Chemiluminescence detector sample enclosure
Inventors
WHARRY, Marc • Evans, P. • Jackson, Stuart
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11988607-B2
Publication Date
2024-05-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
There is provided a chemiluminescence detector sample enclosure. The enclosure comprises a first interface member forming part of a chemiluminescence detector and having a first sealing element and a second interface member comprising a plurality of sample holders, each sample holder having a second sealing element. The first interface member is engagable with and moveable between sample holder subsets of the plurality of sample holders, engagement with a respective sample holder subset providing engagement of the first interface member with each sample holder of the respective sample holder subset and relative movement of the first and second interface members providing movement between sample holder subsets; and when the first interface member is engaged with each respective sample holder, the first sealing element and the respective second sealing element are adapted to interact so as to form a light restricting seal between the first interface member and said sample holder.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a chemiluminescence detector sample enclosure that includes a housing for a chemiluminescence detector with at least one through bore, and a first interface member attached to the housing. The first interface member has at least one through bore aligned with the at least one through bore of the housing and includes a first sealing element around the at least one bore of the first interface member.
The enclosure further includes a plurality of sample wells, each sample well having a second sealing element. A subset of the plurality of sample wells is less than the total number of sample wells, and the first interface member is configured to engage with the subset of the plurality of sample wells and to move from the subset to engage with another subset.
When the first interface member is engaged with each respective subset, the first sealing element and the respective second sealing element directly contact to form a light restricting seal between the first interface member and the subset of sample wells. In an embodiment, the light restricting seal is formed using a deformable gasket sealing member and a second sealing element that includes concentric ridges around a well rim, producing a labyrinth/light-tight seal interaction.
The detector interface member is moved so it is lowered to contact the cartridge well rims, thereby restricting light ingress and reducing noise while enabling flexible sequential imaging of limited subsets. The enclosure can include opaque and absorbing materials for the interface plate to restrict electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range of 200–375 nm, and movement can be performed either by moving the detector interface relative to cartridges or by using a conveyor to move cartridges for engagement with different subsets.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes one independent claim. Across that independent claim, the main inventive subject matter centers on engaging different subsets of sample wells with an interface member such that aligned through bores and directly contacting sealing elements form a light restricting seal for sequential chemiluminescence detection.
Subset-based engagement forming light restricting seal
A first interface member configured to engage with a subset of the plurality of sample wells less than the total number of sample wells, wherein the first interface member moves from the subset to engage with another subset, and wherein when the first interface member is engaged with each respective subset, the first sealing element and the respective second sealing element directly contact to form a light restricting seal between the first interface member and said subset of sample wells.
Aligned through bores in housing and first interface member
A housing for a chemiluminescence detector having at least one through bore; and a first interface member attached to the housing having at least one through bore aligned with the at least one through bore of the housing.
Equal sealing element counts for subset sealing
The first interface member configured to engage with the subset of the plurality of sample wells wherein the first interface member has an equal number of first sealing elements as the number of second sealing elements of the subset of the plurality of sample wells.
Overall claim coverage focuses on an enclosure architecture that aligns through bores and uses directly contacting first and second sealing elements to create a light restricting seal while the first interface member is moved to sequentially engage different subsets of sample wells.
Stated Advantages
Reduces light ingress and noise by forming a light restricting seal between the first interface member and subsets of sample wells.
Enables flexible sequential imaging of limited subsets of the plurality of sample wells.
Enables a smaller dark-region/detection footprint.
Documented Applications
Sequential imaging of limited subsets of sample wells in a chemiluminescence detector sample enclosure.
Providing an alternative engagement approach using a conveyor to move cartridges for engaging different subsets.
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