Samples delivering device, method of manufacturing samples applicator, method of delivering samples, and base activation device

• US 7,273,589 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PSS Bio Instruments, Inc. (Precision System Science Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: PSS Bio Instruments, Inc. (Precision System Science Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Tajima, Hideji, Stimpson, Donald I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon; Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US10/445,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20040037750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/63, 422 65- 66, 422/68.1, 436/180, 436/44
• US Class Current: 422/509
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0244 using pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0255 characterized by the form or material of the pin tip
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 with covers or lids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/563 Joints or fittings in general F16L; Separable fluid transfer means to transfer fluids between at least two containers, e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/547 for dispensing pins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/110833 Utilizing a moving indicator strip or tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/15 Inorganic acid or base [e.g. , hcl, sulfuric acid, etc. ]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a samples delivering device, a method of manufacturing a samples applicator, a method of delivering samples, and a base activation device which can handle a plurality of various samples, efficiently and promptly. The invention is constructed so as to have: one or more sets of vessels capable of accommodating fluids containing predetermined samples to be delivered to a base or one or more sets of vessels, a samples supply section having a samples applicator, wherein two or more retention tips capable of retaining a small quantity of fluids by being dipped in each of the fluids accommodated in the vessels are arranged according to the vessels, and a transfer means for relatively moving between the base and the one or more sets of vessels, and the applicator.

Claims

1. A samples delivering device comprising:

a base having a long and slender thread shape, at least one set of vessels having a positional arrangement relative to each other and capable of accommodating fluids containing predetermined samples to be delivered to said base,

a samples supply section comprising a samples applicator comprising two or more retention tips capable of retaining a small quantity of fluids by being dipped in respective said fluids accommodated in respective said vessels, said two or more retention tips being positionally arranged relative to each other according to the positional arrangement of said vessels, and

a base feeder for arranging and tensioning the base along a path determined according to the arrangement of said two or more retention tips so that contact between said base and said fluids retained by said two or more retention tips is permitted,

wherein relative movement between said applicator and said vessels is permitted,

wherein relative movement between said applicator and said base is permitted, and

wherein each of said retention tips extends in a manner so that said contact between said base and said fluids retained by said two or more retention tips is effected by moving said two or more retention tips upwardly and/or transversely towards said base.

2. The samples delivering device according to claim 1, wherein said samples applicator is dismountably fitted to said sample supply section.

3. The samples delivering device according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a running driver for running the base along the path.

4. The samples delivering device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said samples applicator is a comb-like applicator, with said retention tips arranged at predetermined intervals so as to be comb-like.

5. The samples delivering device according to claim 2, wherein said samples applicator is formed so as to be matrix-like, with said retention tips arranged at predetermined intervals so as to be matrix-like, and wherein said base is tensioned and arranged by the feeder so that said base threads its way through rows or columns of the matrix and can run in the row direction or column direction of the matrix.

6. The samples delivering device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said applicator comprises two or more applying components, each applying component being made of a thin board, sheet-like member, wherein each applying component comprises:

an arm section shaped so as to be vertically long or tapered downwardly, and a respective one of said two or more retention tips extending from said arm section, the respective one of said two or more retention tips extending upwardly and/or transversely relative to said arm section.

7. The samples delivering device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said samples applicator comprises two or more applying components, each applying component being made of a thin board, sheet-like member, wherein each applying component comprises:

an arm section shaped so as to be vertically long or tapered downwardly, and

a respective one of said two or more retention tips extending from said arm section, the respective one of said two or more retention tips comprising a hole or a slit.

8. The samples delivering device according to claim 6, wherein each applying component further comprises a lid part capable of being fitted to an opening of at least one of said vessels in a manner that can close up said at least one of said vessels, a respective one of said two or more retention tips being mounted under the lid part so that said retention tip the respective one of said two or more retention tips is confined within said at least one of said vessels when said at least one of said vessels is closed up by said lid part.

9. The samples delivering device according to claim 3, wherein said feeder comprises gear-like rollers that have a plurality of sharp cogs in a manner that each cog comes in contact with the base at positions between delivered samples in an interval equal to or an integer interval of the delivered samples on the base.

10. The sample delivering device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one other set of vessels capable of accommodating fluids to be delivered to said base with said fluids containing said predetermined samples;

wherein relative movement between said applicator and said sets of vessels is permitted; and

wherein said retention tips are capable of retaining said fluids containing said predetermined samples together with said fluids accommodated in the at least one other set of vessels for delivery to said base.

11. A method of delivering samples, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one set of vessels having a positional arrangement relative to each other and accommodating fluids containing predetermined samples,

retaining a small quantity of said fluids in two or more retention tips of a samples applicator, said two or more retention tips positionally arranged relative to each other according to the positional arrangement of said vessels, by effecting relative movement between the samples applicator and the at least one set of said vessels and dipping said retention tips into respective said fluids accommodated in respective said vessels, and

delivering the fluid retained in the retention tips to a base having a long and slender thread shape by effecting relative movement between said retention tips and said base, comprising;

moving said retention tips upwardly and/or transversely towards said base so that the fluid retained in the retention tips contacts said base;

wherein said samples applicator further comprises two or more arm sections from which respective ones of said two or more retention tips extend transversely and/or upwardly.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a step of rejuvenating the samples applicator by replacing the used samples applicator with a new one.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step of delivering comprises a step for running the base tensioned along a path determined according to the arrangement of said retention tips, in a manner that said base can come in contact with the fluids retained in said retention tips.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in said running step, said base runs along a path disposed in the direction of arrangement of said retention tips of said comb-like samples applicator.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein in said running step, said base runs along a path disposed in the direction of rows or columns of a matrix corresponding to the arrangements of said retention tips of said matrix-like samples applicator, in a manner that said base threads its way through the rows or columns of the matrix.

16. The method according to claim 11, comprising;

a step of mixing, diluting or altering the fluids in the retention tips by relatively transferring relatively said retention tips to an other one or more sets of vessels and dipping said retention tips into fluids of said vessels after said step of retaining.

17. The method of delivering samples according to claim 11, further comprising delivering at least a portion of said fluids accommodated in the at least one set of said vessels to another set of vessels by effecting relative movement between said applicator and said sets of vessels.