System for conducting the identification of bacteria in biological samples
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
- a rectangular-shaped container made of a transparent material and containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor;
said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said second end wall, and wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for conducting the identification and quantification of micro-organisms, e.g., bacteria in biological samples. More particularly, the invention relates to a system comprising a disposable cartridge and an optical cup or cuvette having a tapered surface; an optics system including an optical reader and a thermal controller; an optical analyzer; a cooling system; and an improved spectrometer. The system may utilize the disposable cartridge in the sample processor and the optical cup or cuvette in the optical analyzer.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container made of a transparent material and containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor; said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said second end wall, and wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container made of a transparent material and containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor; said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and said second end wall, and wherein the tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample, and wherein and an inner surface at least along the tapered area is coated with a layer of reflective material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
a two-piece construction having an upper piece with an upper rectangular opening and a lower rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower piece including a lower tapered area for holding the biological sample, said lower piece including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall comprising the lower tapered area, a second end wall, and a horizontal floor wherein the lower tapered area extends inwardly and downwardly relative to the upper rectangular opening toward and contiguous with the horizontal floor, and wherein the lower tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the openings and to reflect the beam through the biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A disposable sample cup for containing a biological specimen for optical analysis of the bacteria in the biological specimen, comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container having a tapered area, a rectangular-shaped top opening for receiving the biological specimen, and an inner reflective surface, said container further including two parallel spaced-apart sidewalls, two spaced apart end walls and a horizontal floor, and said two spaced-apart end walls including a first end wall and a second end wall and wherein the first end wall has the tapered area extending therefrom and contiguous to the horizontal floor, wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls and the second end wall, and wherein the tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through the opening and to reflect the beam through the biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A disposable cartridge for use in the identification and quantification of micro-organisms in biological samples, comprising:
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a plurality of compartments for positioning and supporting a plurality of disposable components including a centrifuge tube, a pipette and an optics cup containing the processed biological sample for use in an optical analysis; the optics cup having a rectangular shape and a tapered area into which a light source travels for the optical analysis of the processed biological sample and a reflective surface for enhancing the optical analysis, said optics cup including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, said first end wall having a depth that is less than a depth of the sidewalls and the second end wall, and wherein the tapered area extends from the first end wall, wherein the tapered area has a surface that is configured to receive an illumination beam fed through an opening of the optics cup and to reflect the beam through the biological sample; and the compartment for positioning and supporting the optics cup having a rectangular-shaped opening for receiving and supporting the rectangular-shaped optics cup. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped container made of a transparent material and containing the biological sample, said container including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, and a floor; said container having a rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower tapered area extending from said first end wall and inwardly and downwardly relative to the rectangular opening and toward said floor, and wherein the first end wall has a depth that is less than a depth of said sidewalls, and wherein the opening of the container is configured to receive an illumination beam therethrough and the tapered area is positioned at a location to receive the illumination beam and for reflecting the illumination beam through the biological sample and into contact with the second end wall and back toward the tapered surface resulting in upwardly emittance of fluorescence out of the container for optical analysis, said second end wall and an inner surface at least along the tapered area coated with a layer of reflective material.
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31. An optics cup for holding a biological sample for use in an optical analysis comprising:
a two-piece construction having an upper piece with an upper rectangular opening and a lower rectangular opening for receiving the biological sample and a lower piece including a lower tapered area for holding the biological sample, said lower piece including an upper rectangular opening, two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall comprising the lower tapered area, a second end wall, and a horizontal floor, wherein the lower tapered area extends inwardly and downwardly relative to the upper rectangular opening toward and contiguous with the horizontal floor, wherein the upper and lower openings of the upper piece and the upper opening of the lower piece are configured to receive an illumination beam therethrough and the tapered area is positioned at a location to receive the illumination beam and for reflecting the illumination beam through the biological sample and into contact with the second end wall and back toward the tapered surface resulting in upwardly emittance of fluorescence out of the container for optical analysis.
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32. A disposable cartridge for use in the identification and quantification of micro-organisms in biological samples comprising:
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a plurality of compartments for positioning and supporting a plurality of disposable components including a centrifuge tube, a pipette and an optics cup containing the processed biological sample for use in an optical analysis; the optics cup having a rectangular shape, an opening, and a tapered area into which a light source travels for the optical analysis of the processed biological sample and a reflective surface for enhancing the optical analysis, said optics cup including two spaced-apart sidewalls, a first end wall, a second end wall, said first end wall having a depth that is less than a depth of the sidewalls and the second end wall, and wherein the tapered area extends from the first end wall, wherein the opening of the optics cup is configured to receive an illumination beam therethrough and the tapered area is positioned at a location to receive the illumination beam and for reflecting the illumination beam through the biological sample and into contact with the second end wall and back toward the tapered surface resulting in upwardly emittance of fluorescence out of the optics cup for optical analysis; and the compartment for positioning and supporting the optics cup having a rectangular-shaped opening for receiving and supporting the rectangular-shaped optics cup.
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Specification