Magnetic separator

• US 6,368,561 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tecan Schweiz AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Inventors: Bartl, Ralf, Rutishauser, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINES, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/362,535
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 422/99, 422/65, 422/52, 210/205, 210/695, 210/222, 436/48, 436/49
• US Class Current: 422/527
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/01 by addition of magnetic adjuvants
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/0332 using permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/288 disposed at the outer circumference of a recipient
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/30 Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/18 Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/26 for use in medical applications
• 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

A holder (2) for sample liquid containers, e.g. Eppendorf vessels (15), is horizontally displaceable between a working position above a magnetic arrangement (4) and a heating position above a hotplate (5). The latter are supported on a baseplate (3) which can be vertically displaced by means of a lifting device (9) between a lowered passive position and a raised active position in which the magnetic arrangement (4) and the hotplate (5) act on the sample liquid in the Eppendorf vessels (15) and attract ferromagnetic particles suspended there. To improve the interaction between the ferromagnetic particles and the sample liquid, the magnetic arrangement (4) can be transversely moved by a stepping motor (6) between a first position, in which, for example, a magnetic plate (14) acts on a row of Eppendorf vessels (15) from the right side, and a second position, in which said magnetic plate (14) acts on the same row of Eppendorf vessels (15) from the left side.

Claims

1. A magnetic separator comprising:

a holder for at least one sample liquid container;

a magnetic arrangement which is arranged underneath said holder and which can be moved, relative to the holder, at least vertically between an active position, in which said magnetic arrangement extends into the immediate vicinity of the at least one sample liquid container, and a passive position, in which said magnetic arrangement is at a distance below said container;

said holder being displaceable relative to the magnetic arrangement between a working position, in which said holder lies above the magnetic arrangement, and a further position, in which said holder is horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement; and

a heating device arranged adjacent the magnetic arrangement in such a way that the holder, in said further position horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement, occupies a heating position above the heating device.

2. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein said heating device is displaceable relative to the holder, at least vertically between an active position in which said heating device extends into the immediate vicinity of the at least one sample liquid container, and a passive position, in which said heating device is a distance below said container.

3. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, including a housing in which the magnetic arrangement and the heating device are installed in a vertically displaceable manner, and the holder is installed in a horizontally displaceable manner.

4. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, including at least one lifting device with at least one lever which is rotatable about a horizontal axis and engages with an extension under a horizontal lifting surface while the magnetic arrangement and the heating device are vertically guided, for vertical displacement of the magnetic arrangement and of the heating device.

5. A magnetic separator according to claim 4, wherein the lever is in the form of a gear wheel driven by a toothed belt running over said gear wheel.

6. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic arrangement has a plurality of at least approximately vertical magnetic plates which extend over the length of the magnetic arrangement.

7. A magnetic separator according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic plates have limited transverse displaceability.

8. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic arrangement is arranged on an only vertically displaceable baseplate and is transversely displaceable relative to the only vertically displaceable baseplate.

9. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is in the form of a hotplate having indentations in the surface of the hotplate.

10. A magnetic separator according to claim 9, wherein the hotplate comprises metal and electric heating elements mounted on a lower surface of the hotplate.

11. A magnetic separator according to claim 8, wherein the heating device is arranged on the baseplate.

12. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic arrangement and the heating device can be removed in an upward direction.

13. A magnetic separator according to claim 1, wherein the holder is in the form of a frame which at least partly surrounds a plurality of orifices of different format which are superimposed on one another.

14. A magnetic separator comprising:

a holder for at least one sample liquid container;

a magnetic arrangement which is arranged underneath said holder and which can be moved, relative to the holder, at least vertically between an active position, in which said magnetic arrangement extends into the immediate vicinity of the at least one sample liquid container, and a passive position, in which said magnetic arrangement is at a distance below said container;

said holder being displaceable relative to the magnetic arrangement between a working position, in which said holder lies above the magnetic arrangement, and a further position, in which said holder is horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement;

a heating device arranged adjacent the magnetic arrangement in such a way that the holder, in said further position horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement, occupies a heating position above the heating device; and

a housing in which the magnetic arrangement and the heating device are installed in a vertically displaceable manner, and the holder is installed in a horizontally displaceable manner.

15. A magnetic separator comprising:

a holder for at least one sample liquid container;

a magnetic arrangement which is arranged underneath said holder and which can be moved, relative to the holder, at least vertically between an active position, in which said magnetic arrangement extends into the immediate vicinity of the at least one sample liquid container, and a passive position, in which said magnetic arrangement is at a distance below said container, the magnetic arrangement have a plurality of at least approximately vertical magnetic plates which extend over the length of the magnetic arrangement;

said holder being displaceable relative to the magnetic arrangement between a working position, in which said holder lies above the magnetic arrangement, and a further position, in which said holder is horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement; and

a heating device arranged adjacent the magnetic arrangement in such a way that the holder, in said further position horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement, occupies a heating position above the heating device.

16. A magnetic separator comprising:

a holder for at least one sample liquid container, the holder being in the form of a frame which at least partly surrounds a plurality of orifices of different format which are superimposed on one another;

a magnetic arrangement which is arranged underneath said holder and which can be moved, relative to the holder, at least vertically between an active position, in which said magnetic arrangement extends into the immediate vicinity of the at least one sample liquid container, and a passive position, in which said magnetic arrangement is at a distance below said container;

said holder being displaceable relative to the magnetic arrangement between a working position, in which said holder lies above the magnetic arrangement, and a further position, in which said holder is horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement; and

a heating device arranged adjacent the magnetic arrangement in such a way that the holder, in said further position horizontally offset relative to the magnetic arrangement, occupies a heating position above the heating device.