Gen-probe, Inc.

Via Medical Corporation

David A Buse

David Opalsky

Norbert D Hagen

Byron J Knight

David Howard Combs

Rolf Silbert

Tyler Moore

Anita Prasad

Bruce J Richardson

Robert J Rosati

Olev Tammer

Matthias Merten

Keith Moravick

Jason F Rhubottom

HongRan Peng

Jennifer L Tidd

Richard Capella

Ayra A Baker

Julian Groeli

David K Wong

Steven G Grubbs

Jerry W Jeffers, Ii

Daiting Rong

Joseph Y Lucisano

Jin Chen

James T Tuggle

Patrick Lynn Peterson

Philip Eugene Alei

Trung Q Pham

Laurel Savage

Patrick Sheehan

Daniel Glazerman

Alexander Navarro

Trung Pham

Bruce Richardson

Alberto A Lio

Timothy J Scheer

Ann-Laure Shapiro

Ankur H Shah

An apparatus for incubating the contents of a plurality of receptacles and for detecting a signal emitted by the contents of each of the receptacle includes a plurality of receptacle holders configured to incubate the contents of each a plurality of receptacles held by each of the receptacle holders. A controller is coupled to each of the receptacle holders and is configured to independently control an incubation temperature of each of the receptacle holders to independently control a temperature at which the receptacles held by each of the receptacle holders is incubated. At least one signal detector is configured to detect a signal emitted by the contents of each of the receptacles held in each of the receptacle holders, and a signal detector indexer is configured to successively optically couple each signal detector with each of the receptacles held in each of the receptacle holders to detect optical emissions from each successively coupled receptacle.

Apparatus for incubating receptacles and detecting optical signals emitted by the contents of the receptacles

Fluid vial

An automated method for performing an amplification reaction includes the automated steps of combining a fluid sample together with one or more amplification reaction reagents in a reaction receptacle using a first automated pipettor, thereby forming a reaction mixture, transporting the reaction receptacle to a first location of a centrifuge, subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, after subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, removing the reaction receptacle from a second location of the centrifuge different from the first location and placing the reaction receptacle in a thermal cycler, and in the thermal cycler, subjecting the reaction mixture to one or more temperature cycles.

Method for receiving and storing reagent packs in an instrument

A receptacle delivery system for an instrument includes a carriage, a puck supported by the carriage, and a first shelf. The carriage is configured to move from a first location of the instrument to a second location of the instrument. The puck is configured to removably support a receptacle such that a longitudinal axis of the receptacle is substantially coincident with a vertical axis of the puck. The first shelf comprises (a) a base extending substantially transverse to the vertical axis of the puck and (b) a first opening defined by the base, and when the carriage is positioned at the second location, the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in the puck extends through the first opening.

Receptacle delivery system

A method of delivering a receptacle to an instrument includes the steps of supporting a receptacle in a carriage, activating an electric motor to move the carriage between a first location and a second location of the instrument while the receptacle is supported by the carriage, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.

Receptacle transport system for an analytical system

A method for fluid handling that includes reading information about a receptacle holder with an RFID reader and transmitting the information from an RFID transponder disposed on a first body of the receptacle holder that supports a fluid-containing receptacle. This information is used to align a robotic fluid transfer device with the first fluid-containing receptacle. Detecting a change in capacitance between an electrically conductive probe of the robotic fluid transfer device and an electrical ground or voltage source capacitively coupled to fluid contained in the first fluid-containing receptacle is an indication that the probe has contacted the fluid contained in the first fluid-containing receptacle. Once it is determined that the probe has contacted the fluid, the fluid transfer device aspirates a portion of the fluid contained in the first fluid-containing receptacle.

Method for capacitive fluid level detection

A carrier support moveable between a first position and a second position is configured to hold a carrier for holding a plurality of receptacles. The carrier support includes a carrier locking mechanism to lock the carrier with respect to the carrier support when the carrier support is in the second position and to release the carrier when the carrier support is in the first position to permit the carrier to be removed from the carrier support when the carrier support is in the first position. The carrier locking mechanism includes a pivoting latch configured to pivot between a first position not engaged with a portion of the carrier and a second position engaged with a portion of the carrier and a slide latch configured to translate linearly between a first position not engaged with a portion of the carrier and a second position engaged with a portion of the carrier.

Locking mechanism for releasably locking a receptacle carrier to a carrier support

An apparatus for performing nucleic acid amplification reactions includes a thermally-conductive receptacle holder that includes multiple receptacle wells. Each well can receive a receptacle and has a through-hole extending from an inner surface of the well to an outer surface of the holder. The apparatus includes multiple optical fibers, and each optical fiber has a first end in optical communication with an associated well and a second end in optical communication with an excitation signal source and/or an emission signal detector. The first end of each optical fiber is moveable with respect to the through-hole. A cover is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the receptacle holder, and the first end of each optical fiber moves with respect to the through-hole of the associated well as the cover moves to the open or closed position or when the cover moves into or out of contact with any receptacles within the wells.

Apparatus for applying thermal energy to a receptacle and detecting an emission signal from the receptacle

A container including a top wall and a fluid vessel depending from the top wall. The fluid vessel extends from a top wall aperture formed in the top wall to a bottom end of the fluid vessel. The container further includes gripping structures configured to enable an automated gripping mechanism to securely grip the container in a repeatable position and orientation with respect to the container-gripping components of the gripping mechanism.

Fluid container

A receptacle delivery system that includes a rail extending between first and second locations of an instrument and a carriage configured to move on the rail between the first and second locations of the instrument. The carriage includes a bracket having opposed first and second sidewalls and a base extending between the first and second sidewalls, where the carriage is configured to support a receptacle. The carriage further includes a pair of opposed support pads, where the pair of support pads are configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first location toward the second location, and (b) move away from a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second location toward the first location. The carriage also includes a pair of meshed cam gears rotatably coupled to the first sidewall, where each cam gear is coupled to a different one of the support pads.

A receptacle-supporting puck includes spring-biased fingers arranged about a vertical axis, each finger having a contact surface to contact a receptacle seated in the puck. A supporting disc of the puck includes a disc sidewall projecting from a base and defining a pocket for seating a receptacle, first cavities in the base extending toward the vertical axis, and a puck passageway extending through opposed portions of the disc sidewall transversely to and offset from the vertical axis. Each finger is rotatably coupled to the supporting disc at a corresponding first cavity. A synchronization disc is positioned in the pocket, and each of the fingers is coupled to the synchronization disc such that the contact surfaces of the fingers move synchronously toward and away from the vertical axis. A retaining ring couples the fingers, the supporting disc, and the synchronization disc together.

Puck and receptacle delivery system

A receptacle delivery system includes a carriage configured to move from a first to a second location of an instrument. The carriage may be configured to removably support a receptacle and may include a receptacle clamping mechanism. The receptacle mechanism may be configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first to the second location and release the clamping force as the carriage moves from the second to the first location.

A method of delivering a receptacle to an instrument includes the steps of supporting a receptacle containing a fluid on a carrier, transporting the carrier supporting the receptacle on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of instruments, transferring the receptacle from the carrier to a puck supported on a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location, moving the carriage with the receptacle seated in the puck from the first location to a second location within an instrument of the plurality of instruments, and drawing at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle seated in the puck into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument when the carriage is positioned at the second location.

A system includes a reagent pack input carousel, a carousel frame supporting the carousel, and a track on which the carousel frame is supported for movement of the carousel into and out of an instrument in drawer-like fashion. The carousel is rotatable about an axis of rotation and includes a plurality of reagent pack input stations arranged about the perimeter of the carousel. Each input station is adapted to carry a reagent pack, and the input stations are oriented at an angle with respect to a radial orientation relative to the axis of rotation. Each input station includes an alignment block located at a radially inner end of the station, and the block is received within a recess formed in an end of the reagent pack placed in the station to align and position of the reagent pack within the station.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

David A Buse