System, device and method for reducing luminescence output shifts
AssigneeSiemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
InventorsWilliam Carpenter, Martin Fletcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods for conducting chemiluminescent immunoassay testing and, more particularly, to initiating and monitoring a chemiluminescent reaction in a plurality of such assays, of different types, on a single immunoassay instrument, in a single procedure, using a plurality of labels and a triggering reagent combination are disclosed. Moreover, by including a base reagent injector assembly having an “e-channel” to provide a swirling turbulence to the base reagent immediately before it is introduced into the well of a cuvette containing a sample and an acid reagent. The added turbulence addresses the phenomenon referred to as “RLU shift,” in which the luminescence output can increase or decrease between assays.
Claims20
A base reagent injector assembly for reducing Relative Light Unit (RLU) shift in chemiluminescent reactions, the injector assembly for dispensing a base reagent into a reaction receptacle for a chemiluminescent immunoassay test, the injector assembly comprising:
- a lower injector portion having a proximal end, the proximal end configured to mechanically- and fluidly-couple to a RLU measurement unit, the lower injector portion further comprising a distal end, an injection channel, and a nozzle, the distal end having a chamber cavity;
- and
- an upper injector portion having a cylindrical proximal end configured to releasably- and mechanically-couple to the lower injector portion when inserted into the chamber cavity, and the upper injector portion comprising a feed channel, the feed channel having an inlet and an outlet, therethrough,
- wherein the outlet of the feed channel is configured to be in registration with the injection channel of the lower injector portion when the upper injector portion is releasably- and mechanically-coupled to the lower injector portion,
- the feed channel is configured to create swirling turbulent flow in the base reagent before said base reagent is introduced into the injection channel, and
- the creation of the swirling turbulent flow is insensitive to pump speed variations within a range of pump dispense speeds.
A chemiluminescent immunoassay testing system comprising:
- a measurement unit configured to measure chemiluminescence of a sample after introduction of an acid reagent and a base reagent into a cuvette containing the sample;
- and
- an injector assembly, adapted to reduce chemiluminescent Relative Light Unit (RLU) shift, comprising:
- a lower injector portion having a proximal end, the proximal end configured to mechanically- and fluidly-couple to the measurement unit, the lower injector portion further comprising a distal end, an injection channel, and a nozzle, the distal end having a chamber cavity;
- and
- an upper injector portion having a cylindrical proximal end configured to releasably- and mechanically-couple to the lower injector portion when inserted into the chamber cavity, and the upper injector portion comprising a feed channel, the feed channel having an inlet and an outlet, therethrough,
- wherein the outlet of the feed channel is configured to be in registration with the injection channel of the lower injector portion when the upper injector portion is releasably- and mechanically-coupled to the lower injector portion,
- the feed channel is configured to create swirling turbulent flow in the base reagent before said base reagent is introduced into the injection channel, and
- the creation of the swirling turbulent flow is insensitive to pump speed variations within a range of pump dispense speeds.
An upper injector portion of a injector assembly, the upper injector portion comprising:
- a cylindrical proximal end configured to couple to a lower injector portion;
- a spiral-shaped feed channel comprising an inlet and an outlet, the feed channel configured to create a swirling turbulent flow in a fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the swirling turbulent flow is created when the fluid is passing from the inlet to the outlet within a range of pump dispense speeds and is insensitive to pump speed variations;
- and
- a distal tubing interface configured to attach to an injector tubing,
- wherein the outlet of the feed channel is configured to be in registration with an injection channel of the lower injector portion when the upper injector portion is coupled to the lower injector portion.
An injector assembly for dispensing a fluid into a reaction receptacle for a chemiluminescent immunoassay test, the injector assembly comprising:
- a lower injector portion having a proximal end, the proximal end configured to couple to a measurement unit, the lower injector portion further comprising a chamber cavity;
- and
- an upper injector portion having a cylindrical proximal end inserted into the chamber cavity and coupled to the lower injector portion, and the upper injector portion comprising a spiral-shaped feed channel, the feed channel having an inlet and an outlet,
- wherein the outlet of the feed channel is in registration with the injection channel of the lower injector portion, and
- the injector assembly is configured to change a structure of a micellar surfactant in the fluid before the fluid is introduced into the injection channel such that the change is insensitive to pump speed variations within a range of pump dispense speeds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.