Gen-probe, Inc.

Abbott Point of Care Inc.

Sequenom, Inc.

I-stat Corporation

Stratec Biomedical Ag

Stratec Se

Agena Bioscience, Inc.

David Opalsky

Norbert D Hagen

David A Buse

Byron J Knight

Anita Prasad

Tyler Moore

Bruce J Richardson

Jason F Rhubottom

Rolf Silbert

David Howard Combs

Keith Moravick

Robert J Rosati

Olev Tammer

Jennifer L Tidd

Imants R Lauks

Haitao Li

George T Walker

Matthias Merten

Richard Capella

Andrzej Maczuszenko

Olaf Hörger

Srajan Raghuwanshi

Cindra A Widrig Opalsky

Rhonda J Cheadle

James Bui

Robert E Heinz

Chao Lin

Andy Maczuszenko

Waldemar Lukhaub

Tom R Horn

Craig B Clark

John M Gilker

Paul Heaney

Norman C Nelson

Jin Chen

Richard S Lee

Ankur Shah

Sara H Fan

Sangeetha Vijaysri Nair

James T Tuggle

Ping Yip

Patrick Lynn Peterson

Jennifer Tidd

R Eric Heinz

Dennis Newell

Sean Siyao Chiu

Stefan Habrich

Heiko Sayer

Harald Thahedl

Phillip Bruce, Iii

Charles Griswold

Sheila A Walker

Brian Schroeter

Anne-Laure Shapiro

David Aaron Buse

Jason Rhubottom

Ralf Wörl

Olaf Hoerger

Olaf Horger

Alexander Navarro

Bruce Richardson

Patrick Sheehan

Kishorchandra Bhakta

Andrezej Maczuszenko

Ankur H Shah

Alberto A Lio

Timothy J Scheer

Christopher Brandon Davis

Olaf Hoger

Ann-Laure Shapiro

Stefan Harbrich

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

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 cleaning member including a distal cleaning element and a proximal coupling element, where the coupling element has a proximal end portion dimensioned to form a frictional fit with a working end of an automated transport arm.

Non-absorbent cleaning member with transport arm working end coupling element for use in a sample testing system

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 kit includes a vessel having a plasma-treated interior surface, solid composition adhered to the plasma-treated interior surface, and a reconstitution liquid. The solid composition has a mass ranging from about 600 micrograms to about 20 grams and is in the form of a lyophilized pellet adhered to the plasma-treated interior surface. The solid composition is macroscopic in three orthogonal dimensions, such that the solid composition is not a coating and has a length, a width, and a height of greater than 1 mm.

Compositions on plasma-treated surfaces

A method of reading machine-readable labels on sample receptacles. In the method, a sample rack is moved between a first position and a second position within a housing, where the sample rack supports a plurality of sample receptacles, and each sample receptacle has a machine-readable label. An absolute position of the sample rack is measured as the sample rack moves between the first and second positions. An image of the machine-readable label associated with each sample receptacle is acquired as the sample rack moves between the first and second positions. Finally, the acquired image of each machine-readable label is decoded.

Method for reading machine-readable labels on sample receptacles

A method of reading machine-readable marks on a movable support and object of a sample instrument. The method includes capturing a first image of the moveable support as the moveable support moves from a first position to a second position using an image capture device; determining whether a first fiducial machine-readable mark on the moveable support is in the first image; determining, when the first fiducial machine-readable mark is in the first image, whether a first machine-readable mark on a first object coupled to the moveable support is in the first image at a predetermined position relative to the first fiducial machine-readable mark; and associating information decoded from the first machine-readable mark on the first object with a first location on the moveable support associated with the first fiducial machine-readable mark.

Method for reading machine-readable marks on racks and receptacles

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.

A method for reconstituting a reagent within a reagent pack including one or more wells and at least one of the wells containing a lyophilized reagent comprises the steps of receiving reagent packs into a reagent pack input carousel, transferring one reagent pack with a rotary distributor from the input carousel to a reagent pack storage carousel, retrieving the reagent pack from the storage carousel with the rotary distributor and placing the reagent pack into a reagent pack loading station, and dispensing a reconstitution reagent with an automated pipettor into the well containing the lyophilized reagent to form a reconstituted reagent.

Method for reconstituting a reagent

The disclosure provides solid compositions such as lyophilisates adhered to surfaces such as plasma-treated surfaces and related methods, uses, kits, intermediates, starting materials, and downstream products.

A first time/temperature data set includes temperatures and time stamps recorded at time intervals during a first thermal cycling process and a time stamp for each time interval, and a second time/temperature data set includes temperatures and time stamps recorded at time intervals during a second thermal cycling process. Signal emissions at different signal detecting positions are sequentially measured at different time intervals to generate first and second time/signal emission data sets for receptacles subject to the first and second thermal cycling processes, respectively. Signal emissions of receptacles subject to the first thermal cycling process are synchronized with specific temperatures of the first thermal cycling process by comparing time stamps of the first time/signal emission data set for each receptacle with the time stamps of the first time/temperature data set that correspond with the specific temperature. Signal emissions of receptacles subject to the second thermal cycling process are synchronized with specific temperatures of the second thermal cycling process by comparing time stamps of the second time/signal emission data set for each receptacle with the time stamps of the second time/temperature data set that correspond with the specific temperature.

Determining temperature-varying signal emissions during automated, random-access thermal cycling processes

A diagnostic system is configured to perform first and second, different nucleic acid amplification reactions. The system includes a bulk reagent container compartment configured to store first bulk reagent container containing a first bulk reagent for performing sample preparation processes with a first subset and a second subset of a plurality of samples and a second bulk reagent container containing a second bulk reagent for performing the first nucleic acid amplification reaction. The system includes a unit-dose reagent compartment storing a unit-dose reagent pack including unit-dose reagents for performing the second nucleic acid amplification reaction. The system is configured to perform the sample preparation process using the first bulk reagent on the first and second subsets of the samples, perform the first nucleic acid amplification reaction using the second bulk reagent on the first subset of the samples, and perform the second nucleic acid amplification reaction using the unit-dose reagents on the second subset of the samples.

Diagnostic systems and methods

Multiple receptacles containing a reaction mixture are transported to corresponding receptacle wells of a thermally-conductive receptacle holder in thermal communication with a support that is in thermal communication with a heat sink. The heat sink is pre-heated to a temperature above ambient temperature, and the temperature of the receptacle holder is cycled. Optical communication is established between each of the receptacle wells and an excitation signal source and an emission signal detector during cycling, and whether an emission signal is emitted from any of the receptacles is determined as an indication of the presence of a target nucleic acid.

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

A reagent pack changer includes a reagent pack input device, a reagent pack storage compartment, a reagent pack storage carousel disposed within the storage compartment, and a rotary distributor. The input device includes a reagent pack input carousel rotatable about an axis of rotation, with reagent pack stations for holding reagent packs disposed around the axis of rotation of the carousel. The reagent pack storage carousel is rotatable about an axis of rotation with reagent pack stations for holding reagent packs disposed around the axis of rotation. The rotary distributor is configured to move a reagent pack between the reagent pack input carousel and the reagent pack storage carousel.

Reagent pack changer

A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and an elevator with a chuck guide that contact the container holder as the chuck is lowered by the elevator to positon the chuck with respect to the cap of the container held in the holder and to hold jaws of the container holder in a closed position. In embodiment, the chuck guide includes a yoke with opposed arms and spindles located near distal ends of the arms that engage beveled shoulders of the container holder.

Automated sample handing instrumentation, systems, processes, and methods

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

David Opalsky