Method and apparatus for pre-treating samples in an automatic chemical analyzer

Claim 1

A method for performing immunoassays on concentrically mounted processing and incubating carousels, the incubating carousel having a predetermined number of reaction vessel support positions, the method comprising the steps of: (a) adding reagents including a solid support to a sample in a reaction vessel on the incubating carousel; (b) transferring the reaction vessel from the incubating carousel to a reaction vessel support position on the processing carousel using a transfer station which accesses both carousels; (c) separating the solid support from the sample and reagents using processing stations disposed proximate said processing carousel; and, (d) washing the solid support using processing stations disposed proximate said processing carousel, wherein steps (c) and (d) comprise: (e) advancing the processing carousel a first number of index positions and stopping at a processing station for a constant amount of time; (f) advancing said processing carousel a second number of index positions and stopping at a processing station for said same constant amount of time; (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) as necessary to complete a pre-processing operation in the instance of an immunoassay not requiring additional reagents; and, (h) in the instance of an assay requiring additional reagents, transferring a reaction vessel from the processing carousel to the incubating carousel at the first stopping of the reaction vessel at said transfer station and adding required reagents therein; and, (i) replacing the reaction vessel on said processing carousel before the pre-processing operation is completed, so that assays requiring an additional reagents may be processed on the processing carousel without changing the advancing motion of steps (e) and (f); and, (j) repeating steps (e) and (f) as necessary, so that sample processing times of the immunoassays not requiring additional reagents are not reduced.

Claim 2

A method for performing immunoassays on concentrically mounted processing and incubating carousels, the incubating carousel having a predetermined number of reaction vessel support positions, the method comprising the steps of: (a) adding reagents including a solid support to a sample in a reaction vessel on the incubating carousel; (b) transferring the reaction vessel from the incubating carousel to a reaction vessel support position on the processing carousel using a transfer station which accesses both carousels; (c) separating the solid support from the sample and reagents using processing stations disposed proximate said processing carousel; and, (d) washing the solid support using processing stations disposed proximate said processing carousel, wherein steps (c) and (d) comprise: (e) advancing the processing carousel a first number of index positions and stopping at a processing station for a constant amount of time; (f) advancing said processing carousel a second number of index positions and stopping at a processing station for said same constant amount of time; (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) as necessary to complete a pre-processing operation in the instance of an immunoassay not requiring additional reagents; and, (h) in the instance of an assay requiring additional reagents, transferring a reaction vessel from the processing carousel to the incubating carousel at the first stopping of the reaction vessel at said transfer station and adding required reagents therein; and, (i) replacing the reaction vessel on said processing carousel before the pre-processing operation is completed, so that assays requiring an additional reagents may be processed on the processing carousel without changing the advancing motion of steps (e) and (f); and, (j) repeating steps (e) and (f) as necessary, so that sample processing times of the immunoassays not requiring additional reagents are not reduced.