System for Separating and Detecting an Analyte

• US 20180000023A1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Belz, Renato, Gisler, Andreas, Huesler, Robert, Knobel, Rolf, Thalmann, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 10,351,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/00 Watering gardens, fields, sports grounds or the like special apparatus or adaptations for fertilising-liquids A01C23/00; nozzles or outlets, spraying apparatus B05B
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/04 Closures and closing means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0275 Interchangeable or disposable dispensing tips
• 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 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1006 by means of a solid support carrier, e.g. particles, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00277 Special precautions to avoid contamination (e.g. enclosures, glove- boxes, sealed sample carriers, disposal of contaminated material)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00326 Analysers with modular structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/103 using disposable tips
• 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 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automated analytical system and an automated method for separating and detecting an analyte, as well as an automated analytical instrument.

Claims

1. An analytical system for processing an analyte, said system comprising:

a) a first position comprising

a sample vessel holding a liquid sample comprising an analyte,

a processing vessel for holding the liquid sample,

a rack holding pipette tips,

and a first process head for transferring a liquid sample from the sample vessel to the processing vessel;

b) a second position comprising a station for receiving said processing vessel, and a rack holding station for receiving said rack and a second process head; and

c) a transfer system configured to transport said rack comprising said pipette tips and said processing vessel from a separate first cell of an analytical instrument to the second position in a separate second cell of said analytical instrument.

2. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the rack transported by said transfer system comprises pipette tips which were used in the first position.

3. The analytical system according to claim 1, wherein said processing vessel is a multiwell vessel.

4. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein said transport system comprises a handler constructed and arranged to grip and transport said rack and said processing vessel from a first to a second location within the system.

5. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein said analyte is a nucleic acid.

6. The analytical system of claim 1, wherein the second position comprises a magnetic separation station.

7. The analytical system of claim 2, wherein said second process head is configured to engage said used pipette tips.

8. The analytical system of claim 1, additionally comprising a reaction station located in a third position.