Methods and Systems of Multi-Assay Processing and Analysis
AssigneeAbbott Molecular Inc.
InventorsFrank Pawlowski, Joseph P. Skinner, Jack Kessler, Sonal Sadaria Nana
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Abstract
The instant disclosure provides methods of multi-assay processing and multi-assay analysis. Such multi-assay processing and analysis pertain to automated detection of target nucleic acids, e.g., as performed in the clinical setting for diagnostic purposes. Also provided are common assay timing protocols derived from a variety of individual nucleic acid amplification and analysis protocols and modified to prevent resource contention. The instant disclosure also provides systems and devices for practicing the methods as described herein.
Claims29
1-68. (canceled)
A method for performing two or more assays on two or more samples, the method comprising:
- a) loading the two or more samples into a multi-assay processing system for parallel processing of the two or more assays on the two or more samples, the system comprising:
- a multi-assay processor module, a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium programmed with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the multi-assay processing system to:
- i) analyze the time schedule for two or more assays that have two or more steps that utilize two or more resources of the multi-assay processing module, wherein the two or more assays have different time durations for one or more of the two or more steps;
- ii) determine, before the initiation of the multi-assay processing, introduction of at least one delay step within or between the two or more steps of the two or more assays such that simultaneous processing of the two or more assays does not require, at a given time, the same limiting resource from the multi-assay processing module;
- and
- iii) introduce the at least one delay step within or between the two or more steps of the two or more assays in a manner that eliminates resource contention between the two or more resources of the multi-assay processing module thereby allowing parallel processing of the two or more assays in the multi-assay processing module;
- and
- b) initiating the multi-assay processing of the two or more samples in the multi-assay processing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.