# US 2024/0201217 A1 · Method of washing a fluidic system of an in-vitro diagnostic analyzer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0201217 A1 - Document ID: US20240201217A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/544,389 - Filed: 2023-12-18 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-19 - Assignees: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc. - Applicants: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc. - Inventors: Martin Thomas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201217A1 ## CPC - G01N 35/1004: {Cleaning sample transfer devices} - B08B 9/0325: {Control mechanisms therefor} - B08B 9/0328: {by purging the pipe with a gas or a mixture of gas and liquid} - G01N 35/00584: {Control arrangements for automatic analysers} - B08B 2209/032: by the mechanical action of a moving fluid - 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) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL ## Abstract An automated method of washing a fluidic system 210 of an IVD analyzer 200 from a previous fluid is disclosed, the fluidic system 210 comprising at least one fluidic path 211, 213, 215. The method comprises controlling by a controller 250 a pump 240 and at least one fluid-selection valve 230 for pumping a wash fluid 221 and/or air 232 through the at least one fluidic path, wherein in a time-priority mode 10 the method comprises pumping at higher speed air, in a first step 11, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path, and wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs, in a second step 12, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in a wash-fluid-priority mode 20 the controller 250 is configured to operate according to either a sample-wash mode 30 if the previous fluid is a sample 2 or according to an other-fluid-wash mode 40 if the previous fluid is any fluid other than a sample 2, wherein in the sample-wash mode 30 the method comprises pumping air at lower speed, in a first step 31, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path, pumping at least one wash-fluid plug at higher speed, in a second step 32, and pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a third step 33, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in the other-fluid-wash mode 40 the method comprises pumping air at lower speed, in a first step 41, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path and pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a second step 42, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An automated method of washing a fluidic system of an in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) analyzer from a previous fluid, the fluidic system comprising at least one fluidic path, the IVD analyzer further comprising at least one fluid-selection valve for selecting between fluids including a wash fluid and air, a pump and a controller configured to operate according to either a time-priority mode or a wash-fluid-priority mode, the method comprising controlling by the controller the pump and the at least one fluid-selection valve for pumping the wash fluid and/or air through the at least one fluidic path, wherein in the time-priority mode the method comprises pumping at higher speed air, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path, and wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs, in a second step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in the wash-fluid-priority mode the controller is configured to operate according to either a sample-wash mode if the previous fluid is a sample or according to an other-fluid-wash mode if the previous fluid is any fluid other than a sample, wherein in the sample-wash mode the method comprises pumping air at lower speed, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path, pumping at least one wash-fluid plug at higher speed, in a second step, and pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a third step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in the other-fluid-wash mode the method comprises pumping air at lower speed, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path and pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a second step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the sample-wash mode the step of pumping the at least one wash-fluid plug at higher speed comprises switching the at least one fluid-selection valve in order to select the wash fluid, operating the pump to draw a volume of wash fluid corresponding to a wash-fluid plug into the fluidic system, closing the fluid-selection valve and operating the pump in order to generate an underpressure in the fluidic system before moving the wash-fluid-plug, and switching the fluid-selection valve to air in order to move the wash-fluid plug at higher speed facilitated by the underpressure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, comprising executing the same method step for each fluidic path to be washed one fluidic path at a time in alternate manner before initiating a different method step in the same fluidic path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the sample-wash mode the method comprises repeating the step of pumping a single wash-fluid plug at higher speed a variable number x of times, wherein x is larger for samples with higher particle content. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the wash-fluid-priority mode the method comprises repeating the step of pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed for each fluidic path to be washed one fluidic path at a time in alternate manner a variable number y of times for different fluidic paths wherein y is larger for fluidic paths with higher wash requirement. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the time-priority mode the method comprises pumping a larger number z of wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs than in the wash-fluid-priority mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, comprising measuring and/or monitoring a wash result and adapting any one or more of the number x, y, z and/or the pump speed accordingly. ### Claim 8 An in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) analyzer comprising a fluidic system comprising at least one fluidic path, the IVD analyzer further comprising at least one fluid-selection valve for selecting between fluids including a wash fluid and air, a pump and a controller configured to wash the at least one fluidic path from a previous fluid by controlling the pump and the at least one fluid-selection valve for pumping the wash fluid and/or air through the at least one fluidic path, wherein the controller is configured to operate according to either a time-priority mode or a wash-fluid-priority mode, wherein in the time-priority mode the controller is configured to pump at higher speed air, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path and wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs, in a second step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in the wash-fluid-priority mode the controller is configured to operate according to a sample-wash mode if the previous fluid is a sample or according to an other-fluid-wash mode if the previous fluid is any fluid other than a sample, wherein in the sample-wash mode the controller is configured to pump air at lower speed, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path, to pump at least one wash-fluid plug at higher speed, in a second step, and to pump wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a third step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid, and wherein in the other-fluid-wash mode the controller is configured to pump air at lower speed, in a first step, in order to remove the previous fluid from the at least one fluidic path and to pump wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed, in a second step, in order to wash out residuals of the previous fluid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The IVD analyzer according to claim 8, wherein in the sample-wash mode the controller in order to pump the at least one wash-fluid plug at higher speed is configured to switch the at least one fluid-selection valve in order to select the wash fluid, to operate the pump to draw a volume of wash fluid corresponding to a wash-fluid plug into the fluidic system, to close the fluid-selection valve and to operate the pump in order to generate an underpressure in the fluidic system before moving the wash-fluid-plug, and to switch the fluid-selection valve to air in order to move the wash-fluid plug at higher speed facilitated by the underpressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The IVD analyzer according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to execute the same method step for each fluidic path to be washed one fluidic path at a time in alternate manner before initiating a different method step in the same fluidic path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The IVD analyzer according to claim 8, wherein in the sample-wash mode the controller is configured to repeat the step of pumping of single wash-fluid plugs at higher speed a variable number x of times, wherein x is larger for samples with higher particle content. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The IVD analyzer according to claim 8, wherein in the wash-fluid-priority mode the controller is configured to repeat the step of pumping wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs at lower speed for each fluidic path to be washed one fluidic path at a time in alternate manner a variable number y of times for different fluidic paths wherein y is larger for fluidic paths with higher wash requirement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The IVD analyzer according to claim 8, wherein in the time-priority mode the controller is configured to pump a larger number z of wash-fluid plugs alternated to air plugs than in the wash-fluid-priority mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The IVD analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the controller based on a measured and/or monitored wash result is configured to adapt any one or more of the number x, y, z and/or the pump speed accordingly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The IVD analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the time-priority mode and the wash-fluid-priority mode are user-selectable or automatically selectable by the controller, based on any of a set of rules or criteria.