Apparatus and methods for selecting a variable number of test sample aliquots to mix with respective reagents
First Claim
1. A sample shear valve system for combining a sample aliquot with one or more reagents comprising:
- a first valve element having a first shear face;
a second valve element having a second shear face, a first aliquot loop and a second aliquot loop, each of said first and second aliquot loops having a first opening and a second opening in said second shear face, the second shear face being in slidable contact with said first shear face to form a shear interface, the first and second valve elements having a first relative position and a second relative position;
the first valve element further comprising a sample inlet, a sample outlet, and a sample conduit, wherein, in said first relative position, the sample inlet is in communication with said first opening of said first aliquot loop, the sample outlet is in communication with said second opening of said second aliquot loop, and the sample conduit connects said second opening of said first aliquot loop and said first opening of said second aliquot loop;
a sampler connected to said sample inlet;
a vacuum source switchably connected to said sample outlet;
a rinse source switchably connected to said sample outlet;
first reagent inlet and outlet passages in said first valve element, wherein, in said second relative position, the said first reagent inlet and outlet passages are respectively in communication with said first and second openings of said first aliquot loop at said shear interface;
second reagent inlet and outlet passages in said first valve element, wherein, in said second relative position, the said second reagent inlet and outlet passages are respectively in communication with said first and second openings of said second aliquot loop at said shear interface;
a bypass passage connecting said sample conduit and said sample outlet;
a first valve disposed in said bypass passage proximate said sample conduit having an open state and a closed state; and
a second valve disposed in said sample outlet between said bypass passage and said shear interface having an open state and a closed state.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for selecting a subset of a predetermined number of test sample aliquots to mix with respective reagents using a shear valve having a maximum predetermined number of aliquot loops in an analytical instrument, including without limitation a clinical hematology or a flow cytometer instrument. Each aliquot loop can be filled with a test sample aliquot. Selected ones of the aliquot loops can be filled with a rinse solution and, using bypass passages and valves, closed off from the rinse source and a vacuum source used to empty the rinse from the non-closed off aliquot loops. The vacuum source also is used to fill the non-closed off aliquot loops with the sample to be aliquotted, so that the closed off aliquot loop remains filled with rinse. The shear valve can then be shifted to a second position, where the reagents for the non-closed off aliquot loops are pumped through those aliquot loops to mix the selected sample aliquot loops with their respective reagents. Preferably, the reagent for the closed-off aliquot loop is not pumped and thereby conserved. The selective shear valve is usable in an analytical instrument, such as a clinical hematology instrument where it is possible to select from a standard panel of tests a particular one test or a particular combination of tests to perform. It is particularly useful when it is frequently desirable to perform only some of the full panel of tests, e.g., three or four of five standard blood chemistry tests, rather than always performing the full panel of tests.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A sample shear valve system for combining a sample aliquot with one or more reagents comprising:
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a first valve element having a first shear face; a second valve element having a second shear face, a first aliquot loop and a second aliquot loop, each of said first and second aliquot loops having a first opening and a second opening in said second shear face, the second shear face being in slidable contact with said first shear face to form a shear interface, the first and second valve elements having a first relative position and a second relative position; the first valve element further comprising a sample inlet, a sample outlet, and a sample conduit, wherein, in said first relative position, the sample inlet is in communication with said first opening of said first aliquot loop, the sample outlet is in communication with said second opening of said second aliquot loop, and the sample conduit connects said second opening of said first aliquot loop and said first opening of said second aliquot loop; a sampler connected to said sample inlet; a vacuum source switchably connected to said sample outlet; a rinse source switchably connected to said sample outlet; first reagent inlet and outlet passages in said first valve element, wherein, in said second relative position, the said first reagent inlet and outlet passages are respectively in communication with said first and second openings of said first aliquot loop at said shear interface; second reagent inlet and outlet passages in said first valve element, wherein, in said second relative position, the said second reagent inlet and outlet passages are respectively in communication with said first and second openings of said second aliquot loop at said shear interface; a bypass passage connecting said sample conduit and said sample outlet; a first valve disposed in said bypass passage proximate said sample conduit having an open state and a closed state; and a second valve disposed in said sample outlet between said bypass passage and said shear interface having an open state and a closed state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A sample shear valve system comprising:
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a first valve element having a first shear face; a second valve element having a second shear face in slidable contact with said first shear face, said first and second shear faces forming a shear interface and said first and second valve elements having first and second relative positions; a first plurality of aliquot loops disposed in said second valve element, each aliquot loop having a first and a second opening in said second shear face; wherein the first valve element further comprises a sample inlet, a sample outlet, and a second plurality of sample conduits disposed so that in said first relative position, the sample inlet is in communication at said shear interface with first one of said first plurality of aliquot loops, the sample outlet is in communication at said shear interface with a second one of said first plurality of aliquot loops, and each of said second plurality of sample conduits connects at the shear interface two of said first plurality of aliquot loops to form a fluid communication path from said sample inlet through each of said first plurality of aliquot loops and second plurality of sample conduits to said sample outlet; a sampler connected to the sample inlet; a vacuum source switchably connected to the sample outlet; a rinse source switchably connected to the sample outlet; a third plurality of reagent inlet and outlet passages in said first valve element respectively communicating at said shear interface with said first and second openings of each of said first plurality of aliquot loops when said first and second valve elements are in the second relative position; a first bypass passage connecting at least one of said second plurality of sample conduits and said sample outlet; a first valve in said first bypass passage proximate said one sample conduit having an open condition and a closed condition; and a second valve in said sample outlet between said bypass passage and said shear interface having an open condition and a closed condition. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating a sample shear valve having a first valve element and a second valve element in sliding contact between first and second relative positions and forming a shear interface, an aliquot loop in the second valve element with first and second openings at the shear interface, a sample inlet and sample outlet in the first valve element with openings at the shear interface for communicating with the aliquot loop openings when the first and second valve elements are in the first relative position, a bypass passage connecting the sample inlet and outlet, and a reagent inlet and outlet in the first valve element with openings at the shear interface for communicating with the aliquot loop openings when the first and second valve elements are in the second relative position, comprising:
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filling the sample inlet, the aliquot loop and the sample outlet with a rinse liquid; closing off the sample outlet between the bypass passage and the shear interface; aspirating a sample into the sample inlet, through the bypass passage and into the sample outlet, whereby said rinse liquid remains in the aliquot loop and adjoining portions of the sample inlet and outlet; moving the valve elements to the second position, whereby the reagent in the reagent inlet and outlet contacts the rinse liquid in the aliquot loop; and returning the valve elements to the first position.
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14. A method of selecting one of a predetermined number of test-samples from a shear valve having said predetermined number of aliquot loops, a shear interface, and a first shear valve position and a second shear valve position comprising:
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(a) placing the shear valve in a first position with the predetermined number of aliquot loops in fluid communication between a sample inlet and a sample outlet; (b) connecting the sample outlet to a supply of rinse solution; (c) filling said predetermined number of aliquot loops with the rinse solution; (d) closing off at least one of said predetermined number of aliquot loops from said fluid communication path; (e) filling said other ones of the plurality of aliquot loops with a sample aliquot so that the closed-off one aliquot loop retains the rinse solution; (f) placing the shear valve in the second position; (g) pumping a reagent through each of the other ones of said aliquot loops, thereby removing the sample aliquots therefrom; and (h) not pumping a reagent through said at least one aliquot loop containing rinse solution. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification