Apparatus and method for high-throughput preparation and characterization of compositions
First Claim
1. A high throughput system for evaluating experiments, which comprises:
- a) a plurality of containers, each of which contains a compound-of-interest and optionally one or more additional compounds;
b) a block having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes for receiving the containers, wherein each hole has a top opening on the top surface and a bottom opening on the bottom surface, wherein the top opening is of a dimension sufficient to accommodate a container and the dimension of the bottom opening is of a dimension that will not accommodate the container; and
c) a lifting mechanism which comprises a pin that when inserted in the bottom opening of the hole is of a length sufficient to at least partially push the container from the hole.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are described that allow the high-throughput preparation, processing, and study of arrays of samples, each of which comprises at least one compound. Particular embodiments of the invention allow a large number of experiments to be performed in parallel on samples that comprised of one or more compounds on the milligram or microgram quantities of compounds. Other embodiments of the invention encompass methods and devices for the rapid screening of the results of such experiments, as well as methods and devices for rapidly determining whether or not similarities exist among groups of samples in an array. Particular embodiments of the invention encompass methods and devices for the high-throughput preparation of different forms of compounds (e.g., different crystalline forms), for the discovery of new forms of old compounds, and for the discovery of new methods of producing such forms. Embodiments of the invention also allow for the high-throughput determination of how specific compounds or forms of compounds behave when exposed to other chemicals or environmental conditions.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A high throughput system for evaluating experiments, which comprises:
-
a) a plurality of containers, each of which contains a compound-of-interest and optionally one or more additional compounds;
b) a block having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes for receiving the containers, wherein each hole has a top opening on the top surface and a bottom opening on the bottom surface, wherein the top opening is of a dimension sufficient to accommodate a container and the dimension of the bottom opening is of a dimension that will not accommodate the container; and
c) a lifting mechanism which comprises a pin that when inserted in the bottom opening of the hole is of a length sufficient to at least partially push the container from the hole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of obtaining a solid form of a compound-of-interest which comprises:
-
a) providing a system which comprises;
i) a block having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes for receiving the containers, wherein each hole has a top opening on the top surface and a bottom opening on the bottom surface, wherein the top opening is of a dimension sufficient to accommodate a container and the dimension of the bottom opening is of a dimension that will not accommodate the container;
ii) a plurality of containers held in the block; and
iii) a thermal processing system for heating and cooling multiple blocks simultaneously;
b) dispensing a controlled amount of a compound-of-interest and optionally one or more additional compounds in each of the containers;
c) optionally sealing the containers; and
d) placing the block in the thermal processing system for an amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification