Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fluidic cartridge includes providing a cartridge body with a sample chamber having an open first end and a sample exit port at a second end and one or more chambers that are that are fluidly connected or connectable with the sample chamber. First and second porous membranes are provided and the second membrane is affixed within the sample chamber covering the sample exit port. Non-magnetic beads and at least one magnetic element are introduced into the sample chamber. The first membrane is then affixed within the sample chamber, overlapping the open first end of the sample chamber. An internal wall of the sample chamber and the affixed first and second membranes define a lysis chamber. Pores of the first and second membranes are sized to retain the non-magnetic beads and the magnetic element within the lysis chamber.

Abstract: A method for lysing cells in a fluid sample includes positioning an electromagnet within a predetermined distance from a sample chamber of a microfluidic device which contains the fluid sample and lytic agents including non-magnetic beads and at least one magnetic element. A magnetic field generated by the electromagnet is targeted at the sample and the lytic agents contained in the sample chamber. The electromagnet is spatially separated from the sample chamber and held stationary while generating the magnetic field, and the polarity of the magnetic field is reversed, thereby causing the magnetic element to move in a random manner within the sample chamber to agitate the non-magnetic beads to lyse cells contained within the fluid sample and release nucleic acids from the lysed cells.

Abstract: A fluidic cartridge includes a sample chamber having an open top end and a sample exit port and a lysis chamber within the sample chamber. The lysis chamber is defined by an inner wall of the sample chamber, a first porous membrane affixed within the sample chamber, the first porous membrane overlapping the open top end, and a second porous membrane spaced apart from the first porous membrane affixed within the sample chamber, the second porous membrane overlapping the sample exit port. At least one magnetic element and a plurality of non-magnetic beads are contained within the lysis chamber, and the pores of the first and the second porous membranes are sized to retain the magnetic element and the non-magnetic beads within the lysis chamber.

Abstract: A cartridge for detecting an analyte by exposing a reaction mixture to an excitation optical signal and detecting an emission optical signal from the reaction mixture includes a cartridge body, a film affixed to a first portion of a surface of the cartridge body; and a thermally-conductive laminate seal affixed to a second portion of the surface. The cartridge body includes one or more reaction chambers, each having a wall that permits an optical signal to pass through the wall. The laminate seal covers an open end of the reaction chamber and includes a plastic layer affixed to the second portion of the surface of the cartridge body and a conductive layer affixed to the plastic layer opposite a surface of the plastic affixed to the second portion of the surface.

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: Systems and corresponding methods transfer liquid sample from a first container having a cap with a sample collection swab coupled thereto to a second container having a cap without such sample collection swap coupled thereto. Other systems and corresponding methods remove a cap having no sample collection swab coupled thereto from a first container and remove a cap having a sample collection swab coupled thereto from a second container containing a liquid sample. The cap with the sample collection swab coupled thereto is then secured to the first container and the cap having no sample collection swap coupled thereto is then secured to the second container.

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: Automated systems determine a level of fluid relative to a rim of a sample receptacle defining an open top of the sample receptacle. The systems utilize a distance sensor to measure the distance between the rim of the sample receptacle and the surface of a fluid sample contained in the sample receptacle, where at least one of the sensor and the sample receptacle is moved relative to the other to enable the sensor to obtain a sequence of discrete measurements of distances between the sensor and the rim of the sample receptacle and between the sensor and the surface of the fluid sample. A controller processes an output signal from the sensor to determine a level of the fluid relative to the rim of the sample receptacle. The derivative of the sequence of discrete measurements may be used to identify the rim and the fluid surface in the output signal.

Abstract: Automated systems and methods determine a level of fluid relative to a rim of a sample receptacle defining an open top of the sample receptacle. The systems and methods utilize a distance sensor to measure the distance between the rim of the sample receptacle and the surface of a fluid sample contained in the sample receptacle, where at least one of the sensor and the sample receptacle is moved relative to the other to enable the sensor to obtain a sequence of discrete measurements of distances between the sensor and the rim of the sample receptacle and between the sensor and the surface of the fluid sample. A controller processes an output signal from the sensor to determine a level of the fluid relative to the rim of the sample receptacle. The derivative of the sequence of discrete measurements may be used to identify the rim and the fluid surface in the output signal.

Abstract: Automated systems and methods determine a level of fluid relative to a rim of a sample receptacle defining an open top of the sample receptacle. The systems and methods utilize a distance sensor to measure the distance between the rim of the sample receptacle and the surface of a fluid sample contained in the sample receptacle, where at least one of the sensor and the sample receptacle is moved relative to the other to enable the sensor to obtain a sequence of discrete measurements of distances between the sensor and the rim of the sample receptacle and between the sensor and the surface of the fluid sample. A controller processes an output signal from the sensor to determine a level of the fluid relative to the rim of the sample receptacle. The derivative of the sequence of discrete measurements may be used to identify the rim and the fluid surface in the output signal.

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 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: A sample receptacle can be used for ordering assays to be performed by an automatic sample processing instrument. The sample receptacle can include a body defining a chamber for containing a sample and a label. The label can include discrete areas configured to be altered from a first assay order state to a second assay order state. Each discrete area has a known association with a different assay. The label can also include assay-identifying indicia indicating the respective assay associated with a respective discrete area. A method of processing a sample in a receptacle having one or more assay order states can include automatically determining assay order states of the discrete areas and performing an assay on the sample, using the automatic sample processing instruments, based on the determined assay order states of the discrete areas.

Abstract: A method of processing a sample in a receptacle having one or more assay order states can include automatically determining assay order states of the discrete areas and performing an assay on the sample, using the automatic sample processing instruments, based on the determined assay order states of the discrete areas. Each discrete area has a known association with a different assay. Each discrete area can be altered from a first assay order state to a second assay order state. The method includes a step of automatically determining assay order states of the plurality of discrete areas by determining whether each discrete area has been altered from the first assay order state to the second assay order state.

Abstract: A sample receptacle can be used for ordering assays to be performed by an automatic sample processing instrument. The sample receptacle can include a body defining a chamber for containing a sample and a label. The label can include discrete areas configured to be altered from a first assay order state to a second assay order state. Each discrete area has a known association with a different assay. The label can also include assay-identifying indicia indicating the respective assay associated with a respective discrete area.

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 system including a housing, a sample rack for holding a plurality of sample receptacles, and a reader for reading two-dimensional machine-readable labels associated with the plurality of sample receptacles as the sample rack moves between first and second positions within the housing. The system further includes a processing and control unit adapted to decode the two-dimensional machine-readable labels read by the reader and to associate each of the decoded two-dimensional machine-readable labels with an associated sample receptacle based on a measured position of the sample rack when the two-dimensional machine-readable label was read.

Abstract: A method of reading machine-readable labels on sample receptacles. In the method, a sample rack is moved between a first position and a second position within a housing, where the sample rack supports a plurality of sample receptacles, and each sample receptacle has a machine-readable label. An absolute position of the sample rack is measured as the sample rack moves between the first and second positions. An image of the machine-readable label associated with each sample receptacle is acquired as the sample rack moves between the first and second positions. Finally, the acquired image of each machine-readable label is decoded.