Automated analytical apparatus and method

Claim 2

A method according to claim 1, further including removing the contents of each said reaction cuvette following completion of the analysis sich that said reaction cuvette can be re-used.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 or 2, therein said analyzing step includes optically monitoring said reaction.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein said reactions in said reaction cuvettes are monitored by turbidimetric, colorimetric, fluorometric or luminescent methods.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 5, wherein said solid phase suspension includes magnetic particles and said separating and removing step includes the step of separating said bound constituent from said unbound constituent by means of a magnetic field, and removing the unbound constituent by aspiration.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said assay is an immunoassay.

Claim 11

An automated analytical apparatus for effecting analysis of a plurality of liquid samples wherein each sample is analyzed with respect to at least one analyte, said apparatus comprising: a) means for providing an aliquot of a first sample to a reaction cuvette; b) means for providing one or more liquid reagents to said reaction cuvette to form a first reaction mixture therein; c) means for providing an aliquot of the same or different sample to a different reaction cuvette; d) means for providing one or more liquid reagents and at least one liquid reagent comprising a suspension of solid phase particles to said different reaction cuvette to form a second reaction mixture therein, said second reaction mixture resulting in a bound and unbound constituent; e) means for selectively separating and removing the unbound constituent from the bound constituent in said different reaction cuvette; f) means for adding at least one additional reagent to the solid phase suspension in said different reaction cuvette to generate a detectable signal; and g) means for analyzing the reaction in one of said reaction cuvettes independently of the other.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 11, further including means for removing the contents of each said reaction cuvette following completion of the analysis, so that said reaction cuvette can be re-used.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said analyzing means includes means for optically monitoring said reaction.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11,12 or 13, wherein said analyzing means includes turbidimetric, colorimetric, fluorometric or luminescent monitoring means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 11,12,13 or 14, wherein said solid phase suspension includes magnetic particles and said analysis means includes means for separating said bound constituent from said unbound constituent by a magnetic field to facilitate the measurement of components of said unbound constituent.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 15, wherein said solid phase suspension includes magnetic particles and said separating and removing means includes means for separating said bound constituent from said unbound constituent by a magnetic field, and aspiration means for removing the unbound constituent.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to any of claims 11 to 16, wherein said reaction cuvettes are integral with a reaction tray rotatably disposed for bidirectional rotational motion about a vertical axis and further including a drive means operably connected thereto adapted to rotate said reaction tray in a stepping manner to bring said reaction cuvettes sequentially to separate predetermined treatment stations disposed about said reaction tray one or more times during an analysis to permit multiple reagent additions, multiple separation, extended incubation times and multiple analysis.

Claim 18

An automated analytical apparatus for effecting analysis of a plurality of liquid samples wherein each sample is analyzed with respect to at least one analyte, said apparatus comprising: a) a sample handling means including a plurality of sample containers for containing liquid samples and constructed and arranged to position each sample at a sample aspiration station; b) a magnetic particle suspension storage means for containing a liquid suspension of magnetic particles in an aqueous medium; c) a reaction tray rotatably disposed for bidirectional rotatable motion about a vertical axis and including a plurality of reaction cuvettes, each reaction cuvette adapted to retain an aliquot of sample and being provided with a pair of opposed transparent walls to define a site passageway for the reading of the aliquot liquid sample contained therein, said reaction tray being operably connected to a drive means which rotates said reaction tray in a stepping manner to bring said reaction cuvettes sequentially to separate predetermined treatment stations disposed at locations about said reaction tray one or more times during an analysis; d) a sample aspirating-dispensing means constructed and arranged to deliver a precise aliquot of a sample from said sample handling means to a selected reaction cuvette; e) a particle suspension aspirating-dispensing means constructed and arranged to deliver a precise aliquot of said particle suspension to a selected reaction cuvette; f) a reagent storage means for containing a plurality of reagents; g) reagent aspirating-dispensing means constructed and arranged to deliver a precise aliquot of a reagent from said reagent storage means to a selected reaction cuvette; h) a particle wash station constructed and arranged to selectively wash unbound constituent from a sample-­ reagent mixture in a selected reaction cuvette; i) a substrate storage means for containing a plurality of substrates; j) a substrate aspirating-dispensing means constructed and arranged to deliver a precise aliquot of said substrate to a selected reaction cuvette; k) an analysis means to analyze the reaction in the reaction cuvette; and l) control means whereby said sample handling means, sample aspirating-dispensing means, particle suspension aspirating-dispensing means, reagent storage means, reagent aspirating-dispensing means, particle wash means, substrate aspirating-dispensing means, and analysis means are activated selectively at a multiplicity of times for each step of said reaction tray to effect selective homogeneous and heterogeneous analysis of successive samples.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 18, further including a cuvette washing means to evacuate the contents of each said reaction cuvette upon completion of the optical measurement.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein said sample aspirating-dispensing means is constructed and arranged for vertical reciprocal and bidirectional translational movement so as to be selectively positioned over and immersed into said sample container at said sample aspiration station to aspirate a precise aliquot of sample contained therein, and to dispense the same into a selected reaction cuvette.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 18,19 or 20, wherein said sample aspirating-dispensing means is constructed and arranged for vertical reciprocal and bidirectional translational movement so as to be selectively positioned over and immersed into said magnetic particle suspension storage means to aspirate a precise aliquot of suspension contained therein, and to dispense the same into a selected reaction cuvette.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 18,19,20 or 21, wherein said reagent storage means includes a reagent tray adapted for bidirectional rotational motion about a vertical axis and reagent-containing dispensers supported thereon, said reagent tray being operably connected to a drive means which rotates said reagent tray to present a desired one of said reagent dispensers to said reagent aspirating-­dispensing means.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 22, wherein said reagent aspirating-dispensing means is adapted for vertical reciprocal movement and for bidirectional rotational movement so as to be selectively positioned over and immersed into a selective reagent dispenser to aspirate a precise aliquot of said reagent and to dispense the same into a selected reaction cuvette.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 23, wherein said substrate aspirating-dispensing means is adapted for vertical reciprocal movement and for bidirectional rotational movement so as to be selectively positioned over and immersed into a selective substrate dispenser to aspirate a precise aliquot of said substrate and to dispense the same into a selective reaction cuvette.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 24, wherein said sample handling means includes means for identifying said liquid samples from coded information associated with said sample containers.

Claim 26

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 25, wherein said analysis station includes an opto-electrical system to measure, for example, the change in light intensity transmitted through the reaction cuvette, or the luminescence of said liquid sample and reagent reaction, or the fluorescence generated by the liquid sample and reagent reaction.

Claim 27

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 26, further including means to store the output readings of said analysis means.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 27, further comprising a means to calculate the concentration of said analyte from the output readings of said analysis means.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 28, wherein said analysis means includes a magnetic field generating means to separate said unbound constituent from bound constituent and facilitate the analysis of the reaction in said reaction cuvette.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to any of claims 18 to 29, wherein said particle wash station includes a magnetic field generating means to separate said unbound constituent from said bound constituent in said reaction mixture, and an aspiration means for aspirating said unbound constituent.