Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.

Roche Diagnostics Gmbh

F. Hoffmann-la Roche Ag

Jean-Pierre Bolliger

Rik Harbers

Andreas Calatzis

Friedrich Karl Ackermann

Roland Hutter

Theresa Kitcoff

Patrick Sascha Labud

Emad Sarofim

Rolf Knobel

Rainer Jaeggi

Michael Glauser

Edwin Oosterbroek

Oliver Gutmann

Michael Andreas Heinrich

A method of determining a level of interference with a photometric in-vitro diagnostic assay and an in-vitro diagnostic analyzer for carrying out the method are described. An aliquot of a sample is treated with at least one reagent to obtain a sample/reagent mixture and subjecting the sample/reagent mixture to a photometric measurement in order to obtain a result of the in-vitro diagnostic assay, and during the same photometric measurement determining a preliminary level of interference by semi-quantitatively determining one or more interfering substances in the same sample/reaction mixture. A separate photometric measurement of another aliquot of the same sample either undiluted or diluted with a liquid other than a reagent is triggered in order to determine an effective level of interference by quantitatively determining the one or more interfering substances, only upon determining a preliminary level of interference above a predetermined threshold.

Photometric interference determination

A reagent management system is disclosed comprising a reagent container section for receiving reagent containers and a reagent reconstitution device for reconstituting dry, or lyophilized, reagents or concentrated reagents in reagent containers in order to carry out in-vitro diagnostic tests with the reconstituted reagents. A controller is programmed to instruct the reagent reconstitution device to automatically reconstitute an initial volume of a selected reagent type in reagent containers. The initial volume is calculated based on an open container stability time (OCS) of the reconstituted reagent type for each reagent container and on a number of tests to be carried out within the OCS of the reconstituted reagent type. A reagent container for use by the reagent management system and methods of automatically reconstituting a dry, or lyophilized reagent, or a concentrated liquid reagent in a reagent container to carry out an in-vitro diagnostic test with the reagent are disclosed.

Reagent management system

A microfluidic processing unit for the automated processing of liquid samples and method thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, the unit comprises first and second main channels connected to a pump for generating a negative or positive pressure therein; a sample channel which supplies a liquid sample is connectable to a sample vessel containing the liquid sample, the sample channel communicates with the first main channel and is equipped with an on/off valve; one or more reagent channels for supplying one or more reagents, the reagent channels being connectable to reagent vessels containing reagents for reacting with the liquid samples, each of the reagent channels communicating with the first or second main channel and being equipped with an on/off valve; and a reaction chamber for reacting a sample and reagent, the reaction chamber being connected to the first and second main channels via at least one on/off valve.

Processing units and methods for the processing of liquid samples

Growing community of inventors

Buchrain, Switzerland

Jean-Pierre Bolliger