System for Conducting the Identification of Bacteria in Biological Samples
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
- a rectangular-shaped container for containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor;
said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said 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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container for containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor; said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said 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.
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2-6. -6. (canceled)
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7. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container for containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor; said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said second end wall, and wherein the 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 wherein and an inner surface at least along the tapered area is coated with a layer of reflective material. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11-22. -22. (canceled)
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23. A disposable cartridge for use in the identification and quantification of micro-organisms in biological samples, comprising:
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at least one compartment for positioning and supporting an optics cup containing the processed biological sample for use in an optical analysis; the optics cup having a rectangular shape and a tapered area into which a light source travels for the optical analysis of the processed biological sample and a reflective surface for enhancing the optical analysis, said optics cup including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, said first end wall having a depth that is less than a depth of the sidewalls and the second end wall, and wherein the tapered area extends from the first end wall, wherein the tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through an opening of the optics cup and to reflect the beam through the biological sample; and the compartment for positioning and supporting the optics cup having a rectangular-shaped opening for receiving and supporting the rectangular-shaped optics cup. - View Dependent Claims (24, 26, 27, 28)
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25. (canceled)
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29. An optical reader for analyzing bacteria in a biological specimen, comprising:
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an optics cup containing the biological specimen; an illumination arrangement including a xenon light source and a system of turning mirrors, filters and a filter wheel 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 of the collimated beam 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. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of a collimated beam generated in an optical reader for the optical analysis of a biological specimen contained in an optics cup, the steps comprising:
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a) providing a light source for producing an illumination beam; b) directing the illumination beam into a first optical system including a filter and a turning mirror so as to bend the path of travel of the illumination beam of the light source; c) directing the illumination beam produced in step b) into a second optical system including a filter and a turning mirror so as to bend the path of travel of the illumination beam produced in step b) at a 45°
angle; andd) directing the illumination beam as a result of step c) into a slit to produce a collimated beam which is directed into the biological specimen in the optics cup to produce fluorescent emissions which are directed to an optical collection device and then to a detection device for the analysis of bacteria in the biological specimen.
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36. A system for cooling and controlling the temperature of specimens in a plurality of optics cup in an optical analysis, comprising:
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a carousel for supporting a plurality of disposable cartridges, each supporting a disposable optics cup containing a specimen to be optically analyzed by an optical analyzer; the carousel having a plurality of openings, each associated with one of the disposable cartridges; a turntable having a plurality of openings, each associated with one of the openings in the carousel; a thermal electric cooler coacting with; and a fan in association with the turntable for circulating chilled air through the plurality of openings of said turntable to cool and then control the temperature of the specimens. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A system for cooling and controlling the temperature of specimens in a plurality of optics cups in an optical analysis, comprising:
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a carousel for supporting a plurality of disposable cartridges, each supporting a disposable optics cup containing a specimen to be optically analyzed by an optical analyzer; the carousel haying a plurality of openings, each associated with one of the disposable cartridges; a turntable having a plurality of openings, each associated with one of the openings in the carousel; and an aluminum block located below the turntable and having a plurality of passageways in association with the turntable for carrying chilled air from a thermal electrical cooler to the turntable and cool air from the turntable to the thermal electrical cooler for cooling the samples and controlling the temperature of the specimens. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A spectrometer for use in an optical reader for analyzing the presence of contaminants in a biological fluid specimen contained in an optics cup, comprising:
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a collection lens system for receiving an illumination beam from the optics cup containing the specimen; a spectrometer slit arranged adjacent the collection lens system through which the illumination beam travels in a first optical path after exiting the optics cup; a first cylindrical lens located adjacent the spectrometer slit for receiving the illumination beam in its first optical path; a system of mirrors including at least a first mirror for collimating the illumination beam traveling through the first cylindrical lens and for reflecting the illumination beam into a second optical path; a plane diffraction grating located in the second optical path for receiving the illumination beam reflected from the first mirror, dispersing the illumination beam into its spectral components to form a plurality of dispersed beams and reflecting the dispersed beams along a third optical path; a second cylindrical lens positioned relative to the system of mirrors; said system of mirrors further including at least a second mirror for receiving and for focusing the plurality of dispersed beams toward the second cylindrical lens in a fourth optical path; and a CCD device allocated adjacent the second cylindrical lens for receiving the plurality of dispersed beams traveling through the second cylindrical lens for the analysis of the presence of contaminants in the specimen.
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45. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a container containing the biological sample, said container having an opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending inwardly and downwardly relative to the opening, 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.
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Specification