Patent ID: 11966086
Assignee: GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A method of determining temperature-varying signal emissions during automated, random-access thermal cycling processes, comprising the automated steps of:
(a) transferring a first set of one or more receptacles to a first receptacle holder;
(b) subjecting the contents of each receptacle of the first set of receptacles to a first thermal cycling process and recording a temperature at regular time intervals during the first thermal cycling process and recording a time stamp for each time interval to generate a first time/temperature data set;
(c) transferring a second set of one or more receptacles to a second receptacle holder;
(d) subjecting the contents of each receptacle of the second set of receptacles to a second thermal cycling process and recording a temperature at regular time intervals during the second thermal cycling process and recording a time stamp for each time interval to generate a second time/temperature data set;
(e) with a signal detector, sequentially measuring a signal emission at each of a plurality of signal detecting positions at regular time intervals, wherein the signal emission measurement at each signal detecting position is made at a different time interval and is repeated over a prescribed period, and wherein each receptacle of the first set of receptacles and each receptacle of the second set of receptacles is associated with a different one of the signal detecting positions;
(f) during step (b), recording a signal emission measured during step (e) from the contents of each receptacle of the first set of receptacles and recording a time stamp at each time interval for which a signal emission is recorded for the receptacle, to generate a time/signal emission data set for each receptacle of the first set of receptacles;
(g) during step (d), recording a signal emission measured during step (e) from the contents of each receptacle of the second set of receptacles and recording a time stamp at each time interval for which a signal emission is recorded for the receptacle, to generate a time/signal emission data set for each receptacle of the second set of receptacles;
(h) synchronizing the measured signal emissions of each receptacle of the first set of receptacles with a specific temperature of the first thermal cycling process by comparing the time stamps of the time/signal emission data set for each receptacle of the first set of receptacles with the time stamps of the first time/temperature data set that correspond with the specific temperature of the first thermal cycling process; and
(i) synchronizing the measured signal emissions of each receptacle of the second set of receptacles with a specific temperature of the second thermal cycling process by comparing the time stamps of the time/signal emission data set for each receptacle of the second set with the time stamps of the second time/temperature data set that correspond with the specific temperature of the second thermal cycling process.