System and method including multiple processing lanes executing processing protocols

• US 9,046,455 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Beckman Coulter Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian D., Anderson, David L., Davis, Matthew S., Erickson, Matthew D., Johnson, Alan N., Maurer, Garrick A., Rosen, Michael J., Sauerburger, Mark F., Schmidt, Daniel R., Wiltsie, Joshua D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHATLEY, BENJAMIN R
• Application Number:
  US13/747,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20130137109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/024 Storing results with means integrated into the container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/045 whereby the whole cover is slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/18 Means for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0275 : Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 : Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 : for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 : specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/52 : Containers specially adapted for storing or dispensing a reagent B01L3/02 takes precedence; containers for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; containers in general B65D; storing or dispensing test elements G01N33/4875; automated reagent dispensing G01N35/1002
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 : for laboratory containers
• 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: C12M 41/12 : of temperature controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/34 : Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/68 : involving nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/686 : Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 3/00 : Condition responsive control processes apparatus therefor C12M1/36; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/24 : by measuring variations of resistance of resistors due to contact with conductor fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/26 : by measuring variations of capacity or inductance of capacitors or inductors arising from the presence of liquid or fluent solid material in the electric or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 : Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/38 : Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00435 : Refrigerated reagent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00752 : bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00851 : process control parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0413 : moving in one dimension
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0415 : moving in two dimensions in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0436 : with pre-packaged reagents, i.e. test-packs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0465 : Loading or unloading the conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0475 : electric, e.g. stepper motor, solenoid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1013 : Confirming presence of tip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1025 : Fluid level sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1048 : using the transfer device for another function
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1051 : for transporting containers, e.g. retained by friction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1076 : plurality or independently movable heads
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 : Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0092 : Scheduling
• 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 35/04 : Details of the conveyor system G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1002 : Reagent dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1011 : Control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 : Control of the volume dispensed or introduced
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1081 : characterised by the means for relatively moving the transfer device and the containers in an horizontal plane G01N35/1011 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0205 : not using a model or a simulator of the controlled system
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 25/20 : Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]; Primer or probe design; Probe optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing and analyzing samples are disclosed. The system may process samples, such as biological fluids, using assay cartridges which can be processed at different processing locations. In some cases, the system can be used for PCR processing. The different processing locations may include a preparation location where samples can be prepared and an analysis location where samples can be analyzed. To assist with the preparation of samples, the system may also include a number of processing stations which may include processing lanes. During the analysis of samples, in some cases, thermal cycler modules and an appropriate optical detection system can be used to detect the presence or absence of certain nucleic acid sequences in the samples. The system can be used to accurately and rapidly process samples.

Claims

1. A system for determining the presence of a nucleic acid in a sample, the system comprising:

a first assay cartridge comprising a first plurality of reagent wells and a first reaction well;

a second assay cartridge comprising a second plurality of reagent wells and a second reaction well;

a first processing lane;

a second processing lane;

a third processing lane;

a transfer shuttle operatively coupled to the first, second, and third processing lanes; and

a controller operatively coupled to each of the first, second and third processing lanes and the transfer shuttle, the controller programmed to execute a first protocol and a second protocol, wherein the first protocol directs the transfer shuttle to move the first assay cartridge from the first processing lane to the second processing lane and the second protocol directs the transfer shuttle to move the second assay cartridge from the first processing lane to the third processing lane without moving the second assay cartridge to the second processing lane, and wherein the system further comprises

a preparation location, wherein the first, second, and third processing lanes are in the preparation location;

a reaction vessel for containing a processed sample;

an analysis location for characterizing the processed sample contained in the reaction vessel;

a transport device configured to transfer the reaction vessel between the preparation location and the analysis location; and

a plurality of identical analytical units in the analysis location.

2. The system of claim 1, where the first, second, and third processing lanes are parallel to each other and are also perpendicular to an orientation of the transfer shuttle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processing lane comprises a cartridge loading lane, and the second processing lane is a heating lane, and the third processing lane is a wash lane.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third processing lanes are selected from the group consisting of a heating lane configured to warm an assay cartridge, an amplification preparation lane, a temperature stabilization heating lane configured to maintain the temperature of an assay cartridge, an elution lane, and a wash lane.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first assay cartridge is a DNA analysis cartridge and the second assay cartridge is an RNA analysis cartridge.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction vessel is a sealed vessel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transport device comprises a pipettor mandrel.

8. A method comprising:

executing a first protocol by a controller in a system, wherein in the first protocol, the controller directs a transfer shuttle to move a first assay cartridge from a first processing lane to a second processing lane in the system; and

executing a second protocol by the controller, wherein in the second protocol, the controller directs the transfer shuttle to move a second assay cartridge from the first processing lane to a third processing lane in the system without moving the second assay cartridge to the second processing lane,

wherein the first assay cartridge comprises a first plurality of reagent wells and a first reaction well, and

wherein the second assay cartridge comprises a second plurality of reagent wells and a second reaction well, and wherein the system comprises

a preparation location, wherein the first, second, and third processing lanes are in the preparation location;

a reaction vessel for containing a processed sample;

an analysis location for characterizing the processed sample contained in the reaction vessel;

a transport device configured to transfer the reaction vessel between the preparation location and the analysis location; and

a plurality of identical analytical units in the analysis location.

9. The method of claim 8, where the first, second, and third processing lanes are parallel to each other and are also perpendicular to an orientation of the transfer shuttle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first processing lane comprises a cartridge loading lane, and the second processing lane is a heating lane, and the third processing lane is a wash lane.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first, second, and third processing lanes are selected from the group consisting of a heating lane configured to warm an assay cartridge, an amplification preparation lane, a temperature stabilization heating lane configured to maintain the temperature of an assay cartridge, an elution lane, and a wash lane.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first assay cartridge is for DNA analysis and the second assay cartridge is for RNA analysis.