US-12618774-B2 - Fluid testing system

US12618774B2US 12618774 B2US12618774 B2US 12618774B2US-12618774-B2

Abstract

Technology described herein includes a method that includes providing, by an optical light source, a light beam configured to traverse an optical path through a fluid comprising the biological sample in a container. A length of the optical path through the fluid is between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm, and a center of the light beam is at a height less than 1.6 mm from a bottom interior surface of the container, and a volume of the fluid is less than 120 μL. An optical detector receives optical information after the light beam traverses the optical path. An output of the optical detector is associated with at least one parameter representing the one or more characteristics of the biological sample.

Inventors

Ethan F. Schonbrun
Christopher FARREN
Paul C. McCormack
Luisa Andruzzi

Assignees

INSTRUMENTATION LABORATORY CO.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220415

Claims (8)

1 . A system for determining one or more characteristics of a biological sample, the system comprising: a cuvette configured to contain a fluid comprising the biological sample, where a volume of the fluid to be contained is less than 120 μL, wherein the cuvette comprises at least one pair of opposing surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other, the at least one pair of opposing surfaces defining a portion of the cuvette into which the fluid is dispensed or from which the fluid is aspirated, wherein a length of a portion of the cuvette configured to contain the fluid is between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm and a width of the portion is between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm; a probe configured to dispense the fluid into the cuvette or aspirate a portion of the fluid from the cuvette; an optical source external to the cuvette and the probe, the optical source disposed to provide a light beam through the cuvette, the light beam configured to traverse an optical path through the fluid in the cuvette along a direction substantially perpendicular to the at least one pair of opposing surfaces, the optical source being positioned external to the cuvette such that a center of the light beam is at a height less than 1.6 mm from a bottom interior surface of the cuvette; and an optical detector configured to receive optical information after the light beam traverses the optical path, wherein an output of the optical detector is associated with at least one parameter representing the one or more characteristics of the biological sample.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a volume of the fluid remaining in the cuvette after aspiration is less than 35%, or less than 40% of the volume of the fluid in the cuvette before the aspiration.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the probe is configurable through a user input interface, such that the volume of the fluid remaining in the cuvette after an aspiration by the probe is adjustable.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the fluid to be contained is less than 100 μL, less than 75 μL, or less than 50 μL.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a length of the optical path through the fluid is 4 mm.
6 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a programmable processor configured to: receive and/or process the optical information to generate values for the at least one parameter including optical absorbance, and perform evaluations related to the one or more characteristics of the biological sample using the at least one parameter and one or more values adjustable through a user input interface.
7 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a programmable processor configured to: receive information indicative of a composition of the fluid in the cuvette, and determine, based on the information indicative of the composition of the fluid, a dispense height of a corresponding probe above a surface of the fluid for dispensing at least one of the biological sample or a reagent component of the fluid, wherein the dispense height of the corresponding probe is determined by accounting for surface tension interactions between the fluid and walls of the cuvette.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the dispense height is between 2 mm and 4 mm from an average liquid level of the fluid in the cuvette.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This specification generally relates to fluid testing devices and systems. BACKGROUND A fluid testing device or system performs analysis of the properties of a biological sample, such as blood or another body fluid. An example of fluid testing is hemostasis testing used in diagnosis of various hemostatic disorders. In some fluid testing systems, a biological sample is dispensed into a container (e.g., a cuvette) and mixed with one or more reagents. The system can include an optical interrogation system that generates a light beam configured to traverse an optical path through the fluid in the container and measures one or properties of the light beam thereafter. Various properties of the fluid in the container can be determined/identified based on information derived from the measured properties of the light beam. SUMMARY In one aspect, this document describes a system for determining one or more characteristics of a biological sample. The system includes a container configured to contain a fluid including the biological sample, where a volume of the fluid to be contained is less than 120 μL; an optical source providing a light beam configured to traverse an optical path through the fluid in the container, where a length of the optical path through the fluid is less than 6 mm, the optical source being positioned relative to the container such that a center of the light beam is at a height less than 1.6 mm from a bottom interior surface of the container; and an optical detector configured to receive optical information after the light beam traverses the optical path, wherein an output of the optical detector is associated with at least one parameter representing the one or more characteristics of the biological sample. In another aspect, this document describes a container that includes a lower portion enclosed by (i) a first pair of surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other, a separation between the first pair of surfaces being in a range 3.3 mm to 6 mm, and (ii) a second pair of surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first pair of surfaces, a separation between the second pair of surfaces being less than 6 mm; and an upper portion connected to the lower portion, the upper portion enclosed by at least a third pair of surfaces that are divergent with respect to each other, wherein the lower portion is configured to contain a fluid including a biological sample, wherein a height of the lower portion is such that the lower portion is configured to hold a volume of the fluid no more than 120 μL. In another aspect, this document describes a method for determining one or more characteristics of a biological sample. The method includes providing, by an optical light source, a light beam configured to traverse an optical path through a fluid including the biological sample in a container, where a length of the optical path through the fluid is between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm, wherein a center of the light beam is at a height less than 1.6 mm from a bottom interior surface of the container, where a volume of the fluid is less than 120 μL; and receiving, by an optical detector, optical information after the light beam traverses the optical path, wherein an output of the optical detector is associated with at least one parameter representing the one or more characteristics of the biological sample. Implementations of the above aspects can include one or more of the following features. The method can further include aspirating, by a probe, a portion of the fluid in the container, wherein a volume of the fluid remaining in the container after aspiration is less than 35% of the volume of the fluid in the container before the aspiration; and dispensing, by the probe, the aspirated portion of the fluid back into the container. The volume of the fluid remaining in the container after the aspiration is adjustable through a user input interface. The volume of the fluid to be contained is less than 100 μL, less than 75 μL, or less than 50 μL. The length of the optical path through the fluid is 4 mm. Length and width of a portion of the container configured to contain the fluid is between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm and between 3.3 mm to 5.5 mm, respectively. The method can further include receiving, by a processing unit, the optical information; processing, by the processing unit, the optical information to generate values for the at least one parameter including optical absorbance; and performing, by the processing unit, evaluations related to the one or more characteristics of the biological sample using the at least one parameter and one or more values adjustable through a user input interface. The method can further include receiving, by a processing unit, information indicative of a composition of the fluid in the container; and determining, by the processing unit, based on the information indicative of the composition of the fluid, a dispense height of a c