Immunological assay system and method

• US 7,189,357 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emory University
• Original Assignee: Emory University
• Inventors: Roback, John D., Hillyer, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WARDEN, JILL ALICE
• Application Number:
  US09/773,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20010046452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,232 Days
• Field of Search: 422/62, 422/68.1, 422/101, 422/100, 422/255, 422/63, 422/73
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00485 combined with sample carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0097 monitoring reactions as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

An immunological or immunohematological assay system is disclosed that includes a filter vessel capable of containing an assay sample, an incubator, a sample separation system, an image acquisition system, and a robotic pipettor. The immunological assay system may also include a washer. Also disclosed is an immunological assay method that includes the steps of placing a immunological assay sample in a filter vessel, which includes a filter, adding testing reagents to the filter vessel, incubating the sample and reagent mixture in the filter vessel, separating the sample and reagent mixture in the filter vessel into components above and below the filter, and analyzing the filter vessel to determine the presence of interactions between the sample and reagents.

Claims

1. An immunological assay system, comprising:

a filter vessel capable of containing an assay sample of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets, wherein the filter vessel comprises a filter material chosen from at least one of the following;

polyester mesh, nylon mesh, polycarbonate track-etched membrane, cellulose acetate membrane, and polyvinylidene difluoride filter membrane, the filter material including a plurality of pores with a pore size from about 3 microns to about 5 microns;

an incubator in which the filter vessel may be placed, wherein the incubator houses the filter vessel while the assay sample and one or more reagent antibodies react;

a sample separation system in close proximity to the incubator, wherein the sample separation system is designed to separate the mixture of the assay sample and the reagent antibodies into various components;

an image acquisition system in close proximity to the sample separation system, wherein the image acquisition system consists of a flow cytometer, the flow cytometer being designed to detect the presence of interactions between reagent antibodies and the assay sample cells, wherein said interactions are evidenced by at least one of agglutinations and antigen-antibody interactions; and

a robotic pipettor including a robotic arm within reaching distance of the filter vessel, the incubator, the sample separation system and the image acquisition system, wherein the robotic pipettor is designed to transfer the assay sample or the reagent antibodies between the filter vessel, incubator, the sample separation system and the image acquisition system.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a washer, wherein the washer is designed to wash the assay sample while the sample is disposed within the filter vessel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter vessel comprises a filter including an inert material including a plurality of pores.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the filter vessel is configured to hold the assay sample such that the assay sample comes into contact with the filter material.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the filter material has a thickness between approximately three microns and approximately five millimeters.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample separation system is a centrifuge.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample separation system is a vacuum system.

8. An immunological assay system, comprising:

a filter vessel capable of containing an assay sample comprising patient antibody samples, wherein the filter vessel comprises a filter material chosen from at least one of the following;

polyester mesh, nylon mesh, polycarbonate track-etched membrane, cellulose acetate membrane, and polyvinylidene difluoride filter membrane, the filter material including a plurality of pores with a pore size from about 0.1 microns to about 3 microns;

an incubator in which the filter vessel may be placed, wherein the incubator houses the filter vessel while the assay sample and one or more reagent cells react, wherein the reagent cells are antigen carriers and are chosen from at least one of the following;

red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets;

a sample separation system in close proximity to the incubator, wherein the sample separation system is designed to separate the mixture of the assay sample and reagent cells into various components;

an image acquisition system in close proximity to the sample separation system, wherein the image acquisition system consists of a camera, the camera being configured to detect the presence of interactions between the reagent cells of and the assay sample antibodies, wherein said interactions are evidenced by at least one of agglutinations and antigen-antibody interactions; and

a robotic pipettor including a robotic arm within reaching distance of the filter vessel, the incubator, the sample separation system and the image acquisition system, wherein the robotic pipettor is designed to transfer the assay sample or the reagent cells between the filter vessel, incubator, the sample separation system and the image acquisition system.

9. An immunological assay system comprising:

a filter means, wherein the filter means is chosen from at least one of the following;

polyester mesh, nylon mesh, polycarbonate track-etched membrane, cellulose acetate membrane, and polyvinylidene difluoride filter membrane, the filter means including a plurality of pores with a pore size from about 0.1 microns to about 3 microns;

means for incubating in the filter means antibodies and antigen carriers, wherein the antigen carriers are chosen from at least one of the following;

red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets;

means for separating the agglutinated antigen carriers or reacted antibodies and antigen carriers from fluid containing the unreacted antibodies or antigen carriers in the filter means into components above and below; and

a flow cytometer configured to analyze the components above or below, or both above and below the filter, wherein the flow cytometer is also configured to determine the presence of interactions between the antibodies and antigen carriers, wherein said interactions are evidenced as at least one of aggregated components and antigen-antibody interactions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the filter means is a filter vessel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for separating the sample and reagent mixture is a centrifuge.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for separating the sample and reagent mixture is a vacuum system.