MODULAR WASH BRIDGE FOR MULTIPLE-PASS IMMUNOASSAY SYSTEMS

• US 20200132707A1
• Filed: 06/22/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ismail, Ayman, Gerolstein, Eric, Bolger, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 11,852,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/115 Washing; Purging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00346 Heating or cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0413 moving in one dimension
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0437 Cleaning cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0444 for cuvettes or reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0453 Multiple carousels working in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0455 Coaxial carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0463 in incubators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0465 Loading or unloading the conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0475 electric, e.g. stepper motor, solenoid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0484 Belt or chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/11 Filling or emptying of cuvettes
• 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 35/025 having a carousel or turntable for reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/04 Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence

Abstract

A wash system for use in an in vitro diagnostic immunoanalyzer utilizes a bridge having a linear track to move cuvettes from one incubation ring portion to another incubation ring portion. Washing stations along the linear track provide a magnetic field and fluid washing of cuvette contents independent of the size and motion of one or more incubation rings.

Claims

1. A linear wash system configured for use in an immunoanalyzer, comprising:

a linear track configured to transport a plurality of sample cuvettes;

a motorized belt configured to engage the plurality of sample cuvettes and provide motive force along the linear track; and

one or more wash stations along the linear track, each wash station comprising one or more magnets configured to provide a magnetic field on plurality of sample cuvettes and a pipette configured to rinse the contents of each cuvette while in the magnetic field,

wherein the linear track has an input end configured to receive each cuvette from a first cuvette incubation ring portion and an output end configured to deliver each cuvette to a second cuvette incubation ring portion.

2. The linear wash system of claim 1, wherein the motorized belt is a serpentine belt.

3. The linear wash system of claim 1, wherein the input and output ends are configured to receive and deliver cuvettes to portions of a single incubation ring.

4. The linear wash system of claim 3, wherein the linear track is coplanar with the single incubation ring.

5. The linear wash system of claim 1, wherein the input and output ends are configured to receive and deliver cuvettes to portions of two non-concentric incubation rings.

6. The linear wash system of claim 3, wherein the linear track is coplanar with the two non-concentric incubation ring.

7. The linear wash system of claim 1, wherein the input and output ends are configured to receive and deliver cuvettes to portions of two non-concentric incubation rings and a single incubation ring using without recalibrating the one or more wash stations.

8. An immunoanalyzer comprising:

a cuvette incubation ring having a plurality of slots on an inner circumference of the incubation ring, each slot being configured to hold a sample cuvette and a drive mechanism to rotate the ring;

a plurality of pipettes configured to interact with cuvettes in the cuvette incubation ring at predetermined locations;

a linear wash bridge configured to receive cuvettes from a first location of the cuvette incubation ring, wash the contents of each cuvette, and to deliver each cuvette to a second location of the cuvette incubation ring; and

a luminometer configured to analyze the contents of each cuvette subsequent to each cuvette traveling along the linear wash bridge.

9. The immunoanalyzer of claim 8, wherein the linear wash bridge is coplanar with the cuvette incubation ring.

10. The immunoanalyzer of claim 8 further comprising an actuator configured to push each cuvette from the cuvette incubation ring at the first location to the linear wash bridge.

11. The immunoanalyzer of claim 8, wherein the linear wash bridge comprises:

a linear track configured to transport the cuvettes;

a motorized belt configured to engage each of the cuvettes and provide motive force along the linear track; and

one or more wash stations along the linear track, each wash station comprising one or more magnets configured to provide a magnetic field on each cuvette and a pipette configured to rinse the contents of each cuvette while in the magnetic field.

12. The immunoanalyzer of claim 11, wherein the motorized belt is a serpentine belt.

13. The immunoanalyzer of claim 8, wherein the cuvette incubation ring further comprises a heating element mounted in thermal contact with the ring and configured to rotate with the ring.

14. The immunoanalyzer of claim 8, wherein the linear wash bridge comprises a plurality of magnets mounted to a linear track and is further configured to be placed into another immunoanalyzer having two cuvette incubation rings and to pass cuvettes from one ring to the other, wherein such placement is accomplished without reconfiguring the plurality of magnets.

15. An immunoanalyzer comprising:

a first cuvette incubation ring having a plurality of slots on an inner circumference, each slot being configured to hold a sample cuvette and a drive mechanism to rotate the first ring;

a second cuvette incubation ring having a plurality of slots on an outer circumference, each slot being configured to hold a sample cuvette and a drive mechanism to rotate the second ring;

a plurality of pipettes configured to interact with cuvettes in the first cuvette incubation rings at predetermined locations;

a linear wash bridge configured to receive cuvettes from a first location of the first cuvette incubation ring, wash the contents of each cuvette, and to deliver each cuvette to a second location of the second cuvette incubation ring; and

a luminometer configured to analyze the contents of each cuvette subsequent to each cuvette traveling along the linear wash bridge.

16. The immunoanalyzer of claim 15, wherein the linear wash bridge is coplanar with the first and second cuvette incubation rings.

17. The immunoanalyzer of claim 15 further comprising an actuator configured to push each cuvette from the first cuvette incubation ring at the first location to the linear wash bridge.

18. The immunoanalyzer of claim 15, wherein the linear wash bridge comprises:

a linear track configured to transport the cuvettes;

a motorized belt configured to engage each of the cuvettes and provide motive force along the linear track; and

one or more wash stations along the linear track, each wash station comprising one or more magnets configured to provide a magnetic field on each cuvette and a pipette configured to rinse the contents of each cuvette while in the magnetic field.

19. The immunoanalyzer of claim 18, wherein the motorized belt is a serpentine belt.

20. The immunoanalyzer of claim 15, wherein each cuvette incubation ring further comprises a heating element mounted in thermal contact with each ring and configured to rotate with each ring.

21. The immunoanalyzer of claim 15, wherein the linear wash bridge comprises a plurality of magnets mounted to a linear track and is further configured to be placed into another immunoanalyzer having a single cuvette incubation ring and to pass cuvettes from one location on the single ring to another location on the single ring, wherein such placement is accomplished without reconfiguring the plurality of magnets.