Qiagen Gaithersburg Inc.

Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Richard L Mantefuel

Jonathan Matthew Miller

Carl Edens

Jiulin Xia

Nadia P Allen

Carl Theodore Edens

An automated method for assuring sample adequacy. The method includes providing a sample in a testing container, activating an illumination source to pass an illumination beam through the testing container and into the sample, and detecting an intensity of an emitted beam. The emitted beam includes at least a portion of the illumination beam that has been scattered by the sample. The method also includes generating a sample turbidity measurement based on the intensity of the emitted beam, and determining, based on the sample turbidity measurement, an adequacy of the sample to provide accurate results in a primary test.

Ensuring sample adequacy using turbidity light scattering techniques

A sample adequacy measurement system having sample tubes and a housing having a receptacle to receive the sample tubes. The housing has sample adequacy measurement stations that each have a light source and a sample detector. The light source generates an illumination beam directed into one of the sample tubes. The sample detector is positioned along the tube, and receives at least a portion of the illumination beam scattered by turbidity in the sample tube. The detector is positioned at the end of an emitted beam path that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction and is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sample tube unit. This reduce the likelihood that the emitted beam will pass through a damaged portion of the respective one of the sample tubes by passing the light through a protected portion of the tube.

Sample adequacy measurement system having a plurality of sample tubes and using turbidity light scattering techniques

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Laytonsville, MD, United States of America

Richard L Mantefuel