System Or Method Of Including Analytical Units

• Main Authors: WAGNER, REED B, GWYNN, ROBERT B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.07.2014
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUIDLEVEL; METALLURGY; METERING BY VOLUME; MICROBIOLOGY; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; REGULATING; SPIRITS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; VINEGAR; WINE

Systems and methods for processing and analyzing samples are disclosed. The system may process samples, such as biological fluids, using assay cartridges which can be processed at different processing locations. The system includes a sensor system, the sensor system comprises a mandrel ( element 4110 in FIG. 15(e)), which may form part of a pipetting device, and a sensing circuit configured to determine a characteristic of an extension element on the mandrel. The sensing circuit comprises one or more sensor channels, coupled to a processor (controller 4600 in FIG. 15(e)) configured to determine the characteristic of the extension element based on the error signal. The sensing system can comprise a sensing circuit a liquid level sensing circuit. The sensing circuit can also provide a signal that indicates when a portion of the extention element contacts or approaches the liquid air interface.