System for separating and detecting an analyte

• US 10,351,843 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Belz, Renato, Gisler, Andreas, Huesler, Robert, Knobel, Rolf, Thalmann, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Kathryn
• Application Number:
  US14/978,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20180000023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/00 Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like special apparatus or adaptations for fertilising-liquids A01C23/00; nozzles or outlets, spraying apparatus B05B
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/04 Closures and closing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0275 Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1006 by means of a solid support carrier, e.g. particles, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/103 using disposable tips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automated analytical system and an automated method for separating and detecting an analyte, as well as an automated analytical instrument.

Claims

1. An analytical system for processing an analyte, said system comprising:

a) a processing module comprising (i) a sample vessel including a liquid sample comprising an analyte;

(ii) a plurality of processing vessels configured to store the sample and each of the processing vessels further comprising a rectangular central part and a conical part;

(iii) a pipette tip rack comprising a top surface and a plurality of pipette tips, wherein each pipette tip comprises a positioning element is located on the top surface; and

(iv) a process head comprising an interface having a lower surface comprising a counter-positioning element, wherein the counter-positioning element engages with the positioning element of the top surface pipette tip;

b) a magnetic separation station comprising (i) a frame sized to fit the processing vessel, and (ii) at least two types of magnets separately aligned with the each of the processing vessels wherein the at least two types of magnets comprise a first type of magnet constructed and arranged to interact with the rectangular central part of the process vessel, and a second type of magnet constructed and arranged to interact with the conical part of the process vessel, wherein the at least two magnets are each positioned to interact with two process vessels in two adjacent rows of the processing module, wherein each of the at least two types of magnets include a moving mechanism to independently move each of the at least two types of magnets relative to the processing vessel; and

(iii) a controller programmed to cause each moving mechanism to independently move corresponding type of magnet between four different positions relative to the processing vessel;

c) a holding station for receiving the pipette tip rack; and

d) a transport module comprising a handler including a pair of movable gripper fingers connected to a robotic arm, wherein the transport module moves the pipette tip rack and the processing vessel between elements (a), (b), and (c).

2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the pipette tip rack transported by the transport module comprises pipette tips which were used in the processing module.

3. The analytical system according to claim 1, wherein said processing vessel is a multiwell vessel.

4. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein said analyte is a nucleic acid.

5. The analytical system of claim 1, additionally comprising an amplification cell and the transport module is further configured to move the processing vessel to the amplification cell.

6. The analytical system of claim 5 further comprising an air lock positioned between the processing module and the amplification cell.

7. The analytical system of claim 1 wherein the processing module comprises 6 rows of 8 vessels.