Pasteur Sanofi Diagnostics

Expert Services Group, Inc.

Pasteur Sanofi Diagnostics, S.a.

Other

Gershon Giter

Ross Krogh

Alfredo Choperena

Venkatesh Prasad

Dmitry Volovik

The present invention relates to a cartridge, system, and methods that can be used for automated handling of fluids, such as blood. The cartridge can be configured to obtain a fluid sample from a sealed container, e.g., a septum sealed container. The system can be configured to handle the cartridge for operations such as obtaining a sample and/or dispensing the sample from the cartridge into, for example, a microtiter plate. The method of the invention can employ the cartridge or system of the invention.

Automated fluid handling cartridge, fluid processing system, and methods

Automated fluid handling cartridge and fluid processing system

This invention provides an automated chemical analyzer capable of automatically analyzing a plurality of samples for at least two different analytes. The analyzer includes a plurality of assay resource stations and an analyzer control means. Each assay resource station includes an assay resource capable of performing a predetermined operation upon a sample-containing reaction vessel within a fixed indexing time. The analyzer control means includes scheduling means for allocating assay resources to one of the reaction vessels as a function of that time cycle and a transfer control means for controlling transfer of reaction vessels directly from one assay resource station to another according to a chronology selected from a plurality of different predetermined chronologies.

Device for automatic chemical analysis

A single-piston, multimode fluid displacement pump comprising an elongated chamber, a piston reciprocally mounted within the chamber, a driving mechanism axially aligned with the chamber and piston for accurately positioning the piston within the chamber so as to define a measured fluid displacement, and ports for aspirating and dispensing fluid.

Single-piston fluid displacement pump

This invention provides an automated chemical analyzer with improved processing flexibility and ease. In one embodiment of this invention, the analyzer includes an incubation station, a wash station and a read station. The incubation station includes an elongated, movable track to carry reaction vessels along an incubation path, the wash station includes a movable track to carry vessels along a wash-cycle path, and the read station is adapted to move vessels along a read path. A first transfer station is positioned adjacent a first end of the wash-cycle path to transfer vessels from the incubation path to the wash-cycle path and a second transfer station is positioned adjacent a second end of the wash-cycle path and a first end of the read path for selectively transferring a vessel from the wash-cycle path to either the incubation path or the read path. The system also includes an analyzer controller having scheduling means for allocating assay resources to one of the reaction vessels and transfer control means for controlling the transfer of reaction vessels from one assay resource station to another according to a chronology selected from a plurality of different predetermined chronologies.

The invention provides a method for analyzing samples for different analytes. A plurality of assay resource stations are provided, each of which includes an assay resource capable of performing a predetermined operation upon a reaction vessel within a time cycle of fixed duration, as is an analyzer control means. Information identifying two samples and the analyte to be determined in each is provided to the analyzer control means. Assay resource requirements for the first assay are determined as a function of an integral number of time cycles and appropriate time cycles of each required assay resource are allocated to the first assay. Assay resource requirements for the second assay are also determined as a function of an integral number of time cycles and time cycles are allocated to the second assay according to the availability of the assay resources. The first and second assays are processed by automatically transferring each reaction vessel from one required assay resource station directly to the next required assay resource station.

Method and device for automatic chemical analysis

This invention provides an automated chemical analyzer with improved processing flexibility and ease. In one embodiment of this invention, the analyzer includes an incubation station, a wash station and a read station. The incubation station includes an elongated, movable track to carry reaction vessels along an incubation path, the wash station includes a movable track to carry vessels along a wash-cycle path, and the read station is adapted to move vessels along a read path. A first transfer station is positioned adjacent a first end of the wash-cycle path to transfer vessels from the incubation path to the wash-cycle path and a second transfer station is positioned adjacent a second end of the wash-cycle path and a first end of the read path for selectively transferring a vessel from the wash-cycle path to either the incubation path or the read path. Optimally, the first transfer station is positioned adjacent a second end of the read path, enabling the first transfer station to transfer a vessel from the read path to the incubation path, e.g., for disposal at a central waste container.

The present invention provides an analyzer which permits clinical analysis of samples for multiple analytes with a variety of assay protocols in a multiple chronology sequence while operating on a predetermined fizzed length cycle method of timing control. In this analyzer, assay resources (e.g. an incubator belt, a wash station, and a signal detection apparatus) are assigned fixed operating sequences which begin and end within a time cycle of fixed duration. Samples may be transferred directly from one assay resource to another without unnecessarily occupying any unused resources. The invention also contemplates a method of analyzing samples consistent with use of this analyzer. In this method, different samples having different assay protocols may be entered into the analyzer. The assay resource requirements of the first sample are determined and 'time slots' of the assay resources are allocated to that sample. The second sample, which may have a different assay protocol from the first, is entered and its assay resource requirements are determined, and available time slots of the assay resources are assigned to the second assay. By assigning 'time slots' of the resources to the samples, flexibility and throughput of the system may be maximized without unduly complicating the scheduling logic and control.

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Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Gershon Giter