Patent ID: 8168443
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: B01F,B01L,C12N,C12Q,G01N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: disposing a plurality of cassettes into an instrument enclosure, 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; moving a 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; rotating each valve shaft from the plurality of valve shafts when the plurality of valve shafts is in the second position to transfer the particle between the first chamber of the cassette and the second chamber of the cassette; moving a 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; and moving, when the plurality of protrusions is in the first protrusion position, 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.