BACKGROUND

Various assay protocols for clinical and molecular processes are implemented in systems that include fluid handling equipment to deliver various types of reagent fluids held in one or more reagent storage components to a reagent destination to conduct one or more fluid operations, such as mixing, processing, reaction, detection, etc. Typically, after each fluid operation, a fluid buffer solution is introduced through the fluidic device to flush out any unused reagent molecules remaining from the previous fluid operation, thereby ensuring that the reagent fluid used in the next fluid operation is not contaminated by remnant reagent molecules. To have a sufficient amount of fluid buffer to flush the fluidic device after each fluid operation, systems, in particular the fluidic cartridge, typically house large volumes of fluid buffer. Housing large volumes of fluid buffer, however, can be cumbersome as fluid cartridges are limited in space availability as size reduction is pursued. Moreover, housing large volumes of fluid buffer increases the costs of conducting the various fluid operations.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the claimed subject matter. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the claimed subject matter nor delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Aspects of the disclosure encompass a method comprising: a step (a) of moving an aliquot of first reagent fluid into a fluidic device; (b) after step (a), moving a volume of fluid buffer into the fluidic device; (c) after step (b), moving at least a portion of the volume of fluid buffer moved in step (b) into a first fluid buffer reservoir; (d) after step (c), moving an aliquot of second reagent fluid into the fluidic device; (e) after step (d), moving a volume of fluid buffer into the fluidic device; and (f) after step (e), moving at least a portion of the volume of fluid buffer moved in step (e) into a second fluid buffer reservoir.

Aspects of the disclosure encompass a system comprising: a fluidic device, a flow control valve, a first reagent fluid reservoir fluidly connectable to the fluidic device by the flow control valve, a first fluid buffer reservoir fluidly connectable to the fluidic device by the flow control valve, and a common fluid buffer source fluidly connectable to the fluidic device by the flow control valve. In some examples, the flow control valve permits flow comprising: (i) flow from the first reagent fluid reservoir to the fluidic device, (ii) flow from the common fluid buffer source to the fluidic device, (iii) flow from the fluidic device to the first fluid buffer reservoir, (iv) flow from the first reagent fluid reservoir to the fluidic device, and (v) flow from the first fluid buffer reservoir to the fluidic device.

Aspects of the disclosure encompass a computer readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer controller of an automated system, causes the system to execute the following system processes: (a) move an aliquot of first reagent fluid into a fluidic device; (b) after process (a), move a volume of fluid buffer into the fluidic device; (c) after process (b), move at least a portion of the volume of fluid buffer moved in process (b) into a first fluid buffer reservoir; (d) after process (c), move an aliquot of second reagent fluid into the fluidic device; (e) after process (d), move a volume of fluid buffer into the fluidic device; and (f) after process (e), move at least a portion of the volume of fluid buffer moved in process (e) into a second fluid buffer reservoir.

Other features and characteristics of the subject matter of this disclosure, as reservoir as the methods of operation, functions of related elements of structure and the combination of parts, and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures.

