Support plate accommodating and being integrally connected with a plurality of adjacent sample containers

• US 5,620,663 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qiagen GmbH (Qiagen NV)
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Aysta, James E., Colpan, Metin
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SUN U
• Application Number:
  US08/552,704
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 210/323.2, 210/406, 210/466, 210/473, 210/474, 210/483, 422/101, 422/102, 422/104, 435/305.1, 435/305.2
• US Class Current: 422/566
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/18 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50855 using modular assemblies of strips or of individual wells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

The support plate accommodating and being integrally connected with a plurality of adjacent sample containers is disclosed. Each sample container is suitable to accommodate a liquid sample to be separated into components and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening between which a separation layer is arranged. The sample container has a bottom wall in which the outlet opening is located and the outlet opening encloses an outlet spout having an inner diameter in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm and a length in the range of 5 to 20 mm. The ratio between the inner diameter of the outlet spout and its length is in the range of 0.005 to 0.2.

Claims

1. A support plate accommodating and being integrally connected with a plurality of adjacent sample containers, each sample container being suitable to accommodate a liquid sample to be separated into components, each sample container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening between which a separation layer is arranged, said sample container having a bottom wall in which said outlet opening is located, said outlet opening enclosing an outlet spout having an inner diameter in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm.

2. The plate according to claim 1 wherein said separation layer abuts the bottom wall of said sample container.

3. The plate according to claim 1 wherein said sample containers are arranged side by side in rows and columns and the containers are interconnected by said support plate.

4. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein each sample container has a generally tubular wall.

5. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said separation layer is a filter paper, a glass frit, or a membrane or material with selective adsorption properties.

6. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said separation layer is a fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene matrix having sorptive particulate enmeshed therein.

7. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said outlet spout has a length in the range of 5 to 20 mm.

8. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said outlet spout has a length up to 2 cm.

9. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said sample containers contain a retaining ring to keep said separation layer against said bottom wall.

10. The support plate according to claim 9 wherein said retaining ring is made of plastic or rubbery material.

11. The support plate according to claim 1 which is made of a plastic material.

12. The support plate according to claim 1 wherein said separation layer is arranged so as to be penetrated by said liquid sample.

13. A support plate accommodating and being integrally connected with a plurality of adjacent sample containers, each sample container being suitable to accommodate a liquid sample to be separated into components, each sample container having an inlet opening and an outlet opening between which a separation layer is arranged, said sample container having a bottom wall in which said outlet opening is located, said outlet opening enclosing an outlet spout having an inner diameter in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm and a length in the range of 5 to 20 mm, the ratio between the inner diameter of said outlet spout and its length being in the range of 0.005 to 0.2.