Method of producing a reagent on-board an instrument

Abstract

The present invention relates broadly to production of a reagent on-board an instrument. The instrument is provided with a probe for dispensing said reagent, a concentrate chamber adapted to contain a concentrate and a diluent chamber adapted to contain a diluent. The probe includes an in-line mixing chamber adapted to receive the concentrate and the diluent to provide the reagent at the required concentration for dispensing by the probe.

1 . An instrument utilizing a reagent, said instrument providing on-board mixing of the reagent and including:
 a probe for dispensing said reagent;
 a concentrate chamber adapted to contain a concentrate; and 
 a diluent chamber adapted to contain a diluent; 
   wherein the probe includes an in-line mixing chamber adapted to receive the concentrate and the diluent to provide the reagent at the required concentration for dispensing by the probe.   
     
     
         2 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the concentrate chamber is located in the probe, upstream of the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the diluent chamber is located in the probe, upstream of the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the probe includes a bifurcation upstream of the mixing chamber providing fluid communication between each of the concentrate chamber and the and the diluent chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the diluent is pumped to the diluent chamber from a bulk supply on board the instrument. 
     
     
         6 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the concentrate chamber receives a predetermined volume of the concentrate from a sealed container stored on-board the instrument. 
     
     
         7 . The instrument as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the sealed container includes a sealing membrane arranged to contain the concentrate and an inert gas, and wherein the sealing membrane is adapted to be at least partly removed or pierced by the instrument. 
     
     
         8 . The instrument as defined in  claim 6 , comprising a plurality of the sealed containers on-board the instrument, each sealed container containing a predetermined volume of the concentrate. 
     
     
         9 . The instrument as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sealed containers are arranged as multiple reservoirs in a blister pack. 
     
     
         10 . The instrument according to  claim 1 , including a concentrate dispenser comprising packaging adapted to contain a plurality of concentrate capsules on-board the instrument, and wherein the instrument is configured to control release each of the capsules from the concentrate dispenser for mixing with a diluent in the mixing chamber of the probe. 
     
     
         11 . The instrument as defined in  claim 10  wherein the packaging includes a stacked cartridge adapted to contain one or more columns of the plurality of concentrate capsules. 
     
     
         12 . The instrument as defined in  claim 11  wherein the concentrate dispenser also comprises a reciprocating release operatively coupled to the stacked cartridge to release, under control of the instrument, a lowermost of the column of capsules from the cartridge for mixing with the diluent on-board the instrument. 
     
     
         13 . The instrument as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the packaging includes a cartridge reel adapted to contain a roll of the concentrate capsules retained in a concentrate tape configured to be dispensed from the cartridge reel under control of the instrument. 
     
     
         14 . The instrument as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the concentrate tape includes two strips adhered to one another with the concentrate capsules sandwiched therebetween, and the concentrate dispenser includes a spool for removing one of the strips to release each of the concentrate capsules from the dispenser. 
     
     
         15 . The instrument as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the instrument is a laboratory instrument and the reagent is a high value reagent.