Magnetic particle washing station

• US 20080190458A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Original Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Inventors: Talmer, Mark, Schroeder, Gerhardt P., Dahlstrom, Paul C., Garcia Gros, Luis Miguel, Serra Domenech, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 8,795,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/25.1
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/0332 using permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/288 disposed at the outer circumference of a recipient
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/20 Magnetic separation whereby the particles to be separated are in solid form
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/22 characterised by the magnetical field, special shape or generation
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/26 for use in medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/34 Purifying; Cleaning processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54333 Modification of conditions of immunological binding reaction, e.g. use of more than one type of particle, use of chemical agents to improve binding, choice of incubation time or application of magnetic field during binding reaction

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a clinical instrument analyzer system for the automatic analysis of patient samples. In one embodiment, the analyzer may be used to analyze bodily fluid samples, such as blood, plasma, serum, urine or cerebrospinal fluid, for example. Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method, for example, an immunoassay method, for separating out target molecules in a magnetic field and then analyzing those target molecules with a luminometer.

Claims

1. A system for manipulating magnetic particles in a vial comprising:

one or more pipettes;

a receiving member for holding the vial containing magnetic particles; and

a magnet array comprising

a first magnet having an upper horizontal surface, wherein a north pole of said first magnet is positioned to face said vial positioned in said receiving member,

a spacer having an upper horizontal surface, wherein said spacer is positioned on said upper horizontal surface of said first magnet,

a second magnet having an upper horizontal surface, said second magnet is positioned on said upper horizontal surface of said spacer, wherein a north pole of said second magnet is positioned to face said vial, and

a third magnet positioned on said upper horizontal surface of said second magnet, wherein a south pole of said third magnet is positioned to face said vial, wherein, said magnet array generates a magnetic field for manipulating said magnetic particles in said vial.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said spacer is manufactured from materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber, polymers, other non-magnetic materials, and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnet array is fixed in position.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnet array is moveable.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnets comprise a material selected from the group comprising neodymium-iron-boron, samarium-cobalt, alnico, and hard ferrite.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a humidity regulator.

7. The system of claim 1 comprising a temperature regulator.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising an aspirator pipette and an injector pipette.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the ratio of said magnet array to said vial receiving member is 1:

1.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the horizontal axis is greater than the vertical axis for each of said second magnet and said third magnet.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the south pole of said first and second magnets face said vial and the north pole of said third magnet faces said vial.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a spring finger.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a humidity regulated vial chamber.

14. A magnetic washing module for washing magnetic particles in a vial, comprising:

one or more pipettes;

one or more magnets;

a receiving member; and

a humidity detector for determining the humidity in said magnetic washing module.

15. A method for moderating magnetic particle aggregation, comprising:

providing a magnetic washing module comprising one or more pipettes, one or more magnets, and a vial chamber;

introducing a vial containing magnetic particles into said vial chamber of said magnetic washing module; and

moderating the humidity to provide a predetermined relative humidity in said vial chamber.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein humidity is moderated by controlling the rate of fluid injection into the vial.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein humidity is moderated by controlling the rate of aspiration of fluid in the vial.

18. The method of claim. 15 wherein said magnetic washing module further comprises a humidity detector.

19. A magnetic washing module for washing magnetic particles in a vial, comprising:

one or more pipettes;

one or more magnets; and

,

a humidity detector.

20. A method for luminometric analysis in which a sample vial contains a patient'"'"'s sample comprising target molecules and magnetic particles which bind the target molecules, comprising:

transporting said sample vial to a magnetic washing module;

applying a magnetic field to said sample vial containing said target molecules and magnetic particles through one wall of said sample vial by a magnetic array positioned on the same side of said wall of said sample vial;

injecting and aspirating a wash fluid in said sample vial to wash said magnetic particles;

transporting said sample vial from the magnetic washing module to a luminometer.