Incubation chamber

• US 5,827,478 A
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Chiron Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Malek, Michael L., Carey, Glen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Long V.
• Application Number:
  US08/742,230
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/64, 422/67, 422/100, 422/104, 422/52, 436/43, 436/45, 436/47, 436/48, 436/49, 436/54, 436/174, 436/175, 436/179, 436/180, 436/164, 436/165, 436/172, 436/50
• US Class Current: 422/64
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 with covers or lids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0455 Coaxial carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 Scheduling
• 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: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114998 with treatment or replacement of aspirator element [e.g., cleaning, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 with aspirator of claimed structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25125 Digestion or removing interfering materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Method and apparatus for transportation and processing of multiple protocol assays within an automated immunoassay analyzer instrument. The apparatus includes a cuvette ring movably coupled to a magnet ring. In one embodiment, the magnet ring and cuvette ring are provided having circular shapes. A temperature controlled housing is disposed about the cuvette and magnet rings to provide a rotary incubation and particle separation chamber. The cuvette ring holds a plurality of cuvettes each of which may have a different assay disposed therein. The cuvette ring advances the cuvettes around the circumference of the incubation chamber. A plurality of discrete processing centers for aspiration and dispensing fluid samples, reagents and wash fluids are disposed at predetermined positions about the incubation chamber. The cuvette ring moves cuvettes in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions around the incubation chamber to position particular cuvettes at particular ones of the plurality of discrete processing centers to thus accommodate different protocols of each of the assays. By controlling the manner in which the cuvette ring moves within the incubation chamber, a plurality of different protocol assays each of which require different incubation times, can be simultaneously processed in the analyzer instrument.

Claims

1. An incubation assembly for handling biological samples and test reagents in an automated biological testing system, said assembly comprising:

at least first and second ring segments selectively associated for both fixed and independent rotation in response to control signals, at least one of which ring segments is adapted for holding sample cuvettes in spaced cuvette receiving positions, and at least one other of said ring segments including a sample and reagent condition effector coupled thereto that is selectively applied to a biological sample and a test reagent present in one of said cuvettes by relative rotation of the first and second ring segments in response to said control signals, the sample and reagent condition effector including a magnet comprising at least two magnet segments separated by a split, the magnet operative to attract paramagnetic particles in the sample cuvettes when the second ring is so placed as to have the magnet adjacent selected cuvettes;

at least one sample dosing assembly responsive to said control signals and having a fluid transfer probe for applying a dose of the biological sample to be tested from a sample supply to said one of said cuvettes in one said ring segment at at least one first position to which cuvettes in that ring segment can be rotated;

at least one reagent dosing assembly responsive to said control signals and having a fluid transfer probe for applying a dose of a reagent to be used in testing from a reagent supply to said one of said cuvettes containing the biological sample in one said ring segment at at least one second position to which cuvettes in that ring segment can be rotated;

a cuvette placement assembly having a supply of cuvettes and a cuvette delivery mechanism operative to deliver cuvettes to at least one third position to which a cuvette receiving position in said cuvette holding ring segment can be placed by rotation of said cuvette holding ring segment in response to said control signals;

a cuvette extraction assembly operative to extract sample and reagent containing cuvettes from at least one fourth position to which a cuvette in said at least one cuvette holding ring segment can be placed by rotation of said ring segment in response to said control signals;

at least one wash assembly having one or more probes for withdrawing and supplying fluid at cuvettes in said first ring segment when positioned adjacent one of said magnet segments in response to said control signals to effect removal of undesired artifacts in the cuvettes before extraction;

a resuspend and dispense assembly positioned adjacent the split between the two magnet segments to supply fluid at cuvettes in said first ring segment when positioned adjacent the split between the magnet segments to effect resuspension of particles in the cuvette; and

a scheduler of said control signals operative to provide coordinated rotation of said at least first and second ring segments, sample and reagent dosing assemblies and cuvette placement and extraction assemblies for incubation of a sample and reagent in each cuvette for selectable incubation times and activation of the cuvette sample and reagent effector in said at least one second ring segment prior to extraction by said cuvette extraction assembly, the scheduler including, scheduling to selectively locate the sample and reagent condition effector adjacent to a cuvette after a predetermined incubation time variable over a range of sample and test reagent combinations to place the magnet adjacent to a cuvette after a predetermined incubation time variable over a range of sample and reagent combinations, and to coordinate the wash assembly and relative rotation of the first and second rings to provide paramagnetic particle segregation on a cuvette said, removal of the remainder of residual cuvette fluid, injection of a neutral fluid medium, and resuspension of the paramagnetic particles.

2. The incubation assembly of claim 1 wherein said first and second ring segments extend together forming first and second complete rings.

3. The incubation assembly of claim 1 wherein said scheduler provides coordinated placement of said first and second rings and control of said wash assembly for repetition of the fluid removal, injection and resuspension.

4. The incubation assembly of claim 1 wherein said scheduler provides for rotation of said first and second rings in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

5. The incubation assembly of claim 2 further including a ring indexing station at which said ring segment having a sample and reagent condition effector is moved one cuvette receiving position relative said ring segment adapted to holding sample cuvettes in response to rotation of a selected one of said first and second ring segments to the indexing station and engagement of an indexing positioner holding said ring segments at selectable relative positions.

6. The incubation assembly of claim 1 wherein said scheduler rotates the one selected ring to an indexing station on a periodic schedule.

7. The incubation assembly of claim 1 wherein said extraction assembly extracts cuvettes to a luminometer having a doser and photosensor to create and detect luminescence in the cuvette representative of properties of each sample under test.

8. The incubation assembly of claim 7 wherein said luminometer includes a cuvette contents remover and cuvette ejector for removing separately cuvette contents and cuvette to waste sites after detection of luminescence in each cuvette.

9. The incubation chamber of claim 1 wherein said scheduler includes data indicating:

a plurality of test protocols for testing sample types with selected reagents for selected sample properties.

10. The incubation assembly of claim 9 wherein the scheduler data further includes an identifier of each sample awaiting test and the associated test protocol to be run for each sample awaiting test.

11. The incubation assembly of claim 10 wherein said scheduler further includes instructions for selecting each sample and placing it in an empty cuvette in said ring segment adapted for holding sample cuvettes where said sample can be tested according to its associated protocol.

12. The incubation of claim 11 wherein said scheduler selects the sample on predetermined prioritization basis.

13. The incubation assembly of claim 12 wherein said predetermined prioritization basis is selected from the group consisting of FIFO and a number of tests per unit time maximization.

14. The incubation assembly of claim 2 further including a bearing structure supporting said first and second ring for relative rotation.

15. The incubation assembly of claim 14 further including an indexing mechanism that positions the first and second rings relative to each other at any one of a plurality of positions corresponding to a number of cuvette receiving positions.

16. The incubation assembly of claim 15 further including an escapement associated with the indexing mechanism that indexes the relative position of the first and second rings by at least the distance between adjacent cuvette receiving positions in response to a trigger.

17. The incubation assembly of claim 16 wherein said trigger is a mechanical arm positioned to engage said escapement upon rotation of said escapement with the first and second rings past said arm.

18. An automated immunoassay analyzer system for handling biological samples and test reagents comprising:

a magnet-supporting ring and a cuvette-supporting ring selectively associated for both fixed and independent rotation in response to control signals, the cuvette-supporting ring being adapted for holding cuvettes in spaced cuvette-receiving positions, the magnet-supporting ring including a magnet assembly coupled thereto that is selectively applicable to a biological sample and a test reagent present in one of the cuvettes by relative rotation of the first and second rings in response to the control signals;

at least one sample dosing assembly responsive to the control signals and having a fluid transfer probe for applying a dose of the biological sample to be tested from a sample supply to one of the cuvettes in the cuvette-supporting ring at at least one first position to which cuvettes in the cuvette-supporting ring are rotatable;

at least one reagent dosing assembly responsive to the control signals and having a fluid transfer probe for applying a dose of a reagent to be used in testing from a reagent supply to the one of the cuvettes containing the biological sample in the cuvette-supporting ring at at least one second position to which cuvettes in the cuvette-supporting ring are rotatable; and

a scheduler of the control signals operative to provide coordinated rotation of the magnet-supporting ring and the cuvette-supporting ring fixed together and rotation of one of the magnet-supporting ring and the cuvette-supporting ring independently and activation of the sample and reagent dosing assemblies for incubation of a sample and reagent in each cuvette for selectable incubation times and activation of the magnet assembly in the magnet-supporting ring to effect a particle separation in the one of the cuvettes in the cuvette-supporting ring, the scheduler including scheduling to selectively locate the magnet assembly adjacent to the one of the cuvettes after a predetermined incubation time variable over a range of sample and test reagent combinations by rotation of one of the magnet-supporting ring and the cuvette-supporting ring variably and independently.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said magnet ring comprises a first magnet coupled to a first surface of said magnet ring.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said magnet ring further comprises a second magnet coupled to the first surface of said magnet ring and spaced a predetermined distance from said first magnet.