousel.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the slots of the first annular array of slots is elongated to receive more than one reaction vessel.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first slot of the first annular array of slots is to receive the first reaction vessel in the first track and a third reaction vessel in the second track.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second annular array of slots comprises a greater number of slots than the first annular array of slots.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second track comprises a spiral track, wherein the first reaction vessel in one of the first annular array of slots on the first carousel follows the spiral track as the first carousel rotates.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the spiral track decreases in diameter to lead the first reaction vessel from an outer radial location on the first carousel to an inner radial location on the first carousel.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first reaction vessel in one of the first annular array of slots is to move from the outer radial location to the inner radial location after at least two rotations of the first carousel.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the first carousel to rotate in a plurality of intervals, each interval comprising an advancement and a stop.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to control the second carousel to rotate in a plurality of intervals, each interval comprising a major interval and a minor interval.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the minor interval of the second carousel comprises an advancement and a stop and the major interval of the second carousel comprises an advancement and a stop, the stop of the major interval being longer than the stop of the minor interval.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is to perform an immunoassay.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel loader is disposed over the first track of the first carousel and over the second carousel.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vessel loader loads a plurality of empty reaction vessels into the first annular array of slots and the second annular array of slots.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reaction vessel and the second reaction vessel are a same type of reaction vessel.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the first reaction vessel and the second reaction vessel are open top vessels.

32. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first reaction vessel includes a first vessel body and a first rim extending outward from a top of the first vessel body, the first rim to support the first reaction vessel on the first carousel while the first vessel body extends through a first slot of the first annular array of slots in which the first reaction vessel is received.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the second reaction vessel includes a second vessel body and a second rim extending outward from a top of the second vessel body, the second rim to support the second reaction vessel on the second carousel while the second vessel body extends through a second slot of the second annular array of slots in which the second reaction vessel is received.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further including a second diverter to remove the second reaction vessel from the second carousel.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the second diverter is disposed above the second carousel.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the second diverter is to rotate the second reaction vessel such that the second rim is not supported by the second carousel and falls through the second slot in the second carousel.

37. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a third carousel, the third carousel including a plurality of reagents.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the third carousel rotates about an axis that is offset from an axis about which the first and second carousels rotate.

39. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein moving the first reaction vessel from the first portion to the second portion of the second track results in the first reaction vessel bypassing one rotation about the second track.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 further including a passive unloader to unload the first reaction vessel from the first carousel.

41. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer processor includes software programmed to:

control the second carousel to rotate the second reaction vessel while the amount of the liquid sample mixes with a reagent in the second reaction vessel; and

control the first pipetting mechanism to, after rotation of the second carousel, aspirate a mixture of the liquid sample and the reagent from the second reaction vessel and dispense the mixture into the first reaction vessel on the first carousel.

42. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a second pipetting mechanism, the computer processor including software programmed to control the second pipetting mechanism to:

dispense a reagent into the second reaction vessel;

aspirate a mixture of the liquid sample and the reagent from the second reaction vessel; and

dispense the mixture into the first reaction vessel on the first carousel.

43. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first annular array of slots includes a first plurality of slots having a first width, and the second annular array of slots includes a second plurality of slot having the first width.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the first plurality of slots have a first length, and the second plurality of slots have a second length, the second length shorter than the first length.

45. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first carousel has a first support surface, and the second carousel has a second support surface, the second support surface co-planar with the first support surface.