MICROPLATE CARRIER HAVING MAGNETS

• US 20090064800A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tecan Trading AG (Tecan Group AG)
• Inventors: Niggl, Lutz, Niklaus, Patrick, Hruschka, Teresa, FASCHING, GERHARD
• Granted Patent: US 8,658,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.210
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/523 for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates
• 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 2201/18 Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid
• 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

Relates to a microplate carrier (1) for a microplate (2), in whose wells (3) magnetic particles (5), which are suspended in a liquid (4), with or without samples adhering thereto are located, the microplate carrier (1) comprising permanent magnets (6) generating magnetic fields which are implemented to collect and retain the magnetic particles (5) on the floor (14) and/or on the walls (7) of the wells (3) of this microplate (2). The microplate carrier (1) according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises two permanent magnets (6) situated diametrically opposite in relation to the well (3) for each well (3) of the microplate (2), which have the same polarity directed toward the well (3) and whose magnetic axis (25) is at least essentially perpendicular to the footprint of the microplate (2) to be placed. A corresponding method based on the use of the microplate carrier (1) is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A microplate carrier for a microplate, in whose wells magnetic particles, which are suspended in a liquid, with or without samples adhering thereto are located, the microplate carrier comprising permanent magnets generating magnetic fields, which are implemented to collect and retain the magnetic particles on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells of this microplate,

wherein the microplate carrier comprises two permanent magnets situated diametrically opposite in relation to the well for each well of the microplate, which have the same polarity directed toward the well and whose magnetic axis is at least essentially perpendicular to the footprint of the microplate to be placed.

2. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

wherein each two permanent magnets are implemented as essentially cylindrical, the north pole or the south pole being located on the upper circular face of the cylinder.

3. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

wherein each two permanent magnets generate an at least essentially particle-free space in the well assigned thereto, which extends over essentially the entire diameter of the well transversely to an axis connecting the two permanent magnets.

4. The microplate carrier according to claim 3,

wherein this essentially particle-free space is implemented to allow a cannula of a microplate washing device or a pipette tip of a pipetting device to be lowered into a well and the liquid to be aspirated from this well, without a significant quantity of the magnetic particles being suctioned off by this cannula or pipette tip.

5. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

which comprises 108 permanent magnets, which are situated in 9 rows diametral to the wells of a 96-well microplate.

6. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

which comprises 104 permanent magnets which are situated in 13 columns diametral to the wells of a 96-well microplate.

7. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

wherein the magnetic particles are paramagnetic beads.

8. The microplate carrier according to claim 1,

which is implemented to receive microplates, whose wells have a floor which is selected from a group which comprises flat floors, round floors, and V floors.

9. A method for processing microplates, in whose wells magnetic particles, which are suspended in a liquid, with or without samples adhering thereto are located, such a microplate being placed on a microplate carrier which comprises permanent magnets generating magnetic fields, using which the magnetic particles are collected and retained on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells,

wherein the microplate carrier provides two permanent magnets situated diametrically opposite in relation to the well, for each well of the microplate, which have the same polarity directed toward the well and whose magnetic axis is at least essentially perpendicular to the footprint of the microplate to be placed.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein an at least essentially particle-free space, which extends over essentially the entire diameter of the well transversely to an axis connecting the two permanent magnets, is generated using the permanent magnets of the microplate carrier in each well assigned thereto.

11. The method according to claim 10,

wherein, to wash the magnetic particles with or without samples adhering thereto, at least one cannula of a microplate washing device is lowered into this essentially particle-free space in a well, and a majority of the liquid is aspirated, without a significant quantity of the magnetic particles retained on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells of this microplate being suctioned off by this cannula.

12. The method according to claim 10,

wherein a liquid is dispensed into each well of the microplate using at least one cannula of a microplate washing device, the magnetic particles retained on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells of this microplate being resuspended by the turbulence of the inflowing liquid.

13. The method according to claim 10,

wherein, to elute the samples adhering to the magnetic particles, at least one pipette tip of a pipetting device is lowered into this essentially particle-free space in a well, and a majority of the liquid is aspirated, without a significant quantity of the magnetic particles retained on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells of this microplate being suctioned off using this pipette tip.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein an eluent is dispensed into each well of the microplate using at least one pipette tip of the pipetting device, the magnetic particles retained on the floor and/or on the walls of the wells of this microplate being resuspended by the turbulence of the inflowing liquid and the samples being detached from the magnetic particles.

15. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the at least one cannula or the at least one pipette tip is lowered into the center of a round floor or V floor well or onto the periphery of a flat floor well to suction off the liquid.

16. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the resuspension is supported using a shaking device, onto which the microplate is transferred.