Multi-well wedge-shaped reagent container with auto-open capability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823261-B2
Application number	US-201415034608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Nov 5, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A multi-well fluid container that includes a container body is provided for use in an in vitro diagnostics automation system. The container body includes a first well having a first well size configured to hold a first fluid and an openable first well closure that covers a first well opening. The first well opening provides access to the first fluid in the first well when the openable first well closure is opened. The container body also includes a second well having a second well size configured to hold a second fluid and having an openable second well closure that covers a second well opening. The second well opening provides access to the second fluid in the second well when the openable second well closure is opened. The first well size of the first well is different than the second well size of the second well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-well fluid container for use in an in vitro diagnostics automation system comprising:
a container body comprising:
a first well having a first well size configured to hold a first fluid and having an openable first well closure that covers a first well opening, wherein the openable first well closure comprises:
a first threaded cap configured to be manually removable by an operator; and
a first openable sealing portion and a first cannula configured to be automatically opened and provide access to the first fluid in the first well via the first well opening when the openable first well closure is fitted on the first well opening and when the container is on board an analyzer; and

a second well adjacent to the first well, the second well having a second well size configured to hold a second fluid and having an openable second well closure that covers a second well opening that is separate from the first well opening, wherein the openable second well closure comprises:
a second threaded cap configured to be manually removable by an operator; and
a second openable sealing portion and a second cannula configured to be automatically opened and provide access to the second fluid in the second well via the second well opening when the openable second well closure is fitted on the second well opening and when the container is on board the analyzer;

wherein the first well size of the first well is different than the second well size of the second well.

2. The multi-well fluid container of claim 1 , wherein the container body is wedge-shaped and is further configured to be held in one of a plurality of substantially same sized wedged shaped compartments of a circular storage area.

3. The multi-well fluid container of claim 1 , wherein the first well is further configured to hold a low volume of the first fluid; and
the second well is further configured to hold a high volume of the second fluid that is a larger volume than the low volume of the first fluid.

4. The multi-well fluid container of claim 3 , further comprising a third well configured to hold a mid-volume of a third fluid that is a larger volume than the low volume of the first fluid and a smaller volume than the high volume of the second fluid.

5. The multi-well fluid container of claim 1 , further comprising a third well adjacent to at least one of the first well and the second well, the third well having a third well size configured to hold a third fluid and having an openable third well closure that covers a third well opening that is separate from the first well opening and the second well opening, wherein the openable third well closure comprises:
a third threaded cap configured to be manually removable by an operator; and
a third openable sealing portion and a third cannula configured to be automatically opened and provide access to the third fluid in the third well via the third well opening when the openable third well closure is fitted on the third well opening and when the container is on board the analyzer.

6. The multi-well fluid container of claim 1 , wherein the first well and the second well each comprise an anti-evaporation tube.

7. An in vitro diagnostics automation system comprising:
a plurality of multi-well fluid containers each having substantially the same length and width and each of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers comprising a plurality of wells configured to hold a corresponding fluid, each well having an openable closure that covers a corresponding opening, the openable closure comprising a threaded cap configured to be manually removable by an operator, and an openable sealing portion and a cannula configured to be automatically opened and provide access to the corresponding fluid via the corresponding opening when the openable closure is fitted on the corresponding opening and when a corresponding one of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers is on board an analyzer; and
a storage area having a plurality of compartments, each of the plurality of compartments configured to hold one of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers and having substantially the same length and width as the length and width of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers.

8. The automation system of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers has at least two different sized wells.

9. The automation system of claim 7 , wherein the storage area is a circular storage area, each of the plurality of compartments in the circular storage area is wedged shaped, and each of the plurality of multi-well fluid containers is wedge-shaped.

10. The automation system of claim 7 , wherein the at least two different sized wells in each compartment are configured to hold different volumes of one or more fluids.

11. A method of operating an in vitro diagnostics automation system, the method comprising:
holding a multi-well fluid container having a plurality of different sized wells in one of a plurality of compartments of a storage area, each well of the plurality of different sized wells having an openable closure covering a corresponding opening, the openable closure comprising a threaded cap configured to be manually removable by an operator, and an openable sealing portion and a cannula that is configured to be automatically opened;
accessing a low volume of a first fluid from a first well of the plurality of different sized wells via the corresponding opening when the corresponding openable closure is fitted on the corresponding opening, the corresponding openable sealing portion is opened, and the multi-well fluid container is on board an analyzer;
accessing a high volume of a second fluid from a second well of the plurality of different sized wells, the high volume of the second fluid being a larger volume than the low volume of the first fluid, via the corresponding opening when the corresponding openable closure is fitted on the corresponding opening, the corresponding openable sealing portion is opened, and the multi-well fluid container is on board an analyzer; and
opening the multi-well fluid container from the one of a plurality of compartments of the storage area.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein opening the multi-well fluid container from the one of the plurality of compartments of the storage area occurs after at least a portion of the low volume of the first fluid is accessed from the first well and at least a portion of the high volume of the second fluid is accessed from the second well.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising accessing a mid-volume of a third fluid from a third well of the plurality of different sized wells, the mid-volume of the third fluid being larger than the low volume of the first fluid and smaller than the high volume of the second fluid.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein opening the fluid container from the one of the plurality of compartments of the storage area occurs after at least a portion of the low volume of the first fluid is accessed from the first well, at least a portion of the high volume of the second fluid is accessed from the second well, and at least a portion of the mid-volume of the third fluid is accessed from the third well.

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc

Inventors

• Brennan Joseph
• Kegelman James

Classifications

• G01N2035/00673

  of reagents · CPC title

• B01L3/527

  for a plurality of reagents · CPC title

• G01N2035/1032

  Dilution or aliquotting · CPC title

• B01L2300/021

  Identification, e.g. bar codes · CPC title

• G01N35/04

  Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} · CPC title