ROTATABLE CARTRIDGE FOR MEASURING A PROPERTY OF A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE

摘要

A cartridge for an automatic analyzer, formed from a cover and carrier structure, is operable for rotation about an axis and has at least one container with at least one reservoir containing at least one fluid. Each container may rotate about the axis within a cavity and relative to the carrier structure. A piercing structure opens a seal of each reservoir when the container rotates relative to the carrier structure. Each container and each cavity has a frictional element that mate and cause friction. Each container has an engaging surface which mates with an engaging surface of a rotational actuator that applies torque to rotate and open the container via the piercing structure. A fluidic structure of the cartridge processes a biological sample into a processed biological sample and enables via a measurement structure measurement of the processed biological sample. A duct is between the cavity and the fluidic structure.

主权项

1. A method of performing a measurement of a processed biological sample using a cartridge that is operable for being spun around a rotational axis, the cartridge comprising a carrier structure, a cover provided to the carrier structure, at least one container with at least one fluid reservoir for containing at least one fluid, and a cavity for each of the at least one cartridge, wherein the cavity is formed from the carrier structure and the cover, the at least one container is configured to rotate about the rotational axis of the cartridge within the cavity and relative to the carrier structure, each of the at least one fluid reservoir comprises a pierceable seal, at least one piercing structure for each of the at least one fluid reservoir provided within the cavity, the at least one piercing structure is configured to open the pierceable seal by piercing the pierceable seal upon rotation of the at least one container relative to the carrier structure, the at least one container comprises a first frictional element, a second frictional element is provided within the cavity, the first frictional element mates with the second frictional element to cause friction for the at least one container within the cavity, the at least one container comprises a first engaging surface that is operable to mate with a second engaging surface of a rotational actuator that is operable to apply torque to the at least one container, the cartridge comprises a fluidic structure for processing a biological sample into the processed biological sample, the fluidic structure is formed from the carrier structure and the cover and is located within the carrier structure, the cartridge comprises a duct between the cavity and the fluidic structure, the duct is formed within the carrier structure and the cover, the fluidic structure comprises a measurement structure for enabling the measurement of the processed biological sample, and the fluidic structure is configured to receive the biological sample, the method comprising:
placing the biological sample into the fluidic structure; applying torque to the at least one container using the rotational actuator to overcome the friction between the first frictional element and the second frictional element within the cavity and rotate the at least one container relative to the carrier structure around the rotational axis of the cartridge to open the pierceable seal, wherein rotating the at least one container relative to the carrier structure causes the at least one piercing structure to open the seal by piercing the pierceable seal; controlling the rotational rate of the cartridge to process the biological sample into the processed biological sample using the fluidic structure; controlling the rotational rate of the cartridge to force the at least one fluid through the duct and through at least a portion of the fluidic structure, wherein the friction between the first frictional element and the second frictional element causes the at least one container to rotate around the rotational axis of the axis at the same rate as the carrier structure; and performing the measurement through the measurement structure using a measurement system.