Apparatus and methods for carrying out electrochemiluminescence test measurements
AssigneeIGEN International, Inc.
InventorsJohn Liljestrand, Jue Zhang, David R. Gambrel, Sergey Ivanov, Jacob N. Wohlstadter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements includes an ECL chamber having a transparent window defining one wall of the chamber and a photodetector mounted closely adjacent thereto. An assay fluid is subject to a magnetic field and is electrically energized. Electrochemiluminescence induced in the fluid is measured by the photodetector.
Claims72
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- and
- an electrically-shielded window adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a photodiode in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- and
- an optical filter adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- and
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber and having an aperture in optical registration with said transparent portion.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- and
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- wherein said working electrode is removably fitted within said cell and has a planar electrode surface abutting said ECL chamber.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode having a planar electrode surface abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion of said cell wall, said working electrode being positioned within the cell such that no seam between said working electrode and said cell abuts said ECL chamber;
- and
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a photodiode adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- and
- a magnetic field generating device operable to apply a magnetic field at said working electrode.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- and
- a photodiode adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion, said photodiode having a detection sensitivity substantially limited to light having a wavelength in a range of 400 nm to 900 nm.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber and having an aperture in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a photodetector adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- and,
- a magnetic field generating device in registration with said aperture, operable to apply a magnetic field to said working electrode.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a photodiode adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a magnetic field generating device operable to apply a magnetic field to said working electrode;
- and
- a magnetic field detector in registration with said magnetic field generating device.
An apparatus for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a photodiode, adjacent to and in optical registration with said transparent portion, for detecting electrochemiluminescence induced in an assay fluid in said ECL chamber and for producing an ECL signal representative of an intensity of said electrochemiluminescence;
- a storage device, coupled to said photodiode, in which a calibration signal representative of a calibration electrochemiluminescence may be stored;
- and
- a processor coupled to said photodiode and to said storage device operable to calculate a corrected signal as a function of said ECL signal and said calibration signal.
A cell for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence measurements comprising:
- a first base having a first interior surface;
- a planar working electrode positioned on said first interior surface;
- a second base having a second interior surface and having a transparent portion therein to allow light to pass therethrough;
- a planar counter electrode positioned on said second interior surface, said counter electrode having at least one opening therein to allow said light to pass therethrough in registration with said working electrode and said transparent portion of said second base;
- a gasket positioned between said working electrode and said counter electrode to define therebetween a cell volume, said volume communicating with the opening in said counter electrode;
- and
- a retaining device, coupled to the bases;
- wherein the interior surfaces of the bases are in opposing relationship to form said cell;
- and
- wherein said second base includes a conduit through which fluid may be introduced into and removed from said cell volume.
A cell for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence including cell structural elements, a working electrode and a counter electrode, at least one of said structural elements having a transparent portion therein, wherein said working electrode is mounted on an interior surface of a said structural element, a portion of said working electrode and the transparent portion of said at least one structural element defining, at least in part, a chamber for the conduct of electrochemiluminescence, the working electrode comprising the entirety of a continuous planar surface of said chamber and said portion of said working electrode and the transparent portion of said structural element being optically in registration with one another.
A method for conducting an ECL measurement comprising the steps of:
- introducing an assay sample into an ECL chamber within a flow cell;
- simultaneously applying an electric field and a magnetic field to said assay sample in said ECL chamber;
- and
- measuring, through an electrically-shielded window defining a wall of said ECL chamber, electrochemiluminescence induced in said assay fluid in said ECL chamber while said electric field and said magnetic field are applied.
A method for conducting an ECL measurement comprising the steps of:
- introducing an assay sample into an ECL chamber within a flow cell;
- simultaneously applying an electric field and a magnetic field to said assay sample in said ECL chamber;
- and
- measuring with a semiconductor photodetector electrochemiluminescence induced in said assay fluid in said ECL chamber while said electric field and said magnetic field are applied.
A method for normalizing a plurality of ECL modules comprising the steps of:
- conducting an ECL measurement with a reference ECL module upon a reference sample to produce a reference ECL signal;
- conducting an ECL measurement with a test, ECL module upon said reference sample to produce a test ECL signal;
- and
- calculating a correction transform function as a function of said reference ECL signal and said test ECL signal.
An apparatus for the conduct of assay measurements comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a first light detector, optically coupled to said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion, for detecting electrochemiluminescence induced within said ECL chamber;
- and
- a light source, optically coupled to said ECL chamber, for providing light to said ECL chamber.
An assay system comprising:
- a plurality of ECL modules;
- and
- a controller coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules and operable to control an operation of each of said plurality of ECL modules.
An assay system comprising:
- a plurality of ECL modules;
- and
- a power supply coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules and operable to supply electrical power to each of said plurality of ECL modules.
An assay system comprising:
- a plurality of ECL modules;
- and
- a sample introduction device coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules and operable to supply a sample to each of said plurality of ECL modules.
An assay system comprising:
- a plurality of ECL modules;
- and
- a waste handling device coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules and operable to receive waste from each of said plurality of ECL modules.
An assay system comprising:
- a temperature-controlled enclosure;
- and
- a plurality of ECL modules positioned within said temperature-controlled enclosure.
An assay system comprising:
- an ECL module having an assay fluid outlet;
- and
- an assay module having an assay fluid inlet coupled to said assay fluid outlet.
An assay system comprising:
- an assay module having an assay fluid outlet;
- and
- an ECL module having an assay fluid inlet coupled to said assay fluid outlet.
An assay system comprising:
- an ECL module having a first assay fluid inlet and a first waste fluid outlet;
- and
- an assay module having a second assay fluid inlet coupled to said first assay fluid inlet and having a second waste fluid outlet coupled to said first waste fluid outlet.
A modular ECL assay subsystem adapted for connection to and use with a power supply, a controller, and a fluid exchange system common to a plurality of said modular ECL subsystems comprising:
- a cell having at least one cell wall which includes a transparent portion adjacent to an ECL chamber defined within said cell;
- a working electrode abutting said ECL chamber and in optical registration with said transparent portion;
- a counter electrode abutting said ECL chamber;
- a light detector, optically coupled to said ECL chamber, for detecting electrochemiluminescence induced within said ECL chamber;
- a waveform generator coupled to at least one of said working electrode and said counter electrode and operable to generate an electric signal;
- a subsystem controller coupled to said waveform generator and operable to for control an operation of said waveform generator;
- and
- an interface to said cell, coupled to each of the subsystem controller said power supply, said controller, and said fluid exchange system, said controller being operable to control said subsystem controller said power supply being operable to supply electrical power to said subsystem controller and said fluid exchange system being operable to provide an assay fluid to said cell and to receive a waste fluid from said cell.
An integrated ECL assay system comprising:
- a plurality of ECL modules wherein each of the modules comprises a flow cell, a magnet controller, a main controller, and a main interface;
- a system controller, coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules via a respective main interface;
- and
- a chassis, removably coupled to each of said plurality of ECL modules and to said system controller.
An assay system comprising:
- an ECL module;
- an assay module;
- and
- a sample introduction device coupled to each of said ECL and assay modules and operable to supply a sample to each of said ECL and assay modules.
The assay system of claim 72 wherein said assay module is selected from the group consisting of a blood gasses module, a blood electrolytes module, a binding assay module, enzymatic assay module, fluorescence assay module, colorometric assay module, chemiluminescence assay module, biosensor module, hematocrit module;
- hematology module, coagulation module and electrochemical assay module.
The apparatus according to claim 73 wherein each of said ECL and assay modules receives a different sample from said sample introduction device.
The apparatus according to claim 73 wherein said sample introduction device comprises at least one valve.
The apparatus according to claim 73 wherein said sample introduction device comprises at least one reagent container.
The apparatus according to claim 73 wherein said sample introduction device comprises a cartridge port coupled to each of said ECL and assay modules.
The apparatus according to claim 77 wherein said sample introduction device further comprises an assay sample cartridge adapted for removable coupling with said cartridge port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.