Sealed sample storage element system and method
First Claim
1. A storage element comprising:
- a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method operative in accordance with the present disclosure facilitate storage and retrieval of individual or discrete samples of biological, non-biological, and chemical material stored on dry media. Sample material may be disposed upon or within a porous or solid (i.e., non-porous) sample storage medium and subsequently archived in, and retrieved from, storage elements such as multi-well plates, for example, using robotic devices or other automated apparatus. The disclosed system and method enable ejection of sample material from a sealed storage element into a specific well of a multi-well daughter plate, or into a specific cuvette, test tube, or similar container. In some embodiments, a sample carrier comprising a storage medium may be punched or ejected through a first seal of the storage element with an apparatus or implement such as a disposable piercing tip, for instance, inserted through a second seal of the storage element.
-
Citations
66 Claims
-
1. A storage element comprising:
a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
13. A storage element comprising:
a plurality of containers;
each of said plurality of containers having a respective reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and a respective ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier.- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
24. A method of archiving a sample;
- said method comprising;
providing a storage element comprising a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier;
sealing said ejection opening;
inserting a sample carrier into said container through said reception opening; and
archiving sample material maintained on said sample carrier in said container. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
- said method comprising;
-
36. A method of inserting a sample carrier into a storage element;
- said method comprising;
providing a storage element comprising a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier;
providing a substrate comprising a sample storage medium;
selectively cutting a sample carrier from said substrate; and
inserting said sample carrier into said container through said reception opening. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
- said method comprising;
-
53. A method of ejecting a sample carrier from a sealed storage element;
- said method comprising;
providing a storage element comprising a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier;
aligning an ejector with said container;
inserting said ejector through said reception opening; and
ejecting said sample carrier from said container through said ejection opening. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
- said method comprising;
-
63. An archive system comprising:
-
a receptacle having a support surface;
a plurality of storage elements arranged in a two dimensional configuration on said support surface, each of said plurality of storage elements comprising a container having a reception opening configured and operative to receive a sample carrier and an ejection opening configured and operative to allow ejection of said sample carrier; and
an ejector apparatus operative to;
align an ejector with a target container in a selected one of said plurality of storage elements;
insert said ejector through said reception opening in said target container; and
eject said sample carrier from said target container through said ejection opening. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66)
-
Specification