Magnetic particle washing station

• US 8,795,609 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Original Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Inventors: Garcia Gros, Luis Miguel, Talmer, Mark, Schroeder, Gerhardt P., Dahlstrom, Paul C., Serra Domnech, Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVKOVICH, NATALIA A
• Application Number:
  US11/704,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20080190458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: 422/562, 422/561, 422/560, 422/566
• US Class Current: 422/562
• 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 2201/20 Magnetic separation of bulk or dry particles in mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/22 characterised by the magnetic field, e.g. its shape or generation
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/26 for use in medical or biological applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/34 Purifying; Cleaning processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54333 Modification of conditions of immunological binding reaction, e.g. use of more than one type of particle, use of chemical agents to improve binding, choice of incubation time or application of magnetic field during binding reaction

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a clinical instrument analyzer system for the automatic analysis of patient samples. In one embodiment, the analyzer may be used to analyze bodily fluid samples, such as blood, plasma, serum, urine or cerebrospinal fluid, for example. Embodiments of the invention relate to an apparatus and method, for example, an immunoassay method, for separating out target molecules in a magnetic field and then analyzing those target molecules with a luminometer.

Claims

1. A system, for manipulating magnetic particles comprising:

a vial;

a receiving member comprising a magnetic array said magnetic array comprising a stack of at least three magnets and at least a spacer, and a spring finger; and

,

wherein the receiving member is configured for holding the vial containing magnetic particles,

the vial being positioned in said receiving member between and directly contacted by the magnetic array and by the spring finger.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said spacer is manufactured from materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber, polymers, other non-magnetic materials, and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnet array is fixed to the receiving member.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnet array is releasably attached to the receiving member.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnets comprise neodymium-iron-boron.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a humidity regulator.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a temperature regulator.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more pipettes.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said at least three magnets has a horizontal axis that is longer than a vertical axis.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein said vial comprises a chamber wherein said chamber is humidity regulated by said humidity regulator.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnets comprise samarium-cobalt.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnets comprise alnico.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnets comprise and ferrite.