AUTOMATED PROCESS LINE
First Claim
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1. A system for high throughput processing of biological samples, the system comprising:
- a process line comprising a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on a biological sample contained in a reaction vessel;
a robotic system that transports the reaction vessel from processing station to processing station;
a data analysis system that receives test results of the process line and automatically processes the test results to make a determination regarding the biological sample in the reaction vessel; and
a control system that determines when the test at each processing station is complete and, in response, moves the reaction vessel to the next test station, and continuously processes reaction vessels one after another until the control system receives a stop instruction.
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Abstract
A fully automated modular analytical system integrates instrumentation to permit analysis of biopolymer samples. The samples include, but are not limited to, all biopolymers, e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, peptides and carbohydrates. The system integrates analytical methods of detection and analysis, e.g., mass spectrometry, radiolabeling, mass tags, chemical tags, fluorescence chemiluminescence, and the like, with robotic technology and automated chemical reaction systems to provide a high-throughput, accurate Automated Process Line (APL).
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A system for high throughput processing of biological samples, the system comprising:
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a process line comprising a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on a biological sample contained in a reaction vessel;
a robotic system that transports the reaction vessel from processing station to processing station;
a data analysis system that receives test results of the process line and automatically processes the test results to make a determination regarding the biological sample in the reaction vessel; and
a control system that determines when the test at each processing station is complete and, in response, moves the reaction vessel to the next test station, and continuously processes reaction vessels one after another until the control system receives a stop instruction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 56, 57)
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15. A method for high throughput processing of biological samples, the method comprising:
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transporting a reaction vessel along a process line having a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on one or more biological samples contained in the reaction vessel;
determining when the test procedure at each processing station is complete and, in response, moving the reaction vessel to the next processing station;
receiving test results of the process line and automatically processing the test results to make a data analysis determination regarding the biological samples in the reaction vessel; and
processing reaction vessels continuously one after another until receiving a stop instruction. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A data analysis system comprising:
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a computer having an operating environment that executes a data analysis program for processing test results from a process line having a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on a biological sample contained in a reaction vessel; and
a computer interface that receives the test results from the process line and provides the test results to the data analysis program;
wherein the data analysis program automatically processes the test results to make a determination regarding the biological sample in the reaction vessel, and continuously performs such processing for biological samples until a stop instruction is received. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for high throughput processing of biological samples, the method comprising:
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transporting a reaction vessel along a process line having a processing station that performs a mass spectrometer test procedure on one or more biological samples contained in the reaction vessel;
providing the reaction vessel to the mass spectrometer and performing the mass spectrometer test; and
continuously providing reaction vessels to the mass spectrometer and receiving test results of the mass spectrometer and automatically processing the test results to make a determination regarding a characteristic of the biological samples in the reaction vessel, wherein the characteristic is the biological sample genotype. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A system for high throughput processing of biological samples, the system comprising:
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a process line comprising a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on a biological sample contained in a reaction vessel;
a robotic system that transports the reaction vessel from processing station to processing station; and
a control system that determines when the test at each processing station is complete and, in response, moves the reaction vessel to the next test station, and continuously processes reaction vessels one after another until the control system receives a stop instruction;
wherein the process line includes a taxicab that automatically transports samples between the two environments.
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55. A system for high throughput processing of biological samples, the system comprising:
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a process line comprising a plurality of processing stations, each of which performs a procedure on a biological sample contained in a reaction vessel;
a robotic system that transports the reaction vessel from processing station to processing station; and
a control system that determines when the test at each processing station is complete and, in response, moves the reaction vessel to the next test station, and continuously processes reaction vessels one after another until the control system receives a stop instruction;
further including a mass spectrometer interface that automatically transfers samples into the mass spectrometer for processing.
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Specification