Apparatuses and methods for mixing fluid or media by vibrating a pipette using transient and steady-state intervals

Abstract

In an embodiment, an immunochemistry analysing system includes a source of paramagnetic particles, a source of fluid, a cuvette configured to receive the paramagnetic particles and the fluid, a pipette configured to (i) translate so that at least a portion of the pipette is located within the cuvette and (ii) dispense at least one of the paramagnetic particles and the fluid into the cuvette so that the paramagnetic particles and the fluid can be mixed within the cuvette, a motor configured to move the pipette while located in the cuvette, and a control unit configured to vary a motor drive of the motor to cause the pipette to mix the fluid with the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A method of mixing paramagnetic particles comprising:
 injecting paramagnetic particles into a cuvette using a pipette;   dispensing fluid from a source of fluid into the cuvette using the pipette;   applying a magnetic force outside of the cuvette to attract the paramagnetic particles to a wall of the cuvette; and   varying a motor drive of a motor using a control unit to cause the pipette within the cuvette to mix the paramagnetic particles and the dispensed fluid within the cuvette,   wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive using alternating transient and steady-state intervals to cause the pipette to mix the fluid with the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette, and   wherein the motor drive causes the pipette to vibrate during the steady-state intervals and stop vibrating during the transient intervals.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is dispensed into the cuvette after the magnetic force is applied. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by reversing the motor at least one time to mix the fluid with the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by increasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by decreasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein fluid includes at least one of a patient sample, a capture reagent and a rinse buffer. 
     
     
         7 . An immunochemistry analysing method comprising:
 injecting paramagnetic particles into a cuvette using a mixing mechanism;   causing the mixing mechanism to be at least partially submerged within the cuvette;   applying a magnetic force outside of the cuvette to attract the paramagnetic particles to a wall of the cuvette; and   using a control unit to operate a motor according to a stored mixing setting to cause the mixing mechanism to mix the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette, wherein the mixing setting specifies a series of time intervals over which a motor drive of the motor is varied,   wherein the mixing setting includes instructions to operate the motor using alternating transient and steady-state intervals.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the motor drive causes the mixing mechanism to vibrate during the steady-state intervals and stop vibrating during the transient intervals. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising dispensing fluid from a source of fluid into the cuvette using the mixing mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the mixing mechanism is a pipette configured to dispense the fluid into the cuvette to be mixed with the paramagnetic particles. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the mixing mechanism is a pipette configured to dispense the paramagnetic particles into the cuvette. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by reversing the motor at least one time to mix the fluid with the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette during the steady-state intervals. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by increasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time during the steady-state intervals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by decreasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time during the steady-state intervals. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by increasing a magnitude of the motor drive during one steady-state time interval and decreasing a magnitude of the motor drive during another steady-state time interval. 
     
     
         16 . An immunochemistry analysing method comprising:
 injecting, using a mixing mechanism, a fluid from a fluid source into a cuvette containing paramagnetic particles;   causing the mixing mechanism to be at least partially submerged within the cuvette; and   using a control unit to operate a motor according to a mixing setting to cause the mixing mechanism to mix the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette, wherein the mixing setting specifies a series of time intervals over which a motor drive of the motor is varied,   wherein the mixing setting includes instructions to operate the motor using alternating transient and steady-state intervals, and   wherein the motor drive causes the mixing mechanism to vibrate during the steady-state intervals and stop vibrating during the transient intervals.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein fluid includes at least one of a patient sample, a capture reagent and a rinse buffer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by reversing the motor at least one time to mix the fluid with the paramagnetic particles within the cuvette during the steady-state intervals. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by increasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time during the steady-state intervals. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to vary the motor drive additionally by decreasing a magnitude of the motor drive of the motor at least one time during the steady-state intervals.