Method for avoiding the contamination of negative sampling material by samples containing analytes during the use of automatic pipette machines
AssigneeDade Behring Marburg GmbH
InventorsUdo Krupka, Wolfgang Schmandt
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for reducing the contamination of reaction containers which are empty or already fitted with analyte-free sampling material or sampling material having a low analyte concentration, inside a configuration of reaction containers which are spatially close to each other, when pipetting samples or reagents using an automatic sample distributor. The invention also relates to hardware-related measures for reducing or avoiding possible contamination.
Claims10
A method for reducing the contamination of empty reaction vessels, or of reaction vessels which are already charged with analyte-free sample material or sample material which contains a low concentration of analytic, within an arrangement of reaction vessels which are located in spatial proximity to each other while samples or reagents are pipetted using an automated sample dispenser, which comprises using an enzyme/substrate dye test to initially establish the extent of the contamination by means of model A:
- a) adding an enzyme solution to reaction vessels in a constituent region of said spatial arrangement while the remaining reaction vessels are covered with an absorbent stratiform material which contains a suitable chromogen/substrate reagent, with a color reaction being induced by its contact with the enzyme,
- determining the number, intensity and/or distribution of the covered reaction vessels which are marked by a color development
- and subsequently modifying the liquid uptake (aspirate profile) and liquid release (dispense profile) such that the number or intensity of the reaction vessels marked by the color development is reduced.
The method for reducing the contamination of empty reaction vessels, or of reaction vessels which are already charged with analyte-free sample material or sample material which contains a low concentration of analytic, within an arrangement of reaction vessels which are located in spatial proximity to each other while samples or reagents are pipetted using an automated sample dispenser, which comprises using an enzyme/dye test to initially establish the extent of the contamination by means of model B:
- a) adding an enzyme solution to reaction vessels in a constituent region of said spatial arrangement,
- b) adding a suitable chromogen/substrate reagent, which, on contact with the enzyme, induces a color reaction, to the reaction vessels of the remaining constituent region of said spatial arrangement,
- c) ascertaining possible contaminations by determining the color development in the reaction vessels;
- and subsequently modifying the liquid uptake (aspirate profile) and liquid release (dispense profile) such that the number or intensity of the reaction vessels marked by the color development is reduced.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.