Rack for sample tubes and reagent holders

• US 8,182,763 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Duffy, Patrick, Wilson, Kerry, Handique, Kalyan, Williams, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, In Suk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pregler, Sharon
• Application Number:
  US12/178,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20090136386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/99, 422/102, 422/104, 422/50, 422/401, 422/402, 422/403, 422/404, 422/500, 422/501, 422/519, 211/60.1, 211/74
• US Class Current: 422/500
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/01 by addition of magnetic adjuvants
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/0332 using permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/288 disposed at the outer circumference of a recipient
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/30 Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/18 Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/26 for use in medical or biological applications
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1003 Extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples, e.g. pure separation or isolation methods; Conditions, buffers or apparatuses therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0084 Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/003 Valves for single use only
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0032 using phase transition or influencing viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0044 using thermo-electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0061 actuated by an expanding gas or liquid volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00772 mechanical or optical code other than bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00801 Holders for sample carriers, e.g. trays, caroussel, racks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 : network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0493 : Locating samples; identifying different tube sizes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 : comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 : having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 : Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

A rack for holding samples and various reagents, wherein the rack may be used for loading the samples and reagents prior to using the reagents. The rack accepts complementary reagent holders, each of which contain a set of reagents for carrying out a predetermined processing operation, such as preparing biological samples for amplifying and detecting polynucleotides extracted from the samples.

Claims

1. A rack, comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of vertical members and a horizontal member, wherein the horizontal member comprises four corners and defines a top of the rack, wherein the vertical members extend vertically downward from the top of the rack, and wherein the horizontal member further comprises a first vertical side, a second vertical side, and a plurality of slots, each slot defining an opening in the first vertical side and extending in a direction towards the second vertical side;

a plurality of lanes in the housing, wherein each lane of the plurality of lanes comprises;

a first location adjacent to the second vertical side, the first location configured to accept a sample tube; and

a second location comprising one of the plurality of slots between the vertical members, the second location configured to accept a reagent holder comprising at least one reagent container and at least one process container, the housing configured to permit removal of the reagent holder from a lane without removing a sample tube from the lane; and

a registration member complementary to a receiving bay of a diagnostic apparatus, the registration member comprising at least two vertically downward extending pegs affixed to a bottom side of the horizontal member, wherein the vertical downward extension of the pegs is less than the vertical downward extension of the vertical members, wherein the pegs are configured to fixedly orient the rack within the diagnostic apparatus, wherein the pegs are located at least two corners of the housing, and wherein no corner includes more than one peg.

2. The rack of claim 1, further comprising a sensor actuator configured to indicate proper placement of the rack in the diagnostic apparatus.

3. The rack of claim 1, configured to be removed from the receiving bay of the diagnostic apparatus for loading of the sample tube and the reagent holder into the rack.

4. The rack of claim 1, further comprising a carrying handle.

5. The rack of claim 4, wherein the carrying handle is positioned about an axis displaced from an axis passing through the center of gravity of the rack when loaded, and is free to fall to a position flush with an upper surface of the rack, under its own weight.

6. The rack of claim 1, wherein the housing is made from aluminum.

7. The rack of claim 1, wherein the second location of each respective lane is a recessed portion within the horizontal member.

8. The rack of claim 7, wherein the two or more vertical members are configured to permit the rack to free stand.

9. The rack of claim 7, further comprising two or more feet, attached symmetrically to the first and second vertical members.

10. The rack of claim 7, wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of vertical spacer members, each of which is disposed between a pair of adjacent lanes.

11. The rack of claim 1, wherein at least a first lane and a second lane are parallel to one another.

12. The rack of claim 1, wherein pairs of adjacent sample lanes are separated by 24 mm at their respective midpoints.

13. The rack of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lanes consists of 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, or 24 lanes.

14. The rack of claim 1, further comprising a lane identifier associated with each lane.

15. The rack of claim 1, wherein the first location comprises a recessed portion configured to receive a bottom of a sample tube, and an aperture configured to hold an upper portion of the sample tube.

16. The rack of claim 1, wherein the second location is a slot into which a reagent holder reversibly slides.

17. The rack of claim 1, wherein the second location is deep enough to accommodate one or more pipette tips.

18. The rack of claim 1, wherein a plurality of reagent holders in the plurality of lanes are maintained at the same height relative to one another.

19. The rack of claim 1, wherein the reagent holder contains sufficient reagents to extract polynucleotides from a sample and place the polynucleotides into a PCR-ready form.

20. A rack, comprising:

a housing comprising a horizontal member comprising a first vertical side, a second vertical side, a third vertical side, a fourth vertical side, and a plurality of slots between the third vertical side and the fourth vertical side, each slot defining an opening in the first vertical side and extending in a direction toward the second vertical side, the housing further comprising a plurality of lanes, each lane of the plurality of lanes comprising

a first location adjacent to the second vertical side and configured to accept a sample tube,

a second location comprising one of the plurality of slots; and

a reagent holder located in the second location, the reagent holder comprising

a process container,

a reagent container, wherein the reagent container is at least partially prefilled with a reagent, and

a pipette tip holder.

21. The rack of claim 20, wherein the reagent holder contains sufficient reagents to extract polynucleotides from a sample and place the polynucleotides into a PCR-ready form.

22. A rack, comprising:

a housing comprising a horizontal member, wherein the horizontal member comprises a first vertical side, a second vertical side, a third vertical side, a fourth vertical side, and a plurality of slots between the third vertical side and the fourth vertical side, each slot defining an opening in the first vertical side and extending in a direction toward the second vertical side;

a plurality of lanes in the housing, and wherein each lane of the plurality of lanes comprises;

a first location adjacent to the second vertical side and configured to accept a sample tube; and

a second location comprising one of the plurality of slots, the second location configured to accept a reagent holder comprising at least one reagent container and at least one process container, the housing configured to permit removal of the reagent holder from a lane without removing a sample tube from the lane; and

a registration member complementary to a receiving bay of a diagnostic apparatus.

23. The rack of claim 22, wherein each opening in the first vertical side is configured to accept a reagent holder slid horizontally into the corresponding slot.

24. The rack of claim 22, wherein each opening in the first vertical side is configured to permit removal of a reagent holder located in the corresponding slot.

25. The rack of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of slots is configured to accept a reagent holder slid vertically into the slot.

26. The rack of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of slots comprises a groove configured to engage a reagent holder.

27. The rack of claim 22, wherein the housing further comprises at least two vertical members extending vertically downward from the top of the rack.

28. The rack of claim 27, wherein the registration member comprises at least two vertically downward extending pegs affixed to a bottom side of the horizontal member, wherein the vertical downward extension of the pegs is less than the vertical downward extension of the vertical members, and wherein the pegs are configured to fixedly orient the rack within the diagnostic apparatus.