System for conducting the identification of bacteria in biological samples

• US 10,073,036 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pocared Diagnostics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pocared Diagnostics Ltd.
• Inventors: Ingber, Gal, Atterbury, William G., Holley, Dave, Klausing, Thomas A., Laudo, John S., Schaefer, Jason A., Talbert, Sherwood, Tallarico, John
• Primary Examiner(s): TANINGCO, MARCUS H
• Application Number:
  US15/341,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0609 Holders integrated in container to position an object
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/168 Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1844 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/36 of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0382 Frustoconical, tapered cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6482 Sample cells, cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00346 Heating or cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0429 Sample carriers adapted for special purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0449 using centrifugal transport of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0303 Optical path conditioning in cuvettes, e.g. windows; adapted optical elements or systems; path modifying or adjustment G01N21/031 - G01N21/15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0332 : with temperature control control of temperature G05D23/00; cryostats F17C3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 : Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0633 : Directed, collimated illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 : having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for conducting the identification and quantification of micro-organisms, e.g., bacteria in biological samples. More particularly, the invention relates to a system comprising a disposable cartridge and an optical cup or cuvette having a tapered surface; an optics system including an optical reader and a thermal controller; an optical analyzer; a cooling system; and an improved spectrometer. The system may utilize the disposable cartridge in the sample processor and the optical cup or cuvette in the optical analyzer.

Claims

1. An optical reader for analyzing bacteria in a biological specimen, comprising:

an optics cup containing the biological specimen;

an illumination arrangement including a light source and a system of turning mirrors, filters and one of a filter wheel and a linear varying filter supported in a plurality of carriages for producing an illumination beam;

said plurality of carriages being arranged at an angle so as to decrease the distance between the light source and the optics cup and to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the illumination beam;

an anchor shoe for supporting the optics cup and having a slit for producing a collimated beam from the illumination beam and directing the collimated beam into the optics cup containing the biological sample to produce fluorescent emissions; and

an optical collection device for receiving the fluorescent emissions from the biological specimen and the optics cup and directing the fluorescent emissions to a detection device for the analysis of bacteria in the biological specimen.

2. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein the illumination arrangement includes a filter wheel having a plurality of narrowband filters and wherein the filter wheel is selectively employed to change the narrowband filters so that the radiation from the light source is restricted to a narrow band of ultraviolet light ranging from 260 nm to about 300 nm.

3. The optical reader of claim 1, wherein the optics cup includes a rectangular-shaped container having a tapered area and has an inner reflective surface.

4. The optical reader of claim 3, wherein the container further includes two parallel spaced-apart sidewalls, two spaced apart end walls and a floor, and wherein a first end wall includes the tapered area contiguous to the floor.

5. The optical reader of claim 3, wherein the tapered area is a straight wall.

6. The optical reader of claim 5, wherein the straight wall has an angle of approximately 45°

relative to one of the spaced apart end walls.

7. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:

a container containing the biological sample, said container including at least a first end wall and an opposing second end wall separated by a floor, said container having an opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from the first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the opening and toward the floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of the second end wall, wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample.

8. The optics cup of claim 7, wherein the surface at least along the tapered area includes a layer of reflective material.

9. The optics cup of claim 7, wherein said tapered area is a straight wall and has an angle of approximately 45°

relative to at least the first end wall and the opposing second end wall.

10. A disposable cartridge for use in the identification and quantification of micro-organisms in biological samples, comprising:

a plurality of compartments for positioning and supporting a plurality of disposable components including an optics cup containing the processed biological sample for use in an optical analysis;

the optics cup including at least a first end wall and an opposing second end wall separated by a floor, said container having an opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from the first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the opening and toward the floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of the second end wall, wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample; and

the compartment for positioning and supporting the optics cup having an opening for receiving and supporting the optics cup.

11. An optical reader for analyzing bacteria in a biological specimen, comprising:

an optics cup containing the biological specimen;

an illumination arrangement including a light source and a system of turning mirrors, filters, and one of a filter wheel and a linear varying filter supported in a plurality of carriages for producing an illumination beam;

said plurality of carriages being arranged at an angle so as to decrease the distance between the light source and the optics cup and to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the illumination beam;

an anchor shoe for supporting the optics cup and having a slit for producing a collimated beam from the illumination beam and directing the collimated beam into the optics cup containing the biological sample to produce fluorescent emissions; and

an optical collection device for receiving the fluorescent emissions from the biological specimen and the optics cup and directing the fluorescent emissions to a detection device for the analysis of bacteria in the biological specimen

wherein the optics cup includes a rectangular-shaped container comprising two parallel spaced-apart sidewalls, two spaced-apart sidewalls, and a horizontal floor, and wherein a first end wall includes a tapered area contiguous to the horizontal floor and,

wherein said rectangular-shaped container has a rectangular opening configured for receiving the biological specimen and the tapered area extends from the first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward the horizontal floor, and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of the sidewalls and the second end wall, and wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample.

12. The optical reader of claim 11, wherein the optics cup has an inner reflective surface.

13. The optical reader of claim 11, wherein the filter wheel includes a plurality of narrowband filters and wherein the filter wheel is selectively employed to change the narrowband filters so that the deuterium radiation from the light source is restricted to a narrow band of ultraviolet light ranging from 260 nm to about 300 nm.

14. The optical reader of claim 12, wherein the tapered area is a straight wall.

15. The optical reader of claim 14, wherein the straight wall has an angle of approximately 45°

relative to one of the spaced-apart end walls.