초록 ▼

Apparatus and method for adding liquid to, aspirating liquid from, a rack of reaction tubes wherein a rack and carriage-dependent probes are made to move relative each other in the horizontal and vertical planes. The method calls for performing the first half of a wash sequence on tube located at x

Apparatus and method for adding liquid to, aspirating liquid from, a rack of reaction tubes wherein a rack and carriage-dependent probes are made to move relative each other in the horizontal and vertical planes. The method calls for performing the first half of a wash sequence on tube located at x row, y column, then completing the sequence on tube at (x-1) row, y column, and returning to the tube at x row, (y+1) column to initiate the first half of the sequence. This “backtracking”of probes permits an incubation-soak period without cumulatively extending the total rack processing time.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for adding liquid to, and aspirating liquids from, reaction tubes disposed in rack comprising the steps of: providing reaction tubes disposed in a rack, said rack having n rows in a first horizontal x-direction and m columns in a second horizontal y-direction, perpendicular to the x-directi

A method for adding liquid to, and aspirating liquids from, reaction tubes disposed in rack comprising the steps of: providing reaction tubes disposed in a rack, said rack having n rows in a first horizontal x-direction and m columns in a second horizontal y-direction, perpendicular to the x-direction; a liquid probe depended from a carriage above said rack of tubes, said probe selectively moveable along its longitudinal axis relative to said carriage and perpendicular to the rack horizontal plane; means for moving said carriage in the x-direction or y-direction; means for selectively registering the liquid probe with a row of tubes in said rack; and, control means for selecting and effecting absolute and relative movement of the carriage, probe and rack; introducing a controlled, timed, tube-dependent pause in a sequence for adding liquid to, and aspirating liquid from, a rack of reaction tubes by controlling the carriage and liquid probe movement so that for each of y=1 to m columns, a. liquid is added to tube in x row, y column; b. previously-added liquid from tube in (x-1) row, y column is aspirated; c. carriage, rack and probe are returned to register said probe with the tube in x row, (y+1) column; wherein x is between 1 and n.