APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MAGNETIC PARTICLES FROM LIQUIDS CONTAINING SAID PARTICLES, AND AN ARRAY OF VESSELS SUITABLE FOR USE WITH SUCH AN APPARATUS

• US 20100284864A1
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Holenstein, Tobias, Schneebeli, Rolf, Belz, Renato
• Granted Patent: US 8,470,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/101
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/01 by addition of magnetic adjuvants
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/02 acting directly on the substance being separated
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/0332 using permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/12 with magnets moving during operation; with movable pole pieces
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/288 disposed at the outer circumference of a recipient
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/18 Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C

Abstract

An apparatus for separating magnetic particles from a liquid which contains said particles, said liquid being contained in an elongated vessel (11) having a length axis (12), said vessel being arranged in a vessel holder (13) with its length axis (12) in a substantially vertical position, said vessel (11) having a bottom and a tapered cross-section that diminishes towards the bottom of the vessel and a side wall (14) which has an outer surface which forms an angle with the length axis (12) of said vessel (11). This apparatus comprises a magnet (15) having a plane outer surface (16) and being adapted for being moved by transport means (17) along a motion path (25), said magnet (15) and said transport means (17) being so arranged with respect to said vessel (11) that over a portion of said motion path (25) said plane outer surface (16) of said magnet is in contact with a portion of said outer surface of said side wall (14) of said vessel (11), and transport means (17) for moving said magnet (15) between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position along said motion path (25).

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for separating magnetic particles from a liquid which contains said particles, said liquid being contained in an elongated vessel (11), said method comprising:

automatically moving a magnet (15) along a motion path (25) with respect to said elongated vessel, wherein the elongated vessel (11) has a length axis (12) and is arranged in a vessel holder (13) with its length axis (12) in a substantially vertical position, said vessel (11) having a bottom and a lower portion which has a tapered cross-section that diminishes towards the bottom of the vessel and a side wall (14) which has an outer surface which forms an angle with the length axis (12) of said vessel (11), and wherein, the magnet has a plane outer surface (16) in contact with a portion of the outer surface of the side wall (14) of the lower portion of said vessel (11) over a portion of said motion path (25), and wherein the magnet (15) is moved downwards and towards the length axis (12) of said vessel (11), when it is moved along said portion of said motion path (25).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a force is exerted on magnet (15) in order to press the plane outer surface (16) of said magnet (15) on the outer surface of the side wall (14) of the lower part of vessel (11) while said magnet (15) is moved along the portion of motion path (25).

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said motion path (25) is a closed motion path.

16. An apparatus for separating magnetic particles from a liquid which contains said particles, said apparatus comprising:

(a) an elongated vessel which contains said elongated vessel (11) having a length axis (12) and a bottom, said vessel being arranged in a vessel holder (13) with its length axis (12) in a substantially vertical position, said vessel (11) having a lower portion which has a tapered cross-section that diminishes towards the bottom of the vessel and a side wall (14) which has an outer surface which forms an angle with the length axis (12) of said vessel (11),

(b) a magnet (15) having a plane outer surface (16) and being adapted for being moved by transport means (17) along a motion path (25), said magnet (15) and said transport means (17) being so arranged with respect to said vessel (11) that over a portion of said motion path (25) said plane outer surface (16) of said magnet is in contact with a portion of said outer surface of said side wall (14) of said lower portion of said vessel (11), and

(c) transport means (17) for moving said magnet (15) between a first predetermined position and a second predetermined position along said motion path (25), said motion path being so arranged that said magnet (15) is moved downwards and towards the length axis (12) of said vessel (11) when said magnet (15) is moved from said first predetermined position to said second predetermined position along said motion path (25).

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said transport means (17) comprises a magnet holder (18) having a cavity (21) for receiving a portion of the magnet (15) and a belt-drive (19) for moving said magnet holder (18) and thereby the magnet (15) along said motion path (25).

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the magnet holder (18) comprises spring means (22, 23) adapted for exerting a predetermined force on said magnet (15) and said outer surface of the side wall (14) of the lower portion said vessel (11) when said magnet (15) is moved over said portion of said motion path (25) thereby ensuring contact of said plane outer surface (16) of said magnet and said outer surface of the side wall (14) of the lower portion of said vessel (11).

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the magnet (15) snuggly fits in a cavity of the magnet holder (18).

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the motion path (25) is a dosed motion path.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the magnet (15) has a magnetic axis (24) that forms an angle of about 45 degrees with the plane outer surface (16) of the magnet (15).

22. An array of vessels (41) suitable for containing liquid samples to be processed in an analyzer, said array comprising:

(a) a first row (31) of vessels (11) for receiving said samples,

(b) a second row (43) of vessels (51) each of which is adapted for receiving a pipetting tip (61),

(c) an upper part (45) having a substantially cuboid shape and being divided in compartments (46) having each side walls (47) and a bottom wall (48), a vessel (11) for receiving a sample and a vessel (51) for receiving a pipetting tip (61) extending from respective openings (52, 53) in the bottom wall (48) of each of said compartments (46), each of said compartments (46) having a back side wall (55) and a front side wall (54) located in face of the back side wall, said compartments (46) being separated from each other by side walls (47) which extend each between a back side wall and a front side wall of a compartment, and each of said front side walls (54) having a central opening (56) which allows the passage of the tip (62) of a pipetting tip (61) when the latter is moved from a position within the array of vessels (41) to a position outside the array of vessels (41).

23. The array of vessels according to claim 22, wherein the upper part (45) is made by injection molding of a first plastic material and the first row (31) of vessels and the second row (43) of vessels are made by injection molding of a second plastic material, the material of said upper part (45) being more rigid that the material of said first and second rows (31, 43) of vessels.

24. An apparatus for separating magnetic particles from a plurality of liquids which contain said particles, each of said liquids being contained in a vessel (11) which is part of an array (31) of vessels,

(a) an array of vessels according to any one of claim 22, and

(b) a connecting device (71) for connecting said array (31) of vessels (11) to means for disposal of waste liquids contained in vessels (11) of said array (31) of vessels.