Patent ID: 8029746
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: B01F,B01L,C12N,C12Q,G01N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: an instrument enclosure configured to contain a plurality of cassettes, each cassette from the plurality of cassettes including a valve member defining a cavity within which a particle can be disposed, the valve member configured to transfer the particle between a first chamber of the cassette and a second chamber of the cassette, each cassette from the plurality of cassettes defining a first reagent chamber and a second reagent chamber; a particle transfer system disposed within the instrument enclosure, the particle transfer system including a plurality of valve shafts and a first actuator assembly, the first actuator assembly configured to move the plurality of valve shafts between a first position and a second position to apply a magnetic force produced by a magnetic portion of each valve shaft to attract the particle into the cavity of the valve member of the corresponding cassette from the plurality of cassettes, the first actuator assembly configured to rotate each valve shaft from the plurality of valve shafts when the plurality of valve shafts is in the second position when the particle is transferred between the first chamber of the cassette and the second chamber of the cassette; and a reagent release system disposed within the instrument enclosure, the reagent release system including a plurality of protrusions and a second actuator assembly, the second actuator assembly configured to move the plurality of protrusions between a first protrusion position, in which each protrusion from the plurality of protrusions is substantially aligned with the first reagent chamber from the corresponding cassette and a second protrusion position, in which each protrusion from the plurality of protrusions is substantially aligned with the second reagent chamber from the corresponding cassette, the second actuator assembly configured to move a protrusion from the plurality of protrusions into contact with a plunger associated with the first reagent chamber of the corresponding cassette to transfer a first reagent from the first reagent chamber into the first chamber, the second actuator assembly configured to move the protrusion from the plurality of protrusions into contact with a plunger associated with the second reagent chamber of the corresponding cassette to transfer a second reagent from the second reagent chamber into the first chamber.