Centrifugal processing unit including a blocking element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11660611-B2
Application number	US-201816620822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A centrifugal processing unit for directing the movement of substances within a sample processing cartridge, the centrifugal processing unit having a rotor at least one accommodation for receiving the sample processing cartridge, and a rotor drive for rotating the at least one rotor about a respective rotor axis to create the centrifugal force. The centrifugal processing unit has a blocking element allowing the free pivoting motion of the at least one accommodation in a release position when the rotor is rotated in a first direction and preventing the free pivoting motion in a blocking position, when the rotor is rotated in the opposite direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) for directing the movement of substances within a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ), the centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) comprising:
at least one rotor ( 3 ) with at least one accommodation ( 33 ) for receiving the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ), the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) only allowing a free pivoting motion of the cartridge ( 2 ) about a respective pivot axis ( 330 ), wherein each pivot axis ( 330 ) is orthogonal to a rotor axis ( 300 ) of the at least one rotor ( 3 ) and to a respective force vector (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 ) of a centrifugal force (F),
at least one rotor drive for rotating the at least one rotor ( 3 ) about the respective rotor axis ( 300 ) to create the centrifugal force (F),
a control for accelerating and decelerating the at least one rotor ( 3 ),
at least one blocking element ( 34 ), allowing the free pivoting motion of the cartridge ( 2 ) in a release position and preventing the free pivoting motion in a blocking position, wherein
the at least one blocking element ( 34 ) can be moved into the release position when the rotor ( 3 ) is rotated in a first direction of rotation and wherein the at least one blocking element ( 34 ) can be moved into the blocking position when the rotor ( 3 ) is rotated in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation, characterized in that
each accommodation ( 33 ) is allocated on a free end of a rotor arm, wherein the blocking element ( 34 ) comprises a disk ( 340 ) with arms ( 341 ) with blockers ( 342 ) and with stoppers ( 343 , 344 ), wherein the disk ( 340 ) is fixed to the rotor shaft, wherein the arms ( 341 ) extend laterally outward from the disk in a substantially radial direction, on opposite sides of the disk ( 340 ), wherein at the free end of each arm ( 341 ), one blocker ( 342 ) is arranged and designed to engage with a respective protrusion ( 332 ) of the at least one accommodation ( 33 ), wherein the stoppers ( 343 , 344 ) extend from the disk ( 340 ) in the direction of the rotor axis ( 300 ) and are designed to abut the respective rotor arm sideways.

2. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking element ( 34 ) is arranged on the rotor ( 3 ).

3. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) being adapted for receiving the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in a first orientation and for receiving the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in a second orientation, wherein the second orientation corresponds to an angular rotation of the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) about a central axis ( 200 ) parallel to the rotor axis ( 300 ).

4. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the angular rotation is greater 0 degrees and wherein the angular rotation is up to 180 degrees.

5. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) comprises a frame ( 331 ) for receiving the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ).

6. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) comprises an abutment ( 333 ), which prevents the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) from pivoting over a predefined angle (A).

7. A centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) for directing the movement of substances within a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ), the centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) comprising:
a centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , and
at least one manipulator ( 4 ) adapted to be able to arrange the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) or to remove it therefrom.

8. The centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the manipulator ( 4 ) is adapted to be able to move the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in any horizontal or vertical direction (X, Y, Z).

9. The centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the manipulator ( 4 ) is adapted to be able to perform an angular rotation of the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) about an axis (Z) parallel to the rotor axis ( 300 ).

10. The centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the angular rotation is a rotation about an angle greater than 0 degrees.

11. The centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the centrifugal processing system ( 10 ) further comprises at least one additional station, wherein the at least one additional station can be selected from the group of loading/unloading station ( 5 ), sealing station ( 6 ), irradiation station ( 7 ), heating station ( 8 ), detection/quantification station ( 9 ) and identification station ( 90 ) or any other commonly known station for the treatment of the content of a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) or the handling of a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ).

12. A process for directing the movement of substances within a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ), the process comprising the steps of:
Providing a centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 1 ;
Inserting a sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in the at least one accommodation ( 33 );
Rotating the at least one rotor ( 3 ) about a respective rotor axis ( 300 ) in the first direction of rotation, thereby moving the blocking element ( 34 ) in the release position, thereby allowing a free pivoting motion of the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) and thereby creating a first force vector (F 1 ) in a first direction with respect to the inserted sample processing cartridge ( 2 );
Stopping the rotation and thereby allowing the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) to return to its initial position;
Rotating the at least one rotor ( 3 ) in the second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation, thereby moving the blocking element ( 34 ) in the blocking position, thereby preventing a free pivoting motion of the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) and thereby creating a second force vector (F 2 ) in a second direction with respect to the inserted sample processing cartridge ( 2 ),
Removing the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) from the at least one accommodation ( 33 );
Rotating the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) about an axis (Z) parallel to the rotor axis ( 300 );
Inserting the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in the at least one accommodation ( 33 );
thereby enabling the creation of a third force vector (F 3 ) in a third direction with respect to the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) when the at least one rotor ( 3 ) is rotated in the second direction of rotation.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the process further comprising the steps of:
Positioning of the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in an at least one additional station before or after inserting the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) in the at least one accommodation ( 33 ), wherein the at least one additional station can be selected from the group of loading/unloading station ( 5 ), sealing station ( 6 ), irradiation station, heating station, detection/quantification station, unloading station, identification station.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the free pivoting motion of the sample processing cartridge ( 2 ) is partially restricted by providing the at least one accommodation ( 33 ) with an abutment ( 333 ) before the at least one rotor ( 3 ) is rotated.

15. The centrifugal processing unit ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the angular rotation is 90 degrees or wherein the angular rotation is 180 degrees.

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Spiss Markus
• Sager Adrian
• Schinzel Fred
• Wolf Markus

Classifications

• B04B5/0421 Primary

  pivotably mounted · CPC title

• B01L3/5021

  Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes · CPC title

• G01N2035/00495

  Centrifuges · CPC title