Sample tube and system for storing and providing nucleic acid samples

• US 20070116613A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Inventors: Elsener, Donat
• Application Number:
  US11/602,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/102
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0618 for removable separation walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/026 having blocks or racks of reaction cells or cuvettes

Abstract

A sample tube for storing and providing samples containing nucleic acid and a system having multiple sample tubes in individual receptacle cavities of racks, are robotically transportable together with these racks, for individually storing and providing multiple samples containing nucleic acid, as well as a corresponding use of racks and sample tubes. The preferably 96 or 384 receptacle cavities of the rack, which is preferably provided with an SBS footprint, and the sample tubes are additionally implemented for robotic removal of the sample tubes from the receptacle cavities. The sample tubes have an inner shoulder for accommodating and a clamping body for clamping a single portion containing at least one, preferably individual DNA sample, of a sample carrier, the sample carrier being selected from a group which comprises FTA paper, filter papers, cellulose membranes, and separating gels.

Claims

1. A sample tube for storing and providing samples containing nucleic acid,

wherein the sample tube has an inner shoulder for accommodating and a clamping body for clamping a single portion of a sample carrier containing at least one DNA sample, the sample carrier being selected from a group which comprises FTA paper, filter papers, cellulose membrane, and separating gels.

2. The sample tube according to claim 1,

wherein the portion of the sample carrier contains a single individual DNA sample.

3. The sample tube according to claim 1,

wherein the clamping body is implemented to be situated inside the sample tube.

4. The sample tube according to claim 3,

wherein the clamping body is implemented as ring-shaped, star-shaped, or box-shaped.

5. The sample tube according to claim 1,

wherein the sample tube is implemented as essentially cylindrical and has a blade on its top for stamping out a portion of a sample carrier to be accommodated.

6. The sample tube according to claim 1,

wherein the clamping body is an essentially cylindrical top part of the sample tube, this sample tube additionally comprising a bottom part, which is implemented so it may be plugged together with this top part to form a seal.

7. The sample tube according to claim 6,

wherein the top part has a blade on its lower end and/or the bottom part has a blade on its upper end for stamping out a portion of a sample carrier to be accommodated.

8. The sample tube according to claim 6,

wherein the top part has a sleeve on its lower end or the bottom part has a sleeve on its upper end for inserting the particular other part of the sample tube to form a seal.

9. The sample tube according to claim 1,

wherein the sample tube has a lower terminus.

10. The sample tube according to claim 9,

wherein the lower terminus of the sample tube has an outlet capillary.

11. The sample tube according to claim 10,

wherein the outlet capillary is situated centrally and the lower terminus of the sample tube additionally has a peripheral droplet barrier.

12. The sample tube according to claim 1,

characterized in that each sample tube is closed on its top using a film or a stopper.

13. A system having multiple sample tubes, which are situated in individual receptacle cavities of racks and are robotically transportable together with these racks, for individually storing and providing multiple samples containing nucleic acid, the preferably 96 or 384 receptacle cavities of the racks and the sample tubes additionally being implemented for the robotic removal of these sample tubes from these receptacle cavities, each sample tube having an inner shoulder for accommodating and a clamping body for clamping a single portion of a sample carrier containing at least one DNA sample, the sample carrier being selected from a group which comprises FTA paper, filter papers, cellulose membranes, and separating gels,

wherein the system comprises least two racks which may be situated one above another and at least one manipulator, whereby the racks may be positioned one above another in the system in such a way that at least a part of their receptacle cavities stand one below another in the register, and whereby a manipulator is implemented to push sample tubes from an upper rack into correspondingly positioned receptacle cavities of a lower rack and/or a manipulator is implemented to push sample tubes from a lower rack into correspondingly positioned receptacle cavities of an upper rack.

14. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the portion of the sample carrier has a single individual DNA sample.

15. The system according to claim 13,

which comprises sample tubes each containing a single individual DNA sample, the racks having an SBS footprint.

16. The system according to claim 13,

wherein each sample tube has two parallel ribs on its outer circumference for positioning the sample tubes on protrusions of partition walls, which separate the receptacle cavities of a racks from one another, by being snapped in.

17. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the manipulator is implemented for simultaneously pushing two or more sample tubes.

18. System according to claim 13,

wherein the racks comprise an identification, preferably an RFID tag or barcode.

19. A use of sample tubes, which are situated in individual receptacle cavities of racks having an SBS footprint and are robotically transportable together therewith, the receptacle cavities of the racks and the sample tubes additionally being implemented for the robotic removal of one or more of the sample tubes from these receptacle cavities;

and of sample carriers for storing and providing samples containing nucleic acid, in each case a portion of a sample carrier containing at least one DNA sample being stored in a sample tube and the sample tube being positioned in a receptacle cavity of a rack, after which the sample tubes having the samples containing nucleic acid being provided in a predefined and variable number of preferably 1 through 384 sample tubes, the sample carriers being selected from a group which comprises FTA paper, filter papers, cellulose membranes, and separating gels,

wherein at least two racks are situated one above another in such a way that at least a part of their receptacle cavities stand one below another in the register, and wherein sample tubes from an upper rack are pushed into correspondingly positioned receptacle cavities of a lower rack and/or sample tubes are pushed from a lower rack into correspondingly positioned receptacle cavities of an upper rack, using at least one manipulator.

20. The use according to claim 19,

wherein the sample tubes having the samples containing nucleic acid are provided in a predetermined and variable configuration.

21. The use according to claim 19,

wherein a portion containing at least one sample is stamped out of a sample carrier using a blade, this blade being situated on the top of a sample tube.

22. The use according to claim 19,

wherein a portion containing at least one sample is stamped out of a sample carrier using a blade, this blade being situated at the lower end of the top part and/or at the upper end of the bottom part of a sample tube.

23. The use according to claim 19,

wherein a portion containing at least one sample is stamped out of a sample carrier using a blade, this blade being situated on a manipulator of a system for storing and providing multiple samples containing nucleic acid.

24. The use according to claim 19,

wherein each sample tube is closed on its top by a film or a stopper.