Sampler transfer

• US 6,428,668 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Original Assignee: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Inventors: Erfle, Holger, Ansorge, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOGUEROLA, ALEXANDER STEPHAN
• Application Number:
  US09/350,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 204/450, 204/456, 204/466, 204/467, 204/600, 204/606, 204/616, 204/617, 204/618, 435/287.7, 435/309.1, 422/100, 738/647.2, 600/575
• US Class Current: 204/466
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44743 Introducing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing

Abstract

In the method moving a sample substance by means of a sample feeder (26) form a sample pickup site to a delivery site (20) of a sample processor (10), the invention proposes fitting the sample feeder (26) with at least one porous material element having a pore size such that the sample substance shall be kept in the liquid phase in the porous material at least during sample pickup by the sample feeder (26) and during sample delivery to the sample processor (10).

Claims

1. A method for moving a sample by a sample feeder to a sample processor comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a sample comprising a biological macromolecule;

(b) providing the sample feeder comprising a sample pickup site and contacting the sample with the sample feeder for uptake of the sample through the sample pickup site;

(c) moving the sample to a sample delivery site on a sample processor; and

(d) delivering the sample from the sample feeder through the sample delivery site for processing of the sample by the sample processor, wherein the sample feeder comprises at least one porous material element comprising a porous material of a pore size wherein upon contacting the sample the sample is retained by capillary forces in a liquid phase in the porous material and

wherein a gap different from zero exists between the at least one porous material element of the sample feeder and the sample delivery site.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein following sample pickup by the sample feeder the sample is dried, and the sample feeder is moved toward a liquid phase before sample delivery.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electric field crossing the porous material element is generated in the region of the sample pickup site in order to produce a flow from the porous material element.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein following delivery of the sample, the sample feeder is moved from the sample delivery site to the sample pickup site.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the porous material element of the sample feeder physically connects the sample delivery site to the sample pickup site.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a sample processor comprising a plurality of sample pickup sites and a corresponding plurality of porous material elements of the sample feeder.

7. Method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the sample feeder comprises a material element support supporting the material elements in a configuration corresponding to the geometry of the sample pickup sites.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sample feeder is comb-shaped.

9. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sample feeder is a porous sheet comprising porous material elements.

10. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the material element support bears a corresponding plurality of separate material elements.

11. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the material element support consists of a substrate sheet.

12. Method as claimed in claim 6, comprising a sample vessel rack with a plurality of sample wells in a configuration corresponding to the geometric array of the material elements of the sample feeder.

13. Method as claimed in claim 12 comprising sample slots formed along an edge of a separator at the sample pickup sites in the separator, wherein the separator simultaneously separates several sample liquids, and the sample slots comprise receiving matching porous material elements of the sample feeder.

14. Method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sample slots are prepared independently of the sample feeder and before moving the sample feeder, or are prepared by inserting the sample feeder already fitted with sample substance into the separation gel material before polymerization.

15. Method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sample feeder is mounted in the direction of the separator edge at a distance of up to a few mm from the edge.

16. Method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the material elements are mounted in a common and substantially planar surface located either in the plane of the separator or being perpendicular to the separator.

17. Method as claimed in claim 2, comprising a porous material with a mean pore size less than 100μ

.

18. Method as claimed in claim 17, comprising a porous material with a mean pore size between 1.5 and 0.2μ

.

19. Method as claimed in claim 1 comprising a porous material comprising at least one of porous cellulose acetate, cellulose mixed ester, porous polyethylene of porous glass, agarose gel and other wide-mesh gel matrices.

20. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pH value of the liquid phase electrically charges biological macromolecules in the sample liquid.

21. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sample feeder is moved several times consecutively to move sample liquid.

22. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising moving sample liquid to an electrophoretic apparatus or to a chromatographic apparatus.

23. Method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the electrophoretic apparatus comprises a horizontally or vertically oriented separator.

24. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising moving the sample liquid to an electrophoretic apparatus or a chromatographic apparatus comprising several separation capillaries.

25. Method as claimed in claim 1, comprising moving the sample liquid to a microchip system comprising several sensors.

26. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gap distance is up to several mm.

27. Sample feeder according to the method claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one porous material element.

28. Electrophoretic apparatus fitted with a sample feeder for performing the method claimed in claim 1.

29. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gap distance is between 0.2 and 2 mm.

30. Electrophoretic apparatus fitted with a porous sample feeder, comprising a separator and an electric field system to apply an electric field to the separator wherein the porous sample feeder is inserted into the electrophoretic apparatus at a gap different from zero from the separator, and the electric field system is adapted to generate an electric field around the gap to move sample material from the sample feeder into the separator.

31. Electrophoretic apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the gap is 0.2 to 2 mm.

32. Electrophoretic apparatus as claimed in claim 30, comprising a separator joining two plates to each other, wherein at least one of the plates is fitted with a bevel on the side of the separator for inserting the sample feeder.

33. Electrophoretic apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein a volume between the sample feeder and the separator is filled with a liquid which is electrically insulating and/or of a higher density than water.

34. Electrophoretic apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the volume adjoins the bevel.

35. A method for preparing and picking up small sample volumes of a sample material containing biological macromolecules comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a sample comprising the sample material such as DNA comprising the biological macromolecules and a volume of a first solvent liquid,

(b) adding a volume of a second solvent liquid of a lesser rate of evaporation than the first solvent liquid to the sample,

(c) evaporating the first solvent liquid from the sample of b) to obtain the small sample volume, and

(d) picking up the sample by a porous sample feeder.

36. Method as claimed in claim 35, comprising a blower in stage (c).

37. Method as claimed in claim 35, wherein a portion of the second sample is used in stage (c).

38. Method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the second solvent liquid is formamide.

39. Method as claimed in claim 35, wherein following pickup of the sample volume by the porous sample feeder and before insertion of the sample feeder into an electrophoretic apparatus, the sample feeder is moistened.

40. Method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the porous sample feeder is stored.

41. Method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the sample volume is approximately 0.5 μ

l.