Device and method for mixing magnetic particles with a fluid
First Claim
1. Method of mixing, in one or more container(s), magnetic or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid, using at least two magnet arrays with a corresponding container array disposed between adjacent magnet arrays to form an intervening array geometry, wherein each magnet array comprises a plurality of spaced apart magnets, whereby the containers are subjected to magnetic fields with different and changing directions by moving the magnets in the adjacent magnet arrays with respect to the position of the container(s) in the corresponding container array and/or by oscillating the containers with respect to the positions of the magnets.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to the use of magnetic or magnetizable particles, and, in particular, to methods of mixing magnetic or (super)paramagnetic particles efficiently with a fluid and the separation of the magnetic particles from a fluid, optionally followed by resuspension of the particles in another fluid. The present invention provides a method of mixing, in one or more container(s), magnetic or (super)paramagnetic particles with a fluid, using more than one magnets, whereby the containers are subjected to magnetic fields with different and changing directions by moving the magnets with respect to the position of the container(s) and/or by moving the containers with respect to the positions of the magnets. The invention further provided a device for doing the same. Preferably the holders for the containers and the magnets in the device are placed in intervening array geometrics and the magnets are placed in line in such a way that all magnets that are in line have their poles oriented in the same direction, and that all magnets in a neighboring line have their poles oriented in the reverse direction with respect to the poles of the magnets in the first line.
186 Citations
42 Claims
- 1. Method of mixing, in one or more container(s), magnetic or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid, using at least two magnet arrays with a corresponding container array disposed between adjacent magnet arrays to form an intervening array geometry, wherein each magnet array comprises a plurality of spaced apart magnets, whereby the containers are subjected to magnetic fields with different and changing directions by moving the magnets in the adjacent magnet arrays with respect to the position of the container(s) in the corresponding container array and/or by oscillating the containers with respect to the positions of the magnets.
- 12. Device for mixing magnetic or (super) paramagnetic particles in containers with a fluid, said device comprising means for holding said one or more containers in at least one container array having a plurality of spaced apart containers and a plurality of magnet arrays, a respective one disposed on opposing sides of the at least one container array, each magnet array comprising a plurality of spaced apart magnets, the magnet arrays configured and aligned in the device so as to cooperate with the at least one container array to concurrently expose the containers therein to different and changing magnetic field directions and means for horizontally moving said magnets with respect to the position of said containers and/or means for horizontally oscillating said containers with respect to the position of said magnets in such a way that the containers are subjected to magnetic fields with different and changing directions.
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28. Method for the isolation of nucleic acid from starting material comprising the following steps:
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(a) bringing starting material together with an appropriate lysis buffer and magnetisable particles into at least one container held as one of a plurality of containers in a row that defines a container array that holds the containers in spaced apart alignment, (b) mixing the content of the at least one container by moving first and second magnet arrays, each magnet array comprising a plurality of spaced apart magnets, with the containers in the container array held between the first and second magnet arrays in such a way that the direction of the magnetic field associated with the at least one container is repeatedly reversed for a sufficient amount of time with the magnets at a height that is adjusted to the volume of the sample, (c) collecting the particles at a wall of the container using the magnets, (d) removing most of the sample liquid from the device, (e) adding a sufficient amount of washing buffer to the device, (f) repeating step (b) to (d), (g) adding a suitable amount of elution buffer to the device, (h) drawing the particles down into the tip of the container by moving the magnets to a lower position, (i) optionally heating the container by moving a heatblock into close proximity with the containers, (j) optionally removing an appropriate amount of elution buffer from the device, (k) repeat step (b), (l) move the magnets in a vertical direction to a position above the fluid level, and (m) collect the elution buffer with the isolated nucleic acid container therein.
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29. A method of mixing magnetic and/or (super)paramagnetic particles with a fluid comprising:
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providing a device with a plurality of containers held in alignment in spaced apart substantially parallel lines of first and second container arrays and a plurality of permanent magnets held in spaced apart substantially parallel lines of first, second and third magnet arrays, with the first container array being positioned between the first and second magnet arrays and the second container array being positioned between the second and third magnet arrays;
introducing magnetic and/or supermagnetic particles into at least one of the containers in the first and/or second container arrays;
moving the magnets in the first magnet array in concert;
concurrently moving the magnets in the second magnet array in concert; and
concurrently moving the magnets in the third magnet array in concert whereby the particles in the containers are exposed to varying magnetic fields and directions and attracted to opposing sides of a respective container to thereby mix the fluid therein.
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30. A method of mixing magnetic and/or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid in a plurality of containers, comprising:
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arranging a plurality of magnet arrays and at least one container array having opposing first and second sides so that the arrays are alignably positioned with a first magnet array disposed on a first side of a first container array and a second magnet array is positioned on a second side of the first container array, wherein the first and second magnet arrays comprise a plurality of discrete spaced apart magnets and the first container array is configured to hold a plurality of containers in spaced apart alignment; and
moving the magnets in the first and second magnet arrays with respect to the position of the container(s) with the magnets in the first and second magnet arrays configured to travel along substantially parallel travel paths to expose the magnetic particles and/or (super) paramagnetic particles in the containers of the first container array to magnetic fields with different and changing directions. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
moving the magnets in the first magnet array in concert; and
substantially concurrently moving the magnets in the second magnet array in concert whereby the particles in the containers are exposed to varying magnetic fields and directions and attracted to opposing sides of a respective container to thereby mix the fluid therein.
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33. A method according to claim 30, wherein the moving step comprises linearly translating magnets in respective magnet arrays about substantially parallel straight line paths so that the magnets in each array move forward and rearward in concert and so that adjacent arrays of magnets move in opposing directions on opposite sides of a respective container array in such a way that a direction of the magnetic field in each container is repeatedly substantially reversed.
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34. A method of mixing magnetic and/or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid in a plurality of containers, comprising:
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arranging a plurality of magnet arrays comprising first, second and third magnet arrays and a plurality of container arrays comprising first and second container arrays, with the container arrays having opposing first and second sides so that a first magnet array is disposed on a first side of the first container array and the second magnet array is positioned on the second side of the first container array and the first side of the second container array and the third magnet array is positioned on the second side of the second container array, wherein the first, second, and third magnet arrays comprise a plurality of discrete linearly aligned spaced apart magnets and the first and second container arrays are configured to hold a plurality of containers in spaced apart linear alignment; and
moving the containers in the first container array with respect to the positions of the magnets in the first and second magnet arrays and the containers in the second container array with respect to the positions of the magnets in the second and third magnet arrays to expose the magnetic particles and/or (super) paramagnetic particles in the containers thereof to magnetic fields with different and changing directions to thereby mix the fluid therein. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A device for mixing magnetic and/or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid in a plurality of containers, comprising:
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a plurality of laterally spaced apart magnet arrays including at least first, second and third magnet arrays and a plurality of container arrays including at least first and second container arrays, each container array having opposing first and second sides with the first magnet array being proximately positioned on the first side of the first container array and the second magnet array being proximately positioned on the second side of the first container array and the first side of the second container array and the third magnet array being positioned on the second side of the second container array, wherein the first, second, and third magnet arrays comprise a plurality of discrete spaced apart magnets and the first and second container arrays are configured to hold a plurality of containers in spaced apart alignment; and
at least one mechanism that moves the magnets in the first, second and third magnet arrays with respect to the position of the container(s) in the first and second container arrays to concurrently expose the magnetic particles and/or (super) paramagnetic particles in the containers to magnetic fields with different and changing directions.
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38. A device for mixing magnetic and/or (super) paramagnetic particles with a fluid in a plurality of containers, comprising:
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a plurality of laterally spaced apart magnet arrays including at least first and second magnet arrays and a plurality of container arrays including at least first and second container arrays, each container array having opposing first and second sides with the first magnet array being proximately positioned on the first side of the first container array and the second magnet array being proximately positioned on the second side of the first container array and the first side of the second container array, wherein the magnet arrays comprise a plurality of discrete spaced apart magnets and the first and second container arrays are configured to hold a plurality of containers in spaced apart alignment; and
at least one mechanism that moves the containers in the first and second container arrays relative to the magnets in the first and second magnet arrays to concurrently expose the magnetic particles and/or (super) paramagnetic particles in containers in the first and second container arrays to magnetic fields. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification