Automated clinical diagnostic system and method using parallel liquid chromatography channels and sample preparation workflows

US10775355B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Tobias Franz · Munich, DE
• Uwe Kobold · Wielenbach, DE
• Peter Kupser · Mannheim, DE
• Roland Thiele · Murnau am Staffelsee, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 2018
• Grant date: Sep 15, 2020
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2030/8804
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times. The controller further sets and initiates a start sequence that generates a prepared sample output sequence that matches the LC channel input sequence.