System and method for dispense characterization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073529-B2
Application number	US-201816112438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2018
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A system and method for dispense characterization is disclosed. According to particular embodiments of the dispense characterization system and method, volumes of dispensed liquids can be determined. In more particular embodiments, additional characteristics and combinations of characteristics of a liquid dispensing event can be determined. Examples of additional characteristics that can be determined include the shape of the dispensing event, the velocity of the dispensing event, and the trajectory of the dispensing event. The dispense characterization system and method can be employed in automated biological sample analysis systems, and are particularly suited for monitoring liquid reagent dispensing events that deliver liquid reagents to a surface of a microscope slide holding a biological sample.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a dispensing event, comprising
a. positioning a dispense detector between a dispenser and a biological sample along a path a liquid reagent is expected to follow between the dispenser and the biological sample, the dispense detector comprising at least one array of emitters and corresponding receivers, the space between the emitters and corresponding receivers of the at least one array forming a first detection region of the at least one dispense detector, wherein the dispense detector further comprises at least a second array of emitters and corresponding receivers, the second array positioned at a different location along a dispense path between the dispenser and the biological sample to form at least a second detection region, wherein the signal generated by the dispense detector signal comprises at least two different signals, one signal from the at least first array and one signal from the at least second array;
b. collecting a signal generated by the dispense detector in response to the dispensing event;
c. integrating, over time, a product of a velocity of the liquid reagent passing through the dispense detector during the dispensing event and the signal generated by the dispense detector in response to the dispensing event, wherein the integrated signal provides a detected dispense volume for the liquid reagent delivered to the biological sample during the dispensing event;
d. identifying separate objects within the dispensing event that pass through the dispense detector and further comprising grouping an object passing through the first detection region with a corresponding object passing through the second detection region; and
e. calculating a velocity profile for each separate object within the dispense event and using the velocity profile for each separate object in the integration step to yield separate detected dispense volumes for each separate object and summing the separate detected dispense volumes to provide the detected dispense volume for the dispense event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the velocity of the liquid reagent used for integrating the signal response over time comprises an average measured velocity for dispensation of the liquid reagent from the dispenser.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the velocity of the liquid reagent used for integrating the signal response over time comprises a velocity measured between the first detection region and the second detection region.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying separate objects within the dispensing event that pass through the dispense detector.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein integrating comprises numerical integration.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the detected dispense volume for the dispense event to an expected volume for the dispense event, and if the detected dispense volume falls outside of a pre-determined range of values around the expected volume, initiating one or more of the following actions:
a. providing an alert to a user;
b. instructing a user to adjust the volume of the liquid reagent in contact with the biological sample;
c. instructing the user perform a remedial procedure on the sample;
d. automatically performing a remedial procedure on the sample; and,
e. automatically ordering a new analysis of a second biological sample.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein automatically performing a remedial procedure on the sample comprises automatically removing the liquid reagent in contact with the biological sample and re-applying the liquid reagent a second time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising smoothing the signal prior to the integrating step to remove any signal artifacts due to the optical properties of the liquid reagent.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emitters and receivers send and receive light of a wavelength that is absorbed by the liquid reagent.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wavelength that is absorbed by the liquid reagent comprise a wavelength that is substantially absorbed by water.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wavelength that is substantially absorbed by water comprises infrared radiation.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the infrared radiation comprises near-infrared radiation.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the liquid reagent comprises an inert molecular entity that substantially absorbs the light emitted by the emitters of the dispense detector.

14. A system for detecting a dispensed liquid reagent along a path from a dispenser to a biological sample, comprising:
a. a dispense detector locatable along the path between the dispenser and the biological sample, the dispense detector comprising at least one array of emitters and corresponding receivers, the space between the emitters and corresponding receivers of the at least one array forming at least a first detection region of the at least one dispense detector;
b. a dispense detection unit configured to receive a signal from the at least one dispense detector during a dispensing event that delivers the liquid reagent to the biological sample, and wherein the dispense detection unit is further configured to output a detected dispense volume according to the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ventana Med Syst Inc

Inventors

• Ewoniuk Aaron
• Miller Dylan
• Talucci Kevin

Classifications

• B01L2200/061

  Counting droplets · CPC title

• G01F15/075

  using electrically-operated integrating means · CPC title

• B01L2200/14

  Process control and prevention of errors · CPC title

• G01N35/1016 Primary

  Control of the volume dispensed or introduced · CPC title

• G01F22/00

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title