Tapered cuvette and method of collecting magnetic particles

• US 8,211,386 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Original Assignee: Biokit, S.A. (Werfen SA)
• Inventors: Talmer, Mark, Limerick, Kathleen, Schroeder, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handy, Dwayne K
• Application Number:
  US10/863,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20050271550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,947 Days
• Field of Search: 422 99-102, 422/560, 422/562, 436524-526, 436/174, 436/175, 436/177, 436/180, 426524-526, 426/174, 426/175, 426/177, 426/180
• US Class Current: 422/560
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0858 Side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50 Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/06 Test-tube stands; Test-tube holders
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/288 disposed at the outer circumference of a recipient
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 2201/26 for use in medical or biological applications
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/0233 Nestable containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0382 Frustoconical, tapered cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25625 Dilution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A vessel for use in clinical analysis including an open top, a closed bottom, and at least four tapered sides. A method for collecting magnetic particles in a fluid comprising the steps of providing a magnet and a vessel containing magnetic particles in a fluid, attracting the magnetic particles to the magnet, and moving the magnetic particles with the magnet out of the fluid.

Claims

1. A device for washing magnetic particles in a vessel, comprising:

a holder comprising,

a) a holder lumen,

b) a vertical surface comprising a magnet, and

c) a lever arm,

wherein said lever arm is mounted to a pivot point proximal to a lower end of said lever arm and is reciprocally moveable from a vertical position to a lever arm tilted position relative to the vertical surface of the holder when a vessel is received in the holder lumen between the vertical surface and said lever arm, and said lever arm is biased toward said vertical position to retain a vessel in a tilted position relative to the vertical surface of the holder.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said lever arm comprises a spring.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the magnet has a flat side creating a uniform magnetic flux density over the flat side for engagement with a planar particle engagement side of a vessel, wherein said planar particle engagement side of said vessel is free of any bend or arc outside the plane.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said magnet is a Neodymium magnet and the magnetic strength is in a range of about 12,000 Gauss to about 13,000 Gauss.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said magnet has a magnetic strength of about 12,500 Gauss.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said magnet is movable from the bottom of the vessel towards the top of the vessel along the particle engagement side of said vessel received in the holder lumen.