1. A method for processing samples, the method comprising:
providing a loading chamber;
providing a detection chamber positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber;
providing a fluid path defined at least partially by the loading chamber and the detection chamber, wherein the fluid path terminates at the detection chamber, such that the detection chamber includes an inlet but no outlet;
positioning a sample in the loading chamber;
filtering the sample with a filter positioned in the loading chamber to form a concentrated sample on the filter and a filtrate, the filter having an inlet and outlet and positioned such that at least one of the inlet and the outlet is positioned in the fluid path, wherein filtering includes applying a pressure differential across the filter;
removing the filtrate from the fluid path at a location upstream of the detection chamber;
moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample from the filter, in the fluid path, to the detection chamber by centrifugation; and
analyzing the at least a portion of the concentrated sample in the detection chamber for an analyte of interest.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing enrichment media in the detection chamber prior to moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample from the filter, in the fluid path, to the detection chamber.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample from the filter, in the fluid path, to the detection chamber by centrifugation includes moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample to the detection chamber without exposing the concentrated sample to ambience.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet of the filter is positioned in the fluid path and the outlet is positioned such that removing the filtrate from the fluid path includes removing the filtrate via the outlet of the filter and occurs as a result of filtering the sample.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inlet and the outlet of the filter are positioned in the fluid path, such that the filtrate is removed from the fluid path at a location that is downstream of the filter.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid path is a primary fluid path and the filter defines a secondary fluid path, and wherein the secondary fluid path is oriented at an angle with respect to the primary fluid path.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising eluting the concentrated sample from the filter in the fluid path.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a detection chamber includes providing a plurality of detection chambers positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber, wherein the fluid path terminates at each detection chamber, and wherein moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample from the filter, in the fluid path, to the detection chamber includes moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample in the fluid path to each of the plurality of detection chambers.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting the concentrated sample in the detection chamber from moving out of the detection chamber.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein inhibiting the concentrated sample in the detection chamber from moving out of the detection chamber includes positioning at least one of an obstruction and a seal in the fluid path upstream of the detection chamber.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection chamber is in fluid communication with the loading chamber via a channel, wherein the fluid path is further defined by the channel, and further comprising sealing the channel after moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample in the fluid path to the detection chamber.
12. The method any claim 1, further comprising sealing at least a portion of the fluid path that is positioned upstream of the detection chamber after moving at least a portion of the concentrated sample from the filter, in the fluid path, to the detection chamber.
13. A system for processing samples, the system comprising:
a loading chamber adapted to receive a sample;
a detection chamber positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber;
a fluid path defined at least partially by the loading chamber and the detection chamber, wherein the fluid path terminates at the detection chamber, such that the detection chamber includes an inlet but no outlet;
a filter positioned in the loading chamber and having an inlet and an outlet, the filter positioned such that at least one of the inlet and the outlet is positioned in the fluid path, the filter adapted to filter the sample to form a concentrated sample and a filtrate; and
a filtrate outlet positioned such that the filtrate is removed from the fluid path at a location upstream of the detection chamber.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fluid path is configured to be sealed upstream of the detection chamber.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the detection chamber is one of a plurality of detection chambers, wherein the fluid path terminates at each detection chamber, and wherein the fluid path is configured to be sealed upstream of each detection chamber.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the detection chamber is one of a plurality of detection chambers positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber, and wherein the loading chamber is one of a plurality of loading chambers, and wherein some of the plurality of detection chambers are positioned in fluid communication with each of the plurality of loading chambers.
17. The system of claim 13, further comprising enrichment media for an analyte of interest that is provided in the detection chamber.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the enrichment media is present in the detection chamber prior to use.
19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a channel positioned in fluid communication between the loading chamber and the detection chamber, the channel further defining at least a portion of the fluid path.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the detection chamber is one of a plurality of detection chambers positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber, and wherein the channel is one of a plurality of channels positioned to fluidly couple the plurality of detection chambers with the loading chamber.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the detection chamber is one of a plurality of detection chambers positioned in fluid communication with the loading chamber, and wherein the channel is a primary channel, and further comprising a plurality of secondary channels positioned to fluidly couple the plurality of detection chambers with the primary channel.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the primary channel is configured to be sealed.
23. The system of claim 13, wherein the detection chamber is configured to receive at least a portion of the concentrated sample, and wherein, when at least a portion of the concentrate sample is positioned in the detection chamber, at least a portion of the fluid path upstream of the detection chamber is sealed.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An implant comprising
at least one first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) and a second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214), wherein the first element is provided in a pre-determined relative position to the second element, in particular at least partly in a recess (12; 42; 66; 82; 102; 122; 152; 198; 216) of the second element,
characterized in that the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) has a pre-positioning location with respect to the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214) having play and allowing a full area gas sterilisation of both elements and can be displaced from this pre-positioning location into an end positioning location corresponding to a fixed assembly of both elements.
2. An implant in accordance with claim 1, in which the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is provided at least in part in a recess (12; 42; 66; 82; 102; 122; 152; 198; 216) of the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214), characterised in that the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location in the recess (12; 42; 66; 82; 102; 122; 152; 198; 216), wherein the contact points between the first element and the second element in the recess are small in area, and is connected in a force locked and shape matched manner to the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214) in the end positioning location in the recess.
3. An implant in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the material of at least one of the first and second elements (6, 8; 40, 44; 60, 62, 63; 80, 84; 100, 108; 120, 128; 150, 154; 190, 192; 210, 214) includes highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene andor another plastic.
4. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the material of one of the first and second elements (6, 8; 40, 44; 60, 62, 63; 80, 84; 100, 108; 120, 128; 150, 154; 190, 192; 210, 214) includes a metal, in particular titanium.
5. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is loosely held in a substantially centred manner in the pre-positioning location.
6. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is held in the pre-positioning location with a play of at least 0.1 mm, for example 0.2 to 0.4 mm.
7. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess has a substantially circular cross-section, the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) has a substantially circular andor substantially star-shaped cross-section and the first element is radially and axially loosely held in the pre-positioning location in the recess (12; 42; 66; 82; 102; 122; 152; 198; 216).
8. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the pre-positioning location, the contact points between the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) and the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214) in the recess (12; 42; 66; 82; 102; 122; 152; 198; 216) are substantially punctiform.
9. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the pre-positioning location, the number of contact points in the recess between the first element (8; 40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) and the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214) is kept low.
10. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location by means of a snap connection.
11. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (82) has at least one projection (90) and a tapering region (88) at the end of the recess and the first element (80; 210) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location between the projection (90) and the tapering region (88).
12. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess has at least two projections (46, 48; 114; 162, 164; 206; 208) and the first element (40; 108; 154) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location between at least two projections.
13. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (122) has at least one projection (134), the first element (128) has at least two depressions (138; 140) for receiving the projection (134), the first element (12) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location by the projection (134) engaging into one of the at least two depressions (138), and the projection (134) is positioned in the end positioning location in another of the at least two depressions (140).
14. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (40; 60, 62; 80; 108; 128; 154; 192; 210) is connected in the end positioning location in a force locked and shape matched manner to the second element (6; 44; 63; 84; 100; 120; 150; 190; 214) in a clamping fit andor by means of a snap connection.
15. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (8; 80; 210) has at least one projection which engages into the second element (6; 84; 214) in the end positioning location.
16. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (40; 60; 80; 108; 128; 154; 210) is a ball (40; 60) or a pin (80; 108; 128; 154; 210), in particular a metal ball or a metal pin.
17. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (60, 62) includes a ball (60) and a plug (62) having a receiver for the ball; the ball (60) is loosely held in the pre-positioning location in the plug (62) or between the plug (62) and the end of the recess; and, in the end positioning location, the plug (62) is held in the recess and the ball (60) in the plug in a force locked and shape matched manner.
18. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first element (210) is a pin (210) having an anchoring spigot (212).
19. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second element is an inner shell (6) of a joint prosthesis and the first element is a cover plate (8) of the inner shell; the recess (12) is provided in the outer wall of the inner shell with a circular cross-section, a side wall (22) and a base (20) becoming deeper towards the centre of the recess, wherein the side wall (22) has at least one projection (24) directed to the centre of the recess, the cover plate (8) is loosely held by the side wall and by the projection in the pre-positioning location; the cover plate (8) has at least one cam (28) which engages, in the end positioning location, into the side wall (22) of the recess; and the cover plate (8) can be displaced in the recess (12) from the pre-positioning location into the end positioning location by a rotational movement.
20. An implant in accordance with claim 19, characterised in that at least one receiver (30) for the cam (28) is provided in the side wall (22) of the recess in the pre-positioning location.
21. An implant in accordance with claim 19 or claim 20, characterised in that the recess (12) has a groove (26) extending into the recess at the transition from the side wall (22) to the base (20).
22. An implant in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side wall (22) of the recess has an insert guide (32) for the insertion of the first element (8) into the pre-positioning location.
23. A method of manufacturing a sterile packaged implant having a with at least one first element and a second element, in particular in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the elements (6, 8; 40, 44; 60, 62, 63; 80, 84; 100, 108; 120, 128; 150, 154; 190, 192; 210, 214) forming the implant are packaged in a mutually coupled pre-positioning location having play relative to one another, are sterilised with gas and are transported and stored with this packaging.
24. A method in accordance with claim 23, characterised in that the gas sterilisation is carried out with ethylene oxide.
25. A method in accordance with claim 23 or claim 24, characterised in that individual elements (6, 8; 40, 44; 60, 62, 63; 80, 84; 100, 108; 120, 128; 150, 154; 190, 192; 210, 214) packaged in a sterile manner in a pre-positioning location are connected to one another in a force locked and shape matched manner for the completed installation of the implant after the opening of the packaging by rotational andor pushing movements.
26. A gas sterilised implant which is packaged in a packaging and consists of a plurality of individual elements, characterised in that the individual elements (6, 8; 40, 44; 60, 62, 63; 80, 84; 100, 108; 120, 128; 150, 154; 190, 192; 210, 214) adopt, in a mechanically coupled manner and with mutual play for the gas sterilisation in a packaging permeable to gas and impermeable to micro-organisms, a pre-positioning location from which they can be moved by rotational andor pushing movements after opening of the packaging into an end positioning location connected in a mutually force locked and shape matched manner.