Acceleration sensitive indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606140-B2
Application number	US-201414286194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

An acceleration sensitive indicator for indicating a centrifugation status of a biological sample, a sample container comprising the indicator, a centrifuge for centrifuging samples and an analytical system for analyzing centrifuged samples are disclosed. The indicator comprises at least one closed chamber, formed between two opposite surfaces, that comprises an indication zone that comprises at least two fluid transfer zones or at least one particle transfer zone. The at least one fluid transfer zone comprises a solid carrier phase and a fluid stabilized in the solid carrier phase or at least one non-stabilized non-Newtonian fluid having thixotropic and/or shear thinning properties. The at least one particle transfer zone comprises a particle stabilizing fluid comprising stabilized dispersed particles. The fluid or particles have a distribution with respect to the indication zone changeable upon application of a g-force above a threshold value, the change of distribution indicating the centrifugation status.

First claim

We claim:

1. An acceleration sensitive indicator for indicating a centrifugation status of a biological sample, the acceleration sensitive indicator comprising:
at least one closed chamber formed between two opposite surfaces, wherein the chamber comprises at least one indication zone, the at least one indication zone comprising at least two fluid transfer zones or at least one particle transfer zone, wherein at least one fluid transfer zone comprises,
at least one solid carrier phase made of a porous adsorbing material and at least one fluid stabilized in the porous adsorbing material, wherein a g-force above a threshold-value is required in order for the at least one fluid to move out of the fluid transfer zone and out of the porous adsorbing material and to change distribution with respect to the at least one indication zone, or
at least one non-stabilized non-Newtonian fluid having thixotropic and/or shear thinning properties wherein a shear stress induced by a g-force above a threshold-value is required in order for the non-Newtonian fluid to move out of the fluid transfer zone and to change distribution with respect to the at least one indication zone;

wherein the at least one particle transfer zone comprises,
at least one particle stabilizing fluid comprising stabilized dispersed particles, the particle stabilizing fluid having a particle stabilizing yield value, which allows the particles to be stabilized below a g-force threshold value, and to change distribution with respect to the at least one indication zone only upon application of a g-force above a threshold value, the change of distribution of the at least one fluid or particles indicating the centrifugation status.

2. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the particle stabilizing fluid is a plastic fluid, a hydrogel, an organogel or combinations thereof.

3. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid comprises a dye and/or is colored.

4. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the indication zone comprises a fluid barrier between adjacent fluid transfer zones and wherein the at least one fluid is transferable at least in part between the fluid transfer zones via the fluid barrier only upon application of a g-force above the threshold value.

5. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one fluid transfer zone comprises at least one fluid, which is replaceable at least in part by at least another fluid of a different color and/or different opacity from another fluid transfer zone.

6. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to any of the claim 5 , wherein the at least one fluid is adsorbable by the porous solid carrier phase such as to remain adsorbed at least in part to the solid porous material of a fluid transfer zone when the fluid is transferred.

7. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are deformable upon application of a g-force above the threshold value.

8. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , further comprising,
at least two indication zones different from each other, wherein the at least one fluid or particles have a distribution with respect to the respective indication zone which is differently changeable upon application of a g-force above a threshold value.

9. The acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one indication zone further comprises a pattern which becomes distinguishable or indistinguishable from a background or is otherwise altered upon changing the distribution of the at least one fluid or particles.

10. A sample container for centrifuging a biological sample contained therein, the sample container comprising:
an upper end;
a lower end;
a symmetry axis from the upper end to the lower end; and
an acceleration sensitive indicator according to claim 1 for indicating the centrifugation status of the biological sample upon application of a g-force above a threshold value to the sample container in a direction parallel to the symmetry axis or at an angle (a) from the symmetry axis.

11. The sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the indicator comprises at least two indication zones symmetrically arranged on either side of a reference line parallel to the symmetry axis such as to be simultaneously subjected to the same g-force upon application of a g-force in the direction of the symmetry axis, wherein the at least two indication zones are identical in order to provide indication redundancy and confirmation of the centrifugation status under the same conditions.

12. The sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the indicator comprises at least two indication zones symmetrically arranged on either side of a reference line parallel to the symmetry axis such as to be simultaneously subjected to the same g-force upon application of a g-force in the direction of the symmetry axis, wherein the at least two indication zones are different in order to confirm the centrifugation status under different conditions.

13. The sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the indicator comprises at least two indication zones symmetrically arranged on either side of a reference line parallel to the symmetry axis or at least one elongated indication zone with a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the reference line such that the at least one fluid or particles have a distribution with respect to the at least one indication zone, which is differently changeable upon application of a g-force above a threshold value in a direction at an angle (α) from the symmetry axis with respect to the application of the same g-force in the direction of the symmetry axis.

14. The sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the indicator is a label formed between two opposite foils and attached to a side wall of the sample container.

15. The sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the indicator is formed between a surface of a cavity on a side wall of the sample container and a foil.

16. A centrifuge for centrifuging sample containers, the centrifuge comprising:
a sample container according to claim 10
a reading device for reading the acceleration sensitive indicator on the sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the acceleration sensitive indicator is indicative of the centrifugation status of the sample container;
a processor; and
a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored computer-interpretable instructions, which, when executed by the processor, use information read by the reading device to determine,
if the sample container has been centrifuged to a predetermined degree,
if the sample container has been centrifuged to a predetermined degree interrupting centrifugation of the sample container, and/or
if the sample container has not been centrifuged to a predetermined degree, continuing centrifugation for at least a predetermined time or a calculated time and/or adapting the applied g-force.

17. An analytical system for analyzing centrifuged samples, the analytical system comprising:
a sample container according to claim 10
a reading device for reading the acceleration sensitive indicator on the sample container according to claim 10 , wherein the acceleration sensitive indicator is indicative of the centrifugation status of the sample container;
at least one analyzer electrically coupled to the reading device;
a processor electrically coupled to the at least one analyzer; and
a computer-readable

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Burghardt Geza
• Glauser Michael
• Gutmann Oliver
• Mueller Daniel
• Oosterbroek Edwin
• Sandoz Roger
• Sarofim Emad
• Savatic Goran

Classifications

• B01L3/5453

  for test tubes · CPC title

• B01L2300/021

  Identification, e.g. bar codes · CPC title

• B01L2200/14

  Process control and prevention of errors · CPC title

• B01L2200/143

  Quality control, feedback systems · CPC title

• B01L3/5021 Primary

  Test tubes specially adapted for centrifugation purposes · CPC title