# US 2013/0153786 A1 · Optical system calibration verification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153786 A1 - Document ID: US20130153786A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,705 - Filed: 2010-09-01 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-01 - Assignees: Analogic Corporation - Inventors: Gilbert W. McKenna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153786A1 ## CPC - G01N 21/274: {Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction} - G01N 21/276: {with alternation of sample and standard in optical path} - G01N 21/6428: {Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53)} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A sample processing apparatus (102) includes a reference carrier region (106) that supports a reference carrier (108), which includes one or more reference substances that emit radiation with unique and known spectral characteristics in response to being irradiated with radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest. The sample processing apparatus further includes a carrier receiving region (110) configured to alternatively receive a sample carrier (104) or the reference carrier for processing by the apparatus. The sample processing apparatus further includes an optical component (114, 116, 118) that emits radiation, having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest, that irradiates the carrier in the carrier receiving region, and that detects the radiation emitted from the carrier. The apparatus moves the reference carrier from the reference carrier region to the carrier receiving region for processing by the apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sample processing apparatus, comprising: a reference carrier region that supports a reference carrier, which includes one or more reference substances that emit radiation with unique and known spectral characteristics in response to being irradiated with radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest; a carrier receiving region configured to alternatively receive a sample carrier or the reference carrier for processing by the apparatus; and an optical component that emits radiation, having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest, that irradiates the carrier in the carrier receiving region, and that detects the radiation emitted from the carrier, wherein the apparatus moves the reference carrier from the reference carrier region to the carrier receiving region for processing by the apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical component illuminates the reference carrier when the reference carrier is in the carrier receiving region and detects radiation emitted by the references substances thereon in response to the reference substances being illuminated, and further comprising: an analyzer that determines whether the apparatus is calibrated based on the detected radiation and generates a signal indicative thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical component illuminates the reference carrier and detects the radiation and the analyzer determines whether the apparatus is calibrated at least once prior to loading a sample carrier into the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical component illuminates the reference carrier and detects the radiation and the analyzer determines whether the apparatus is calibrated at least once between removal of a processed sample carrier from the carrier receiving region and loading of a subsequent sample carrier into the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical component illuminates the reference carrier and detects the radiation and the analyzer determines whether the apparatus is calibrated during a warm up phase of the apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus re-calibrates the optical component when the signal indicates that the apparatus is not calibrated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a controller that presents a notification that indicates whether the apparatus is calibrated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein loading a sample carrier into the carrier receiving region moves the reference carrier from the carrier receiving region to the reference carrier region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sample carrier physically contacts and urges the reference carrier out of the carrier receiving region and into the reference carrier region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus automatically moves the reference carrier into the carrier receiving region when a sample carrier is not loaded in the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: an elastic component affixed to the reference carrier and the apparatus, wherein the elastic component is in one of a compressed or tension state when the reference carrier is in the reference carrier region and transitions to a non-compressed or non-tension as the sample carrier is unloaded from the carrier receiving region, which positions the reference carrier in the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference carrier region supports the reference carrier while the apparatus processes a sample carrier loaded in the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is field deployable, and the apparatus carries the reference carrier during transportation of the apparatus to a site of deployment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a DNA sequencer. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: moving a reference carrier supported by a sample processing apparatus into a carrier receiving region of the apparatus for processing of one or more reference substances of the reference carrier by the apparatus when a sample carrier is not in the carrier receiving region, wherein the apparatus automatically moves the reference carrier into the carrier receiving region; processing, via a processing station of the apparatus, the one or more substances carried by the reference carrier in the carrier receiving region; and generating a signal indicating whether the apparatus is calibrated based on a result of the processing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more reference substances emit radiation with unique and known spectral characteristics in response to be irradiated with radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest, and further comprising: illuminating the one or more reference with radiation having the wavelength in the predetermined range of interest; detecting the radiation emitted by the one or more reference substances in response to being irradiated with the radiation having the wavelength in the predetermined range of interest; and determining whether the apparatus is calibrated based on the detected radiation, wherein the generated signal is indicative of the detected radiation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: comparing a spectral characteristic of the detected radiation with a predetermined spectral characteristic range for a calibrated apparatus, wherein the generated signal indicates the apparatus is calibrated in response to the spectral characteristic of the detected radiation being within the predetermined spectral characteristic range. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the generated signal indicates the apparatus is out of calibration in response to the spectral characteristic of the detected radiation being outside of the predetermined spectral characteristic range. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: automatically, via the apparatus, re-calibrating the apparatus when the signal indicates that the apparatus is out of calibration. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: processing the one or more substances and generating the signal one or more times prior to processing a sample carrier loaded in the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more substances are processed during an initial phase of an executing sample carrier processing procedure. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein loading the sample carrier in the carrier receiving region automatically moves the reference carrier from the carrier receiving region to a reference carrier region of the apparatus. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein unloading the sample carrier from the carrier receiving region automatically moves the reference carrier from the reference carrier region into the carrier receiving region. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: electronically moving the reference carrier between the carrier receiving region and the reference carrier region. ### Claim 25 A sample processing apparatus, comprising: a component that automatically moves a reference carrier of the sample processing apparatus into a carrier receiving region of the sample processing apparatus for processing by the sample processing apparatus, wherein processing the reference carrier includes generating a signal indicative of whether the sample processing apparatus is calibrated based on optical characteristics of one or more reference substances carried by the reference carrier.