Sample preparation system and cartridge
Inventors
Harding, Piers Sebastian • Howard, Gary Stephen • Jepps, Gary Keith
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12364988-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
A sample preparation cartridge for use with a sample preparation device, the cartridge includes a housing defining plural separate segments, at least one of said segments comprising a fixed section of a pipette component; and a moveable head comprising a pipette tip, the head being configured, in use, to be moved between a position in which the pipette tip is in sealed engagement with the fixed section of pipette component and a position in which pipette tip is positioned adjacent to another of said plural segments. With the present invention a disposable sample preparation cartridge and corresponding analytical reader can be provided in a very cost effective and simple manner.
Core Innovation
The document describes a disposable sample preparation system that includes a sample preparation cartridge having a housing defining a plurality of separate segments. The segments are arranged around a central axis of the housing and contain analytes, beads, or analytes and beads in use. A moveable pipette is positioned above the plurality of separate segments and is arranged to rotate around the central axis of the housing to transfer analytes, beads, or analytes and beads from one segment to another segment in order to prepare a sample for analysis.
The housing is configured to receive a plug-in cartridge, and the plug-in cartridge contains a dried or solid reagent. The plug-in cartridge can include chambers holding substances accessed by the moveable pipette during sample preparation, and interaction features enable transfer between sealed regions and reagent access via piercing components that pierce a seal when the pipette is moved into a chamber.
The document also describes instrument-facing aspects for automated workflows by using a machine-readable coded tag associated with the sample preparation cartridge incorporating the plug-in cartridge. The coded tag conveys information that identifies the cartridge and plug-in cartridge, including data identifying the assays, steps, or tests contained within, instrument instructions and requirements, and time periods for the instrument.
Claims Coverage
Two independent claims are identified (clm-00001 and clm-00020). Across the independent claims, the inventive features center on a segmented, circumferential cartridge housing with a centrally rotating moveable pipette for segment-to-segment transfer, combined with a plug-in cartridge carrying dried or solid reagent and received within the housing.
Segmented housing around a central axis
A housing defining a plurality of separate segments containing analytes, beads, or analytes and beads in use, wherein the segments are arranged around a central axis of the housing.
Moveable pipette rotating about the central axis
A moveable pipette positioned above the plurality of separate segments, arranged to rotate around the central axis of the housing.
Segment-to-segment transfer for preparing a sample
The pipette arranged to transfer, in use, analytes, beads, or analytes and beads from one segment of the plurality of segments to another segment of the plurality of segments in order to prepare a sample for analysis.
Plug-in cartridge containing dried or solid reagent received in the housing
The housing configured to receive a plug-in cartridge containing a dried or solid reagent; the plug-in cartridge being received within the housing of the sample preparation cartridge.
The independent claim set covers a sample preparation cartridge and a sample preparation system defined by a segmented housing around a central axis with a moveable pipette that rotates to transfer analytes and beads between segments, together with a received plug-in cartridge containing a dried or solid reagent.
Stated Advantages
Low-profile compactness.
Low cost.
Easy operation.
Contamination-safe cartridge-to-reader interfacing.
Documented Applications
Configurable sample preparation for analysis, including programmable diagnostic workflows.
Use with an analytical reader for performing analysis following sample preparation using the cartridge and plug-in cartridge reagent format.
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