Abstract: A receptacle delivery system for an instrument includes a carriage, a puck rotatably supported by the carriage, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor. The puck comprises a plurality of spring-loaded fingers arranged around a vertical axis and configured to removably support a receptacle therebetween. The first electric motor is configured to move the carriage between a first location and a second location of the instrument. The second electric motor is configured to rotate the puck about the vertical axis.

Abstract: Delivering a receptacle to an instrument comprises supporting a receptacle in a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location of the instrument, activating a sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to a second location of the instrument, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, at the second location, extracting at least a portion of a fluid contained in the receptacle using a fluid extraction device of the instrument, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, from the second location to the first location, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.

Abstract: Providing a fluid to an instrument comprises supporting a sample receptacle on a first carrier, transporting the first carrier on a conveyor adjacent a plurality of modules including at least one instrument, stopping the first carrier at the instrument, transporting the sample receptacle to a pick-up position of the instrument, transporting the sample receptacle from the pick-up position to a pipetting station within the instrument, aspirating fluid within the sample receptacle and transferring the aspirated fluid to a reaction receptacle, after aspirating fluid from the sample receptacle, transporting the sample receptacle to the pick-up position, transporting the sample receptacle from the pick-up position to a second carrier the conveyor, in the instrument, performing an assay to determine the presence or absence of an analyte in the aspirated fluid, and transporting the second carrier on the conveyor to one or more of the plurality of modules other than the analytical instrument.

Abstract: An automated method for performing an amplification reaction includes the automated steps of combining a fluid sample together with one or more amplification reaction reagents in a reaction receptacle using a first automated pipettor, thereby forming a reaction mixture, transporting the reaction receptacle to a first location of a centrifuge, subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, after subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, removing the reaction receptacle from a second location of the centrifuge different from the first location and placing the reaction receptacle in a thermal cycler, and in the thermal cycler, subjecting the reaction mixture to one or more temperature cycles.

Abstract: A receptacle clamping mechanism of an instrument includes a carriage configured to move between a first location and a second location of the instrument. The carriage includes one or more support members configured to removably support a receptacle therebetween and a pair of opposed support pads configured to apply a clamping force to a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location and release the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location. The clamping mechanism further includes a sensing system configured to determine whether a receptacle is supported by the carriage.

Abstract: A method for analyzing samples is performed within a housing. Each sample is contacted in a separate receptacle with a magnetically-responsive solid support for binding and immobilizing a nucleic acid of interest that may be present in one or more of the samples. Each sample is processed to isolate and purify any nucleic acid of interest that is present. An elution buffer is provided to each separate receptacle, thereby forming an eluate containing the nucleic acid of interest, if present in the associated sample. A unit-dose reagent for performing a nucleic acid amplification reaction is reconstituted for each sample, and the reconstituted reagent is combined with the eluate in one of a plurality of processing vials. Each of the processing vials containing reconstituted reagent and eluate is closed with a cap and transferred to an incubator and the contents are subjected to nucleic acid amplification conditions.

Abstract: A receptacle delivery system for an instrument includes a carriage, a puck supported by the carriage, and a first shelf. The carriage is configured to move from a first location of the instrument to a second location of the instrument. The puck is configured to removably support a receptacle such that a longitudinal axis of the receptacle is substantially coincident with a vertical axis of the puck. The first shelf comprises (a) a base extending substantially transverse to the vertical axis of the puck and (b) a first opening defined by the base, and when the carriage is positioned at the second location, the longitudinal axis of a receptacle seated in the puck extends through the first opening.

Abstract: A method of delivering a receptacle to an instrument includes the steps of supporting a receptacle in a carriage, activating an electric motor to move the carriage between a first location and a second location of the instrument while the receptacle is supported by the carriage, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.

Abstract: Performing multiple nucleic acid amplification assays in an automated analyzer comprises loading the analyzer with a sample-containing receptacles, producing a purified form of a first sample to isolate a first analyte, producing a purified form of a second sample to isolate a second analyte, forming first and second amplification reaction mixtures with the purified first and second samples, the first mixture containing first amplification oligomers for amplifying a first region of the first analyte and the second mixture containing second amplification oligomers for amplifying a second region of the second analyte, exposing the second mixture to thermal conditions for amplifying the second region, exposing the first mixture to thermal conditions for amplifying the first region, determining the presence or absence of the second analyte in the second mixture, and determining the presence or absence of the first analyte in the first mixture.

Abstract: A system comprising an analyzer for performing nucleic acid amplification assays includes a controller configured to send instructions to purify a first sample by immobilizing a first analyte, purify a second sample by immobilizing a second analyte, form a first reaction mixture by combining a dissolved second reagent with the purified second sample, wherein a second solvent for dissolving the second reagent contains second amplification oligomers for amplifying the second analyte and the second reagent contains a polymerase but does not contain amplification oligomers for amplifying the second analyte, and form a second reaction mixture by combining a dissolved first reagent with the purified first sample, wherein the first reagent contains a polymerase and first amplification oligomers for amplifying the first analyte and a first solvent for dissolving the first reagent does not contain an amplification oligomer or a polymerase for amplifying the first analyte.

Abstract: Analyzing samples using an automated analyzer comprises retaining a first container containing a first solvent lacking an amplification oligomer at a first location of the analyzer, retaining a second container having a different structure than the first container and supporting solvent-containing vials at a second location of the analyzer, the solvent in each vial including an amplification oligomer, combining a first non-liquid reagent including at least one amplification oligomer with the first solvent and a first sample to form a first reaction mixture, combining a second non-liquid reagent lacking an amplification oligomer with the solvent included in a vial of the second container and a second sample to form a second reaction mixture, performing first and second amplification reactions with the first and second reaction mixtures, and determining the presence or absence of one or more analytes in the first and second reaction mixtures.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining the amount of an analyte in a sample comprises associating a nucleic acid amplification assay defined at least partly by user-defined assay parameters to the sample. The assay is performed by dissolving a unit-dose reagent with a solvent, wherein the solvent includes one or more amplification oligomers adapted to amplify a region of the analyte and the reagent does not include an amplification oligomer for performing the assay. A reaction mixture, including the dissolved reagent and the sample, is exposed to a temperature condition and measurements of fluorescence indicative of an amount of amplification products formed during the exposing are collected. The measurements are assessed with a computer using data analysis parameters provided by the user to compute results indicative of the amount of the analyte in the sample.

Abstract: A receptacle delivery system for an instrument of a plurality of instruments comprises a carriage supporting a puck. The carriage is configured to move with the puck from a first location to a second location within the instrument. The first location is a location where a receptacle supported by a carrier is positioned to be transferred to the puck supported by the carriage, and the second location being a location where the receptacle seated in the puck is positioned so that fluid from the receptacle can be drawn into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument.

Abstract: A receptacle delivery system that includes a rail extending between first and second locations of an instrument and a carriage configured to move on the rail between the first and second locations of the instrument. The carriage includes a bracket having opposed first and second sidewalls and a base extending between the first and second sidewalls, where the carriage is configured to support a receptacle. The carriage further includes a pair of opposed support pads, where the pair of support pads are configured to (a) move toward a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the first location toward the second location, and (b) move away from a receptacle supported by the carriage as the carriage moves from the second location toward the first location. The carriage also includes a pair of meshed cam gears rotatably coupled to the first sidewall, where each cam gear is coupled to a different one of the support pads.

Abstract: A receptacle-supporting puck includes spring-biased fingers arranged about a vertical axis, each finger having a contact surface to contact a receptacle seated in the puck. A supporting disc of the puck includes a disc sidewall projecting from a base and defining a pocket for seating a receptacle, first cavities in the base extending toward the vertical axis, and a puck passageway extending through opposed portions of the disc sidewall transversely to and offset from the vertical axis. Each finger is rotatably coupled to the supporting disc at a corresponding first cavity. A synchronization disc is positioned in the pocket, and each of the fingers is coupled to the synchronization disc such that the contact surfaces of the fingers move synchronously toward and away from the vertical axis. A retaining ring couples the fingers, the supporting disc, and the synchronization disc together.

Abstract: A method of delivering a receptacle to an instrument includes the steps of supporting a receptacle containing a fluid on a carrier, transporting the carrier supporting the receptacle on a conveyor extending adjacent to each of a plurality of instruments, transferring the receptacle from the carrier to a puck supported on a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location, moving the carriage with the receptacle seated in the puck from the first location to a second location within an instrument of the plurality of instruments, and drawing at least a portion of the fluid from the receptacle seated in the puck into a tip associated with a fluid extraction device of the instrument when the carriage is positioned at the second location.

Abstract: A receptacle delivery system includes a carriage configured to move from a first to a second location of an instrument. The carriage may be configured to removably support a receptacle and may include a receptacle clamping mechanism. The receptacle mechanism may be configured to apply a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first to the second location and release the clamping force as the carriage moves from the second to the first location.

Abstract: A method for performing an amplification reaction comprises the automated steps of combining a fluid sample together with one or more amplification reaction reagents in a reaction receptacle using a first automated pipettor, thereby forming a reaction mixture, transporting the reaction receptacle to a first, predetermined location of a centrifuge, subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, after subjecting the reaction mixture to centrifugation, removing the reaction receptacle from a second, predetermined location of the centrifuge different from the first predetermined location and placing the reaction receptacle in a thermocycler, and in the thermocycler, subjecting the reaction mixture to one or more temperature cycles.

Abstract: Providing a fluid to an instrument comprises supporting a sample receptacle on a first carrier, transporting the first carrier on a conveyor adjacent a plurality of modules including at least one instrument, stopping the first carrier at the instrument, transporting the sample receptacle to a pick-up position of the instrument, transporting the sample receptacle from the pick-up position to a pipetting station within the instrument, aspirating fluid within the sample receptacle and transferring the aspirated fluid to a reaction receptacle, after aspirating fluid from the sample receptacle, transporting the sample receptacle to the pick-up position, transporting the sample receptacle from the pick-up position to a second carrier the conveyor, in the instrument, performing an assay to determine the presence or absence of an analyte in the aspirated fluid, and transporting the second carrier on the conveyor to one or more of the plurality of modules other than the analytical instrument.

Abstract: Delivering a receptacle to an instrument comprises supporting a receptacle in a carriage when the carriage is positioned at a first location of the instrument, activating a sensing system coupled to the carriage to confirm that the receptacle is supported by the carriage, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, to a second location of the instrument, applying a clamping force to the receptacle as the carriage moves from the first location to the second location, at the second location, extracting at least a portion of a fluid contained in the receptacle using a fluid extraction device of the instrument, moving the carriage, and the receptacle supported therein, from the second location to the first location, and releasing the clamping force from the receptacle as the carriage moves from the second location to the first location.