Instrument for cassette for sample preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016348154-A1
Application number	US-201615232980-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Dec 27, 2006
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A parallel preceding system for processing samples is described. In one embodiment, the parallel processing system includes an instrument interface parallel controller to control a tray motor driving system, a close-loop heater control and detection system, a magnetic particle transfer system, a reagent release system, a reagent pre-mix pumping system and a wash buffer pumping system.

First claim

1 - 2 . (canceled)

3 . A system comprising:
a plurality of stackable enclosures stacked one on top of the other, wherein each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures comprises:
(i) at least one opening configured to receive one or more cassettes,
(ii) at least one actuator assembly, said actuator assembly comprising a plurality of plungers movable between a first position and a second position such that the plurality of plungers engage a surface of the one or more cassettes when the plurality of plungers are moved from the first position to the second position; and
(iii) at least one sub-system computer;
a system controller module comprising a single, touch-panel display and a main computer configured to communicate with the single, touch-panel display and the sub-system computer in the plurality of stackable enclosures.

4 . The system of claim 3 further comprising a cassette disposed within at least one of the plurality of stackable enclosures.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the cassette contains a sample of cells.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the cassette contains a cell lysis solution.

7 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the single touch-panel display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

8 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises a networking peripheral device.

9 . The system of claim 3 , wherein each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures has two openings configured to receive one or more cassettes.

10 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a tray driving motor system.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein each stackable enclosure has a first opening and a second opening configured to receive one or more cassettes, and further wherein the tray driving motor system comprises:
(i) an alignment plate; (ii) a first drive shaft retention block coupled to the alignment plate; (iii) a second drive shaft retention block coupled to the alignment plate; (iv) a load driving shaft; (v) a main driving motor coupled with the load driving shaft via the first drive shaft retention block and the second drive shaft retention block; (vi) a first parallel shaft; (vii) a second parallel shaft; (viii) a first parallel linear drive movably coupled to the first parallel shaft; (ix) a second parallel linear drive movably coupled to the second parallel shaft; (x) a first load resistance tray configured to receive the one or more cassettes; (xi) a first door configured to cover the first opening; (xii) a second load resistance tray configured to receive the one or more cassettes, and (xiii) a second door a second door configured to cover the second opening.

12 . The system of claim 3 further comprising a heater and temperature sensor assembly, the heater and temperature sensor assembly comprising a plurality of heaters and temperature sensors.

13 . The system of claim 3 , wherein each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures comprises at least two actuator assemblies, each actuator assembly comprising a plurality of plungers movable between a first position and a second position such that the plurality of plungers engage a surface of the one or more cassettes when the plurality of plungers are moved from the first position to the second position.

14 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the main computer communicates with the sub-system computer via a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART).

15 . A system comprising:
a plurality of stackable enclosures stacked one on top of the other, wherein each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures comprises:
(i) at least one opening configured to receive one or more cassettes,
(ii) at least on actuator assembly, said actuator assembly comprising a plurality of plungers movable between a first position and a second position such that the plurality of plungers engage a surface of the one or more cassettes when the plurality of plungers are moved from the first position to the second position;
(iii) at least one heater and temperature sensor assembly; and
(iv) at least one sub-system computer;
at least one cassette containing a sample of cells disposed within each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures; and a system controller module comprising a single display and a main computer configured to communicate with the single display and the sub-system computer in the plurality of stackable enclosures.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further comprises a networking peripheral device.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the main computer communicates with the sub-system computer via a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART).

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein each stackable enclosure of the plurality of stackable enclosures has two openings configured to receive one or more cassettes.

19 . A method for processing a sample of cells comprising:
adding a sample of cells to a cassette containing a lysis solution and a wash buffer; inserting the cassette in one of the plurality of stackable enclosures of the system of claim 1 ; and selecting a protocol for processing the sample in the stackable enclosure using the single, touch-panel display of the system of claim 1 .

20 . The method of claim 19 comprising:
adding a plurality of samples of cells to a plurality of cassettes containing a lysis solution and a wash buffer;
inserting the plurality of cassettes in the plurality of stackable enclosures of the system of claim 1 ; and
selecting a protocol for processing the plurality of samples in the plurality of stackable enclosures using the single, touch-panel display of the system of claim 1 .

21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising inserting the cassette in a magazine prior to inserting the cassette in the stackable enclosure.

22 . The method of claim 20 further comprising inserting the plurality of cassettes in a plurality of magazines prior to inserting the plurality of cassettes in the plurality of stackable enclosures.

Assignees

• Luminex Corp

Inventors

• Yu Steve Jia Chang
• Ching Jesus
• Lee Phillip You Fai
• Hu David Hsiang

Classifications

• B01L2300/023

  Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using Bluetooth® · CPC title

• B01L2300/18

  Means for temperature control · CPC title

• C12Q1/6806 Primary

  Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay (C12Q1/6804 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01L3/502

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

• G01N2035/00356

  Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation) · CPC title