Systems and methods for detecting the presence of a selected volume of material in a sample processing device

1. A method for processing sample processing devices, the method comprising:

providing a sample processing device comprising a detection chamber;

rotating the sample processing device about an axis of rotation; and

determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber, while rotating the sample processing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber at a selected position to determine whether the material is present at the selected position.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber for an optical property of a sample to determine whether the sample is present in the detection chamber.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection chamber includes an inner boundary located nearest the axis of rotation, and wherein determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber at a gantry position proximate the inner boundary of the detection chamber.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber for a meniscus.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes

emitting an electromagnetic signal into the detection chamber, and

obtaining a scan by detecting backscattered reflection of the electromagnetic signal, after emitting the electromagnetic signal into the detection chamber.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein obtaining a scan includes:

obtaining a first background scan of the detection chamber,

obtaining a second scan of the detection chamber after positioning a sample in the detection chamber, and

comparing the first background scan with the second scan to determine whether a selected volume of the sample is located in the detection chamber.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein comparing the first background scan with the second scan to determine whether a selected volume of the sample is located in the detection chamber includes determining whether a threshold change exists between the first background scan and the second scan.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing an optical module operatively positioned relative to the sample processing device on a gantry, wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber with the optical module at a plurality of radial positions, relative to the axis of rotation.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a radial position at which a threshold change is found between the first background scan and the second scan; and

using the radial position to determine the volume of the sample that is located in the detection chamber.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein optically interrogating includes

emitting an electromagnetic signal into the detection chamber, and

obtaining a scan by detecting fluorescence emitted by a material in the detection chamber, after emitting the electromagnetic signal into the detection chamber.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein obtaining a scan includes:

obtaining a first background scan of the detection chamber,

obtaining a second scan of the detection chamber after positioning a sample in the detection chamber, and

comparing the first background scan with the second scan to determine whether a selected volume of the sample is present in the detection chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein comparing the first background scan with the second scan to determine whether a selected volume of the sample is located in the detection chamber includes determining whether a threshold change in fluorescence exists between the first background scan and the second scan.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing an optical module operatively positioned relative to the sample processing device on a gantry, wherein interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber with the optical module at a plurality of radial positions, relative to the axis of rotation.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining a radial position at which a threshold change in fluorescence is found between the first background scan and the second scan; and

using the radial position to determine the volume of the sample that is present in the detection chamber.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

heating the detection chamber,

wherein determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber occurs while heating the detection chamber.

17. The method of claim 2 , wherein optically interrogating includes

emitting an electromagnetic signal into the detection chamber at a first wavelength, and

detecting electromagnetic signals emitted from the detection chamber at a second wavelength, after emitting the electromagnetic into the detection chamber at a first wavelength.

18. The method of claim 2 , wherein material includes a sample to be analyzed and reagent media, and wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber for an optical property of at least one of the sample and the reagent media in the detection chamber.

19. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing an optical module operatively positioned relative to the sample processing device on a gantry, and wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber with the optical module located at a predetermined gantry position.

20. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing an optical module operatively positioned relative to the sample processing device on a gantry, and wherein optically interrogating the detection chamber includes optically interrogating the detection chamber with the optical module at a plurality of gantry positions.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the plurality of gantry positions is associated with an amount of material, and further comprising:

detecting a threshold signal at a gantry position; and

correlating the gantry position to an amount of material that is present in the detection chamber.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of gantry positions includes different radial positions in the detection chamber, relative to the axis of rotation.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the sample processing device while determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber forces any material present in the detection chamber to a position in the detection chamber that is located furthest from the axis of rotation.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detection chamber includes an outer boundary positioned furthest from the axis of rotation, and wherein rotating the sample processing device while determining whether a selected volume of material is present in the detection chamber forces any material present in the detection chamber toward the outer boundary of the detection chamber.

25. A method for processing sample processing devices, the method comprising:

providing a sample processing device comprising a detection chamber;

rotating the sample processing device about an axis of rotation; and

optically interrogating the detection chamber for an optical property of a material to determine whether the material is present in the detection chamber, wherein optically interrogating occurs while rotating the sample processing device.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein rotating the sample processing device about an axis of rotation causes the sample to move to the detection chamber.

27. A method for processing sample processing devices, the method comprising:

providing a sample processing device comprising a processing array, the processing array comprising:

an input chamber,

a detection chamber, and

a channel positioned to fluidly couple the input chamber and the detection chamber;

positioning a sample in the input chamber of the processing array of the sample processing device;

rotating the sample processing device about an axis of rotation to move the sample to the detection chamber;

after rotating the sample processing device to move the sample to the detection chamber, optically interrogating the detection chamber for an optical property of the sample to determine whether the sample has moved to the detection chamber; and

rotating the sample processing device while optically interrogating the detection chamber.