Method for removing interfering components of a liquid sample prior to dispensing same on a chemical reagent test slide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12366506-B2
Application number	US-202117194713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2021
Priority date	Mar 9, 2020
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A method using a chemical analyzer for removing a component of a liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay includes the steps of adding the liquid sample to a sample cup, transferring a volume of the liquid sample to a mixing cup containing an IMAC (Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography) resin containing porous beads to form a sample/resin solution in the mixing cup, using a pipette of the chemical analyzer to repeatedly aspirate the sample/resin solution into a disposable pipette tip of the pipette and expelling the sample/resin solution from the pipette tip into the mixing cup to achieve a mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup, and allowing the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup to rest undisturbed so that the interfering component of the liquid sample adheres to the porous beads and the beads settle to a bottom portion of the mixing cup, resulting in a refined liquid sample devoid of the interfering component and occupying an upper portion of the mixing cup for later dispensing on the test assay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mixing cup used for mixing a liquid sample in a chemical analyzer, wherein the mixing cup comprises:
an interior space;
an interior side wall and a bottom wall; and
a resin containing beads and used by the chemical analyzer for removing an interfering component of the liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay by the chemical analyzer, wherein the resin is situated within the interior space of the mixing cup,
wherein the resin is lyophilized in a solution of between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) dextran and between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) sucrose, or of about two percent (2%) to about fourteen percent (14%) dextran/sucrose; and
wherein the lyophilized resin coats at least one of at least a portion of the interior side wall of the mixing cup and at least a portion of the bottom wall of the mixing cup.

2. The mixing cup of claim 1 , wherein the resin is an IMAC (Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography) resin.

3. The mixing cup of claim 1 , which further comprises:
a bottom portion and an upper portion situated above the bottom portion;
wherein the lyophilized resin is resuspended in a liquid form when the liquid sample is added to the mixing cup to form a sample/resin solution therein, and wherein, when the sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is mixed, a mixed sample/resin solution is achieved, and wherein, when the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is allowed to rest undisturbed for a predetermined period of time, at least a portion of the interfering component of the liquid sample adheres to the beads of the resin and at least some of the beads settle in the mixing cup and occupy the bottom portion thereof, the result of the settling of the beads having the interfering component adhered thereto being the formation of a refined liquid sample devoid or having a lower concentration of the interfering component than the liquid sample and occupying an upper portion of the mixing cup, the refined liquid sample occupying the upper portion of the mixing cup being provided for later dispensing of a selected volume of the refined liquid sample devoid or having the lower concentration of the interfering component onto the test assay.

4. The mixing cup of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined period of time which the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is allowed to rest undisturbed is between about one minute and about fifteen minutes.

5. The mixing cup of claim 1 , wherein the resin includes at least one of agarose-based beads and silica-based beads.

6. The mixing cup of claim 1 , wherein the test assay is a bile acid assay; and
wherein the interfering component of the liquid sample is hemoglobin.

7. A mixing cup used for mixing a liquid sample in a chemical analyzer, the mixing cup having an interior space, the mixing cup comprising:
a resin containing beads and used by the chemical analyzer for removing an interfering component of the liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay by the chemical analyzer, wherein the resin is situated within the interior space of the mixing cup; and
wherein the resin is lyophilized in a solution of between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) dextran and between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) sucrose, or of about two percent (2%) to about fourteen percent (14%) dextran/sucrose and forms a physically stable cake within the interior space of the mixing cup.

8. The mixing cup of claim 7 , which further comprises:
a bottom portion and an upper portion situated above the bottom portion;
wherein the physically stable cake is resuspended in a liquid form when the liquid sample is added to the mixing cup to form a sample/resin solution therein, and wherein, when the sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is mixed, a mixed sample/resin solution is achieved, and wherein, when the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is allowed to rest undisturbed for a predetermined period of time, at least a portion of the interfering component of the liquid sample adheres to the beads of the resin and at least some of the beads settle in the mixing cup and occupy the bottom portion thereof, the result of the settling of the beads having the interfering component adhered thereto being the formation of a refined liquid sample devoid or having a lower concentration of the interfering component than the liquid sample and occupying an upper portion of the mixing cup, the refined liquid sample occupying the upper portion of the mixing cup being provided for later dispensing of a selected volume of the refined liquid sample devoid or having the lower concentration of the interfering component onto the test assay.

9. The mixing cup of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined period of time which the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is allowed to rest undisturbed is between about one minute and about fifteen minutes.

10. The mixing cup of claim 7 , wherein the resin includes at least one of agarose-based beads and silica-based beads.

11. The mixing cup of claim 7 , wherein the test assay is a bile acid assay; and
wherein the interfering component of the liquid sample is hemoglobin.

12. A mixing cup used for mixing a liquid sample in a chemical analyzer, the mixing cup having an interior space, the mixing cup comprising:
a resin containing beads and used by the chemical analyzer for removing an interfering component of the liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay by the chemical analyzer, wherein the resin is situated within the interior space of the mixing cup;
a bottom portion and an upper portion situated above the bottom portion; and
wherein the resin is lyophilized in a solution of between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) dextran and between about two percent (2%) and about ten percent (10%) sucrose, or of about two percent (2%) to about fourteen percent (14%) dextran/sucrose, to form a physically stable cake, and wherein the physically stable cake resides in the interior space of the mixing cup and is resuspended in a liquid form when the liquid sample is added to the mixing cup to form a sample/resin solution therein, and wherein, when the sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is mixed, a mixed sample/resin solution is achieved, and wherein, when the mixed sample/resin solution in the mixing cup is allowed to rest undisturbed for a predetermined period of time, at least a portion of the interfering component of the liquid sample adheres to the beads of the resin and at least some of the beads settle in the mixing cup and occupy the bottom portion thereof, the result of the settling of the beads having the interfering component adhered thereto being the formation of a refined liquid sample devoid or having a lower concentration of the interfering component than the liquid sample and occupying an upper portion of the mixing cup, the refined liquid sample occupying the upper portion of the mixing cup being provided for later dispensing of a selected volume of the refined liquid sample devoid or having the lower concentration of the interfering component onto the test assay.

13. A method for using a chemical analyzer for removing an interfering component of a liquid sample which may interfere with a test performed on a test assay, the chemical analyzer having a sample cup, a mixing cup, a pipette fitted with a disposable pipette tip and is capable of aspirating and expelling the liquid sample into and from the pipette tip and of dispensing the liquid sample onto the test assay, the method comprising the st

Assignees

• Idexx Lab Inc

Inventors

• Cacavas Pamela Ann
• Fox Lucius S
• Lachapelle Robert W
• Lepage Wendy O'Malley
• Peck Evan M
• Pelletier Dominic
• Steva Eric Allen
• Yerramilli Murthy V S N

Classifications

• B01F2101/23

  Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials · CPC title

• B01L3/502

  with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures · CPC title

• B01L2400/0475

  specific mechanical means and fluid pressure · CPC title

• G01N2035/106

  by sucking and blowing · CPC title

• G01N2035/103

  using disposable tips · CPC title