System Or Method Of Including Analytical Units

• Main Authors: SAUERBURGER, MARK F, JOHNSON, ALAN N, MAURER, GARRICK A, ANDERSON, DAVID L, ERICKSON, MATTHEW D, WILSON, BRIAN D, DAVIS, MATTHEW S, ROSEN, MICHAEL J, WILTSIE, JOSHUA D, SCHMIDT, DANIEL R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 15.10.2014
• 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 (100) may process samples, such as biological fluids, using assay cartridges which can be processed at different processing locations. The system (100) comprises a pipettor, a reagent pack (400) comprising a well (400a) containing a reagent, and a reagent storage unit (124). The reagent storage unit (124) is configured to hold the reagent pack (400) , and includes a cavity containing the reagent pack (400), a latch (144a) arranged about the cavity, the latch (144a) configured to secure and align the reagent pack (400) within the cavity, the latch including a releasing feature (144b), a cover (128) disposed over the cavity and latch 8144a), the cover (128) including a first aperture and a second aperture, wherein the first aperture aligns over the well (400a) of the reagent pack (400) thereby providing the pipettor access to the reagent contained in the well (400a). The second aperture aligns over the releasing feature (144b) thereby providing the pipettor access to actuate the releasing feature (144b) to unsecure the reagent pack (400) from the latch (144a).