US 2017/0254827 A1Published application

Laboratory automated instruments, systems, and methods

AssigneeGen-Probe Incorporated

InventorsGeorge T. WALKER, Matthias MERTEN, Gary D. LAIR

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Abstract

A laboratory automated system can include a host conveyor assembly configured to transport a plurality of carriers and receptacles coupled thereto between at least a sample processing instrument and at least one assay instrument. The system includes an intermediate conveyor assembly configured to transport a plurality of carriers and receptacles coupled thereto from within sample processing instrument to the host conveyor assembly. The system also includes an intermediate conveyor assembly for each assay instrument configured to transport a plurality of carriers from host conveyor assembly to a respective processing position within the assay instrument. The intermediate conveyor assembly coupled to the assay instrument can include a buffer conveyor subassembly configured to receive carriers from the host conveyor assembly, and a spur conveyor assembly configured to transport a carrier to the processing position of the assay instrument.

Claims50

Dependent claims

An automated sample processing system comprising:

a first instrument comprising a first automated pipettor configured to aspirate at least a portion of a sample from a first sample containing receptacle and dispense the portion of the first sample into a first processing receptacle;
a second instrument comprising a second automated pipettor configured to aspirate at least portions of samples from processing receptacles containing samples at a first processing position within the second instrument and dispense at least portions of samples into assay receptacles, the second instrument being further configured to perform first assays on the portions of the samples contained within assay receptacles;
a first conveyor assembly configured to transport a first carrier coupled to the first processing receptacle containing the portion of the first sample dispensed by the first automated pipettor from the first instrument to a position outside the first instrument;
a second conveyor assembly configured to receive the first carrier coupled to the first processing receptacle from the first conveyor assembly at the position outside the first instrument, and to transport the first carrier to a first position outside the second instrument;
a third conveyor assembly configured to
(i) receive the first carrier from the second conveyor assembly at the first position outside the second instrument,
(ii) transport the first carrier to the first processing position within the second instrument at which the second automated pipettor of the second instrument aspirates at least a portion of the first sample from the first processing receptacle for subsequently dispensing the portion of the first sample into an assay receptacle,
(iii) after the second automated pipettor of the second instrument aspirates at least a portion of the first sample from the first processing receptacle, transport the first carrier coupled to the first processing receptacle from the first processing position to a second position outside the second instrument, and
(iv) transfer the first carrier at the second position outside the second instrument to the second conveyor assembly.

6 more elements

An automated sample processing system comprising:

a first conveyor assembly configured to transport a first carrier coupled to a first processing receptacle containing a first sample, and a second carrier coupled to a second processing receptacle containing a second sample;
a second conveyor assembly configured to
(i) receive the first carrier from the first conveyor assembly;
(ii) transport the first carrier to a first processing position;
and
(iii) return the first carrier to the first conveyor assembly;
a first instrument comprising a first automated pipettor configured to aspirate at least a portion of the first sample from the first processing receptacle at the first processing position and dispense the portion of the first sample into a first assay receptacle, wherein the first processing position is within the first instrument, and wherein the first instrument is further configured to perform a first assay on the first sample contained within the first assay receptacle to determine the presence of a first analyte in the first sample;
a third conveyor assembly configured to
(i) receive the second carrier from the first conveyor assembly;
(ii) transport the second carrier to a second processing position;
and
(iii) return the second carrier to the first conveyor assembly;
and
a second instrument comprising a second automated pipettor configured to aspirate at least a portion of the second sample from the second processing receptacle at the second processing position and dispense the portion of the second sample into a second assay receptacle, wherein the second processing position is within the second instrument, and wherein the second instrument is further configured to perform a second assay on the second sample contained within the second assay receptacle to determine the presence of a second analyte in the second sample.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/434,968Filed 16 Feb 2017
Priority: 19 Feb 2016
Published: 7 Sep 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

G01N 35/1011
Characterised by arrangements for controlling the aspiration or dispense of liquids: control of the position or alignment of the transfer device
B65G 47/46
Devices for discharging articles or materials from conveyor: and distributing, e.g. automatically, to desired points
C12Q 1/6806
Involving nucleic acids: preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay
G01N 35/00732
Communications; Identification: identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers

Family

Application62/297,348Us provisional application · filed 19 Feb 2016
Application62/332,831Us provisional application · filed 6 May 2016
US 2017/0254827 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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