Patent ID: 8435463
Filing Date: 2013-05-07
Classification: B01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a housing including a support surface to support a cartridge including (i) a body having a surface defining one or more cartridge positioning members comprising positioning apertures defined along the cartridge surface, (ii) a sample processing device disposed on the surface of the cartridge, and (iii) a plurality of electrical contact pads associated with the sample processing device, wherein the body of the cartridge defines a plurality of fluid conduits through which a sample flows to and from the processing device; a socket attached to the housing, the socket including a socket surface having (i) one or more socket positioning members, the one or more socket positioning members comprising positioning features extending from the socket surface, the positioning features being configured to engage with the one or more cartridge positioning apertures, (ii) a plurality of electrical contacts and (iii) a plurality of magnets, wherein the socket is configured to move relative to the support surface of the housing and to pivot to align the plurality of magnets with the plurality of fluid conduits, the one or more socket positioning members located in a fixed relation to the plurality of electrical contacts so that when the socket is spaced proximate to the support surface of the housing, the one or more socket positioning members engage with the one or more cartridge positioning members to align the plurality of electrical contacts of the socket with the plurality of electrical contact pads of the cartridge; and an actuator associated with the socket, the actuator configured to align each magnet with a respective fluid conduit of the processing device.