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AssigneeRoche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
InventorsJuergen Hildenbrand, Alexander Kramlich, Michael Lambertson
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An in-vitro diagnostic analyzer includes an optical detection unit comprising a cuvette for optical measurement of a biological sample, a piezo actuator arranged on one side of the cuvette configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cuvette, a piezo receiver arranged on the opposite side of the cuvette configured to receive ultrasonic waves transmitted through the cuvette, and a controller that operates according to a lysis operating mode and/or an air-detection operating mode. In the lysis operating mode, the piezo actuator transmits ultrasonic waves through the cuvette for disrupting cellular particles contained in the biological sample. In the air-detection operating mode, the piezo actuator transmits ultrasonic waves through the cuvette and the controller correlates changes in amplitude and/or shifts of phase of the ultrasonic waves received by the piezo receiver relative to reference values with an eventual presence and quantity of air in the cuvette.
An in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) analyzer comprising an optical detection unit comprising a cuvette for an optical measurement of a biological sample contained therein, the IVD analyzer further comprising a piezo actuator arranged on one side of the cuvette configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cuvette, a piezo receiver arranged on the opposite side of the cuvette configured to receive ultrasonic waves transmitted through the cuvette and a controller configured to operate according to either a lysis operating mode or an air-detection operating mode, wherein according to the lysis operating mode the piezo actuator is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cuvette for disrupting cellular particles contained in the biological sample, and wherein according to the air-detection operating mode the piezo actuator is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cuvette and the controller is configured to correlate changes in amplitude and/or shifts of phase of the ultrasonic waves received by the piezo receiver relative to reference values with an eventual presence and quantity of air in the cuvette, in order to determine if the optical measurement of the biological sample is affected by the presence of air, wherein the ultrasonic waves transmitted by the piezo actuator according to the air-detection operating mode have different amplitude and/or frequency with respect to the ultrasonic waves transmitted according to the lysis operating mode, and wherein the amplitude is greater than about 200 V according to the lysis operating mode and smaller than about 50 V according to the air-detection operating mode.
An automated method of operating an in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) analyzer comprising an optical detection unit comprising a cuvette for an optical measurement of a biological sample contained therein, a piezo actuator arranged on one side of the cuvette configured to transmit ultrasonic waves through the cuvette, a piezo receiver arranged on the opposite side of the cuvette configured to receive ultrasonic waves transmitted through the cuvette and a controller configured to operate according to either a lysis operating mode or an air-detection operating mode, wherein according to the lysis operating mode the method comprises transmitting ultrasonic waves through the cuvette by the piezo actuator for disrupting cellular particles contained in the biological sample, and wherein according to the air-detection operating mode the method comprises transmitting ultrasonic waves through the cuvette by the piezo actuator and correlating changes in amplitude and/or shifts of phase of the ultrasonic waves received by the piezo receiver relative to reference values with an eventual presence and quantity of air in the cuvette, in order to determine if the optical measurement of the biological sample is affected by the presence of air, the method further comprising transmitting the ultrasonic waves according to the air-detection operating mode with different amplitude and/or frequency with respect to the ultrasonic waves transmitted according to the lysis operating mode, wherein the amplitude is greater than about 200 V according to the lysis operating mode and smaller than about 50 V according to the air-detection operating mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.