US 12,241,131 B2
Methods and systems of multi-assay processing and analysis
Frank Pawlowski, Amherst, NH (US); Joseph P. Skinner, Libertyville, IL (US); Jack Kessler, Southborough, MA (US); and Sonal Sadaria Nana, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to Abbott Molecular Inc., Des Plaines, IL (US)
Filed by Abbott Molecular Inc., Des Plaines, IL (US)
Filed on Jul. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/390,591.
Application 17/390,591 is a continuation of application No. 15/459,666, filed on Mar. 15, 2017, granted, now 11,104,962.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/308,625, filed on Mar. 15, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0010387 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/6888 (2018.01); B01L 9/00 (2006.01); C12Q 1/6806 (2018.01); G01N 30/88 (2006.01); G01N 33/48 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/569 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/6888 (2013.01) [B01L 9/523 (2013.01); C12Q 1/6806 (2013.01); G01N 30/88 (2013.01); G01N 33/48 (2013.01); G01N 35/00584 (2013.01); G01N 33/56983 (2013.01); G01N 35/00 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00326 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for performing two or more assays on two or more samples, the method comprising:
a) loading the two or more samples into a multi-assay processing system for parallel processing of the two or more assays on the two or more samples, the system comprising: a multi-assay processor module, a processor, and a non-transitory computer readable medium programmed with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the multi-assay processing system to:
i) analyze the time schedule for two or more assays that have two or more steps that utilize two or more resources of the multi-assay processing module, wherein the two or more assays have different time durations for one or more of the two or more steps;
ii) determine, before the initiation of the multi-assay processing, introduction of at least one delay step within or between the two or more steps of the two or more assays such that simultaneous processing of the two or more assays does not require, at a given time, the same limiting resource from the multi-assay processing module; and
iii) introduce the at least one delay step within or between the two or more steps of the two or more assays in a manner that eliminates resource contention between the two or more resources of the multi-assay processing module thereby allowing parallel processing of the two or more assays in the multi-assay processing module; and
b) initiating the multi-assay processing of the two or more samples in the multi-assay processing system.