Method of handling reagents in a random access protocol

• US 6,498,037 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Carey, Glen, Lewis, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, LYLE
• Application Number:
  US09/723,231
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 436/43, 436/44, 436/46, 436/48, 436/49, 436/174, 436/180, 436/50, 422/63-65, 422/67, 422/81, 422/100, 422/104
• US Class Current: 436/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0854 Double walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/508 rigid containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00386 using fluid heat transfer medium
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00396 where the fluid is a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00524 Mixing by agitating sample carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0441 for samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0443 for reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0465 Loading or unloading the conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0486 Gearing, cams
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence
• 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 35/021 having a flexible chain, e.g. "cartridge belt", conveyor for reaction cells or cuvettes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 Multiple transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/114165 with step of insertion or removal from test line
• 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

Abstract

An analyzer for performing automated assay testing. The analyzer includes a storage and conveyor system for conveying cuvettes to an incubation or processing conveyor, a storage and selection system for test sample containers, a storage and selection system for reagent containers, sample and reagent aspirating and dispensing probes, a separation system for separating bound from unbound tracer or labeled reagent, a detection system and date collection/processing system. All of the subunits of the machine are controlled by a central processing unit to coordinate the activity of all of the subunits of the analyzer. The analyzer is specifically suited for performing heterogeneous binding assay protocols, particularly immunoassays.

Claims

1. A method of handling reagents in random access fashion comprising:

providing a first set of containers containing reagents in consecutive locations along a first circular path having an axis of rotation, each of the containers having bar code, which identifies the reagent it contains, about at least a portion of its outer surface;

providing a second set of containers containing reagents in consecutive locations along a second circular path that is concentric with the first circular path so that along any radial line drawn from the mutual center of the circles the containers of the second set are offset from the containers of the first set, each of the containers of the second set including a bar code about at least a portion of its outer surface;

rotating said first and second set of containers about the axis of rotation;

alternately scanning the bar code on a reagent container of the first set and then a reagent container of the second set;

automatically rotating each reagent container of the first set about its respective axis as it is being scanned to facilitate scanning the bar code;

storing the identity of the reagents that have been determined by scanning the bar code on the reagent containers of the first set and the locations of the respective reagent containers of the first set along the first circular path; and

automatically and selectively rotating the first set of containers about the axis of rotation of the first circular path based on the stored identity and location information to position a selected reagent container of the first set in an aspirating position.

2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

the automatic and selective rotation of the first set of containers being selectively either clockwise or counterclockwise.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further including:

automatically monitoring the direction of rotation of the first set of containers as well as their rotational position along the first circular path.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

automatically scanning the bar code on each of the reagent containers of the first set to obtain the reagent identity, lot number and date of the reagent in each of said containers.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein

the scanning of the containers of one of the first and second sets is performed by passing a scanning light beam between adjacent containers of the other of the first and second sets.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further including:

removing a selected amount of reagent from the container of the first set at the aspirating position.

8. The method defined in claim 7 further including:

lowering a probe into the container of the first set at the aspirating position;

automatically sensing the level of reagent in the container of the first, set at the aspirating position; and

controlling the further lowering of the probe into the reagent according to the sensed level.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

storing the identity of the reagents that have been determined by scanning the bar ode on the reagent containers of the second set and the location of the respective reagent containers of the second set along the second circular path; and

using they identity and location of each container of the first and second sets of containers to associate a container of the first set with at least one container of the second set.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

aspirating a portion of the contents of the selected reagent container of the first set after it is positioned in the aspirating position; and

automatically rotating the second set of containers about the axis of rotation so as to position the at least one container of the second set that is associate with the selected reagent container of the firs set into an aspirating position.

11. The method defined in claim 1, further including:

automatically rotating each of the first set of reagent containers about its respective axis after its bar code has been scanned.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein

the rotation of each of the reagent containers of the first set about its respective axis after its bar code has been scanned comprising rotating each of the containers of the first set in one direction and then in the reverse direction in an oscillating fashion.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

rotating each of the reagent containers of the first set about its respective axis in an oscillatory fashion at predetermined intervals.

14. The method defined in claim 12 further including:

automatically sensing the rate of oscillation of the reagent containers of the first set.

4. The method defined 1, further including:

repeating the step of automatically and selectively rotating the first set of containers along the first circular path by an amount to place other selected reagent containers in the aspirating position.

15. A method of handling reagents in random access fashion comprising:

providing a first set of containers, each containing at least one of a first set of reagents, along a first circular path having an axis of rotation, each of the containers having bar code about at least a portion of its periphery which identities the reagent it contains;

providing a second set of containers along a second circular path, the second circular path being concentric with the first circular path;

rotating the first set of containers about the central axis;

scanning the bar code on one of the reagent containers of one of the first and second sets by passing a scanning light beam between two of the containers of the other of the first and second sets to determine the identity of the reagent contained therein; and

automatically rotating each reagent container of the first set about its respective axis while it is being scanned.

16. The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:

mounting the second set of containers, each containing at least one of a second set of reagents, along the second circular path.

17. The method defined in claim 15, further including:

automatically rotating each of the reagent containers of the first set about its respective axis after its bar code has been scanned.

18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein

the rotation of each of the reagent containers of the first set about its respective axis after its bar code has been scanned comprising rotating each of the containers of the first set in one direction and then in the reverse direction in an oscillating fashion.

19. The method define in claim 15 further including:

storing the identity of the reagent that has been determined by scanning the bar code on a reagent container of the first set and the location of each reagent container of the first set along the circular path.

20. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising:

automatically and selectively rotating the first set of reagent containers along the first circular path based on the stored identity and location information to position a selected reagent container of the first set in an aspirating position.

21. The method defined in claim 20, further comprising:

the automatic and selective rotation of the first set of reagent containers being selectively either clockwise or counterclockwise.

22. The method defined in claim 20, further including:

repeating the step of automatically and selectively rotating the first set of reagent containers by an amount to place other selected reagent containers in the aspirating position.