摘要:
A centrifuge vessel for performing immunoassays, affinity chromatography, and like experiments includes a center tube and an outer waste chamber. A biomaterial is held within the center tube and is capable of binding specific analytes in test samples. In operation the centrifuge vessel is rotated at high speed about its longitudinal axis, thereby causing all fluid within the center tube to be transported into the outer waste chamber while the analyte of interest remains bound to the biomaterial positioned within the center tube In the centrifuge vessel, a cap connected to the outer waste chamber and extending over the center tube includes structure for preventing waste fluid expelled to the waste chamber from re-entering the center tube. In a first embodiment, the cap is either constructed from or the inside surface is coated with a hydrophobic material which repels fluids back into the waste chamber. In a second embodiment, the cap includes a dam which allows fluid to pass into the waste chamber but blocks the migration of waste fluid back to the center tube. In a third embodiment, the cap includes a sponge that allows fluids in the center tube influenced by the intense centrifugal forces generated during high speed rotation to pass into the waste chamber, but which prevents fluids in the waste chamber, which are influenced by relatively weaker forces, from returning to the center tube.
摘要:
An instrument (50) automatically determines the concentrations of HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides for a sample (80) of whole, anticoagulated blood placed in a doughnut shaped container (10). The sample (80) is first separated into its blood cell and plasma (84) constituents using high speed centrifugation (54) and a thixotropic gel (82). Part of the plasma (84) is then deposited in an HDL separation chamber (14) where LDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol are precipitated by a reagent and the precipitant is sedimented by high speed centrifugation (54) against V-shaped grooves (40) in the outermost wall (38) of the HDL separation chamber (14). Part of the plasma (84) is diluted ten-fold. The supernatant in the HDL separation chamber is then placed in a cuvette reaction chamber (b 18) where it reacts with a cholesterol reagent. The diluted plasma is placed in two other cuvette reaction chambers (18) where it reacts with chloesterol and triglycerides reagents, respectively. Calibration reagents, stored in storage chambers (20), react in two other cuvette reaction chambers (18) to establish a reference absorbance. A pipettor (58) handles all the fluid transfers in the doughnut shaped container (10) and operates in conjunction with a slow speed motor (56) that precisely moves the spindle (52) on which the doughnut shaped container (10) is mounted. A colorimetric measuring system (70, 72, and 74) monitors the absorbance of chemical reactions occurring in the cuvette chambers (18).
摘要:
A rotary luminometer subsystem presents test vessels to a detection mechanism to be read as part of the automated immunoassay analyzer system. The rotary luminometer provides a read station separate from that of the transportation element of the luminometer. Within the read station, a housing and shield eliminates light leakage from the sample under test. In addition, the read station regulates the intensity of the light by providing an attenuation capability.
摘要:
An improved automated immunoassay analyzer including a high throughput automated immunoassay system which can perform high volume testing on a broad range of analytes while selecting from among a diverse set of immunoassays for any given sample. The immunoanalyzer has the capacity to perform a wide range of different types of immunoassays by facile storage and automated combination aboard the instrument among a wide variety of different types of reagents and heterogenous immunoassay beads stored on-board the instrument. The automated design allows reduced user interface (e.g., tests are performed automatically from computer input) including the ability to order, perform and reassay tests reflexively based on test results without operator intervention. Further, the inventive analyzer is not sample tube specific; that is, an instrument that can accept sample tube sizes within a broad size range. The inventive automated immunoassay analyzer also provides a re-useable sample dilution well, and a high speed bead washing station that eliminates the need for assay tubes having integral, waste fluid collection chambers.
摘要:
An optical analyzer for determining an analyte in a fluid of interest such as a body fluid of interest satisfying the foregoing need and embodying the present invention may include a housing; combination optically transparent cuvette and lancet mounted removably in the housing, the cuvette may receive an optically transparent reagent test system for reacting with the body fluid to produce a change in at least one optical transmissive characteristic of the system indicative of the analyte; a cuvette carrier mounted slidably in the housing and for removably receiving the cuvette; a spring actuator mounted in the housing and connected to the cuvette carrier, the spring actuator may be compressed and released to advance the carrier and thereby advance the lancet into engagement with a portion of a body to produce the body fluid; depth control apparatus for controlling the depth of penetration of the lancet into the body portion; an electrooptical system mounted in the housing in optical engagement with the cuvette and for passing a light beam through the cuvette and the reagent system and for receiving the light beam modified by the change in optical transmissive characteristic of the system and for transmitting computation signals indicative of the analyte to a computer; a computer mounted in the housing for receiving the computation signals and for comparing the computation signals against predetermined data to produce display signals indicative of the analyte; a display mounted in the housing and for receiving the display signals and for providing a vehicle display indicative of the analyte; and control switches mounted in the housing and connected to the computer for controlling the operation of the computer.
摘要:
A multipath incubator that enables an immunoassay analyzer to perform tests that are not conducted serially relative to when the test samples entered the analyzer is provided.
摘要:
An improved automated immunoassay analyzer including a high throughput automated immunoassay system which can perform high volume testing on a broad range of analytes while selecting from among a diverse set of immunoassays for any given sample. The immunoanalyzer has the capacity to perform a wide range of different types of immunoassays by facile storage and automated combination aboard the instrument among a wide variety of different types of reagents and heterogenous immunoassay beads stored on-board the instrument. The automated design allows reduced user interface (e.g., tests are performed automatically from computer input) including the ability to order, perform and reassay tests reflexively based on test results without operator intervention. Further, the inventive analyzer is not sample tube specific; that is, an instrument that can accept sample tube sizes within a broad size range. The inventive automated immunoassay analyzer also provides a re-useable sample dilution well, and a high speed bead washing station that eliminates the need for assay tubes having integral, waste fluid collection chambers.
摘要:
An improved pipette probe in an automated chemical analysis system is provided, along with a pipette tip wash protocol to reduce carryover. The pipette tip comprises an elongated stainless-steel barrel which houses a polytetrafluoroethylene tube. The non-wettable properties of polytetrafluoroethylene inhibit fluid adhesion and thereby reduce carryover. The pipette tip is swaged at a fluid dispensing end to a restrictive diameter for good pipetting precision and accuracy. A novel wash protocol is also provided which includes a novel wash solution comprising quantities of Triton X-100 nonionic detergent, Diethanolamine, and NaCl.
摘要:
A test vessel agitator assembly that agitates test vessels and the contents therein within an immunoassay automated analyzer system. The test vessels are transported along an element that is comprised of ridges and troughs such that the test vessel is moved in a directions that is approximately perpendicular to the direction of transportation.
摘要:
A rotary luminometer subsystem presents test vessels to a detection mechanism to be read as part of the automated immunoassay analyzer system. The rotary luminometer provides a read station separate from that of the transportation element of the luminometer. Within the read station, a housing and shield eliminates light leakage from the sample under test. In addition, the read station regulates the intensity of the light by providing an attenuation capability.