Carrier device

An analytical carrier device permits the holding of a sample, reaction vessel with reagents for the sample, and a container for receiving a processed sample. The container facilitates transfer to an analytical device for analysis.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
This invention discloses materials which is disclosed and/or claimed in a 
patent application entitled Vortex Mixer Drive, Ser. No. 07/736,177, filed 
Jul. 26, 1991 and also an application entitled Multilinear Automatic 
Apparatus for Processing Immunoassays, Ser. No. 07/736,157, filed Jul. 26, 
1991. 
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a carrier device for holding samples which are to 
be analyzed in a manner which facilitates their combination with analysis 
reagents and apparatus for transferring the results for determination by 
further instrumentation. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the analytical field it is often necessary to process samples of 
reagents for analysis by combining them with various reagents, support 
particles and the like. Following such analysis, it is then necessary to 
transfer the processed sample held in a reaction device back to a device 
which facilitates processing the results. This is particularly true when 
the interim processing of a sample involves repeated steps that typically 
required immunoassay techniques. These include reaction time and wash 
cycles all involving the use or other particles to facilitate the chemical 
reactions. In a case of immunoassays, it is necessary to vortex the 
contents of a reaction vessel to maintain the particles suspended so that 
the reaction may go to completion. Such analysis may also present 
difficulties inasmuch as the samples may come from different units and all 
require mounting on the processing carrier. A further problem arises due 
to the combination of the samples and reagents during the processing. It 
is difficult to keep track of the proper sample to make sure it receives 
the processing needed and does not become mixed up with other samples so 
that the integrity of the analysis is lost. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Many of these problems are solved by the device of this invention which 
facilitates the analysis of samples in a reaction vessel. The device 
comprises a top member having an end portion, a support for the top 
member, a transparent container having analysis reagents contained therein 
and having a header containing an instruction code formed on the header, a 
sample cup being removably mounted on the top member adjacent the header, 
and a reaction vessel holder mounted by the top member in the end portion, 
whereby the sample may be positioned in the reaction vessel for reaction 
and thereafter transferred to the transparent container for analysis. 
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the device of the invention is 
mounted to permit the sample to be nutated. The reaction vessel itself 
comprises an inner container having a longitudinal axis and which contains 
a first reagent and an outer container coaxially positioned about the 
upper portion of the inner container, the outer container having a second 
reagent. It is desirable that the transparent container be slidably 
removeable from the top member to facilitate its use and transfer for 
further analysis. 
The apparatus of this invention maintains three units together, i.e., the 
sample, the reagent for analysis and the ultimate processed sample in a 
separate container. This facilitates processing samples and maintains all 
the units necessary for analysis together during the analysis time 
interval. Multiple sample cups may be simply clipped on to the carrier for 
use with different sample input and separate incubation is permitted by 
the structure of the carrier for material within the reaction vessel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
There may be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, exploded sectional views of one of 
the carriers constructed in accordance with this invention. The carrier is 
seen to contain a hollow, molded housing 50 defined by a pair of sidewalls 
52, a top plate 58, and a base support 60. A drive bar 140 is positioned 
in the lower portion between the sidewalls and secured to the base support 
as by glueing. This bar 140 has receptacles 61 to facilitate its receiving 
driving or positioning pins for positioning the bar 140 and hence the 
carrier. The housing 50 may be formed of polysulfone or any other suitable 
engineering plastic which is rigid, strong and chemically inert. Attached 
to the front sidewall (in the drawing) is a partition 54 which cooperates 
with the top 58 to accommodate the header top frame 62 of an analytical 
container or pack 69 which may be the same and preferably is the same as 
the analytical pack used in the aca.RTM. Automatic Clinical Analyzer sold 
by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., U.S.A. The 
analytical pack has identifying indicia 66 on the top, which may be read 
by appropriate sensors to indicate the particular test being run, and 
includes transparent plastic pack 72 supported by the header 62 and a 
hollow septum 68 with an orifice 70 which may be used to introduce 
materials into the pack 72. Since the analytical container 62 is well 
known it will not be described further. 
In any event, the partition 54 and top 58 cooperate to define an orifice 56 
adapted to accommodate the top member 62 of the analytical pack 69 so it 
may be inserted into the carrier which is formed of plastic material. The 
side pack is to slide in between the two walls 52. The top of the carrier 
50 also includes an elongated cup-like member 76 which is adapted to 
receive a removable sample cup 78 containing a container 80. The sample 
cup 78 is held in the position within the opening 76 by appropriate molded 
grips 82. A fitting feature 84 may be provided for the sample cup 78 to 
control access to the opening. 
To complete the carrier, the end of the top member 58 may have an orifice 
86 with downwardly extending flanges 88 adapted to hold a reaction vessel 
holder 90. The flanges 88 are concave on the inside to define a socket 
which cooperates with the bulbous top on a reaction vessel holder 90 in a 
ball and socket joint manner. The lower portion of the reaction vessel 
holder 90 may be shaped as to have an inverted cavity or receptacle 92 at 
the upper end of which is a bore 94 adapted to receive a pin from a 
nutating drive member. 
In an alternative embodiment of this invention, the reaction vessel 100 
holder 90 may be the reaction vessel itself although the use of the holder 
is preferred for its long term stability and reliability. If the reaction 
vessel holder 90 is adapted to separate reaction vessel 100, the vessel 
100 has at the upper portion thereof a concentric chamber 102 for holding 
reaction reagents that typically may be used, for example, in an 
immunoassay process. 
The reaction vessel holder 90 is nutated by an automatic apparatus 104. 
Although any suitable drive apparatus may be used that provides two 
directions of linear motion and one direction of rotary motion, that 
described in copending application Ser. No. 07/736,157, filed on Jul. 26, 
1991, is one that has been used successfully. This drive apparatus 
provides a bidirectional motion as depicted by the line 106 (FIG. 1) as 
well as rotational motion as depicted by the line 108 to the reaction 
vessel holder 90. The drive apparatus is powered by a single bidirectional 
drive motor 110 which provides rotational motion to the automatic 
apparatus 104. The automatic apparatus engages the reaction vessel holder 
90 by elevating a mixing cylinder (not shown) on which a pin is positioned 
contiguous the periphery at a point off the elongated axis of the mixing 
cylinder. In other words the pin engages the bottom end of the reaction 
vessel holder 90 in a position which is eccentric to the axis which mounts 
the mixing cylinder. The apparatus then spins the cylinder moving the 
engaged end of the vessel holder 90 into an orbit. If the vessel holder 90 
is mounted so that it is free in two rotational directions of freedom, 
then the contents of the reaction vessel holder 90 will swirl or nutate 
thus mixing them. Reversal of the drive 110 which spins the reaction 
vessel holder 90 stops the orbiting of the vessel 100 and lowers the 
cylinder thus disengaging the cylinder from the reaction vessel holder 90. 
The carrier device just described has many advantages and it permits in 
effect the combination of three different functions into a single device. 
Firstly, sample cups from various analysis devices holding the sample may 
be snapped into place in the upper portion of the device. Secondly, a 
reaction vessel 100 containing reagents for the analysis of samples may be 
inserted into a reaction vessel holder 90 which may be inserted into and 
processed separately from the carrier. Thirdly, the completed reacted 
sample with reagents may be introduced into the analytical pack 62 which 
is slidably removeable from the carrier for subsequent processing and 
analysis is desired in other machines.