Patent ID: 7169613
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for reducing contamination of empty reaction vessels, or of reaction vessels which are already charged with an analyte-free sample material or a sample material which contains a low concentration of analyte, within an arrangement of reaction vessels which are located in spatial proximity to each other while samples or reagents are pipetted using an automated sample dispenser having liquid uptake (aspirate profile) and liquid release (dispense profile) parameters, the method comprising using an enzyme/dye test to initially establish the extent of the contamination by: adding an enzyme solution to the reaction vessels in a first constituent region of the spatial arrangement, adding a suitable chromogen/substrate reagent, which, on contact with the enzyme, induces a color reaction, to the reaction vessels in a second constituent region of the spatial arrangement, ascertaining possible contaminations by determining color development in the reaction vessels; and subsequently modifying a rate of the liquid uptake (aspirate profile) and the liquid release (dispense profile) parameters of the automatic sample dispenser such that a number or an intensity of color in the reaction vessels marked by the color development is reduced.