Automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method

{
  "publication_number": "US10549927B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method",
  "abstract": "An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method comprising two tiered lifts devices each individually controllable to individually vertically translate within an elevator framework between a base on which the elevator framework is mounted and a manifold plate supported by the framework in a substantially horizontal plane parallel with and vertically above the two tiered lifts devices and a rectilinearly translating shuttle assembly comprising a shuttle supporting labware for rectilinear travel into and out of the elevator framework to handoff the labware to one of the two tiered elevator lifts or both.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for shuttling and lifting at least one labware during automated positive pressure extraction comprising: providing at least one labware; providing a tiered elevator lift assembly comprising a lower tiered lift and an upper tiered lift, wherein the upper tiered lift is disposed vertically above and over the lower tiered lift; providing a manifold plate disposed vertically above and over the upper tiered lift, wherein the manifold plate is configured to provide positive pressure when in contact with the at least one labware; providing a vertical framework supporting the manifold plate and forming a vertically unobstructed elevator shaft; providing a shuttle for supporting the at least one labware, wherein the shuttle is configured to move into and out of the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft; placing the at least one labware on the shuttle; moving the shuttle horizontally into the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft for providing the at least one labware to at least one of the upper tiered lift and the lower tiered lift; and translating at least one of the upper tiered lift and the lower tiered lift upward within the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft.",
    "2. The method of claim 1 wherein the labware further comprises a filter plate surmounting a waste tray.",
    "3. The method of claim 2 further comprising dispensing a first liquid containing a sample of interest onto the filter plate when the filter plate is located out of the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft.",
    "4. The method of claim 3 further comprising: positioning the filter plate against the manifold plate with the upper tiered lift; positioning the waste tray under the filter plate with the lower tiered lift; and applying a specified pressure for a specified time period to the manifold plate for providing positive pressure to the filter plate.",
    "5. The method of claim 4 further comprising: retaining the filter plate against the manifold plate with the upper tiered lift; translating the lower tiered lift supporting the waste tray downward for positioning the waste tray onto the shuttle; and moving the shuttle supporting the waste tray horizontally out of the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft for receiving a collection plate.",
    "6. The method of claim 5 further comprising: moving the shuttle supporting the collection plate horizontally into the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft; and translating the lower tiered lift upward for positioning the collection plate under the filter plate.",
    "7. The method of claim 6 further comprising: translating the lower tiered lift downward for positioning the collection plate onto the shuttle; and translating the upper tiered lift downward for mounting the filter plate onto the collection plate.",
    "8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: moving the shuttle supporting the collection plate mounted by the filter plate horizontally out of the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft; and dispensing a second liquid onto the filter plate.",
    "9. The method of claim 8 further comprising moving the shuttle supporting the collection plate mounted by the filter plate horizontally into the vertically unobstructed elevator shaft.",
    "10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: translating the upper tiered lift upward for positioning the filter plate against the manifold plate; and translating the lower tiered lift upward for positioning the collection plate under the filter plate.",
    "11. The method of claim 10 further comprising applying the specified pressure for the specified time period to the manifold plate for providing positive pressure to the filter plate to push the sample of interest into the collection plate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates generally to a positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method and, in particular, to an automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method having stand-alone utilization and utilization with, for example, an automated material handling system such as an automated pipetting workstation.\n\nCurrently, the separation of compounds in a solid phase extraction (SPE) process is accomplished by vacuum and positive pressure methodologies. While automated systems exist for use with vacuum, the weakness is in that the application of vacuum is across the whole filter plate. This is because as media is pulled through a filter, the resulting compound/component cannot come into contact with anything except the well that is intended to catch the compound to eliminate potential cross contamination. For a filter plate that contains an array of wells (currently up to 384) the vacuum applied to an individual well in the array is not equal to any other well due to the resistance differences of the wells in the array as the media is filtered. Some wells in the array will pass the media through the filter faster than others and when they have completely passed the media, those wells become even less restrictive and thus allow more air to flow through subsequently reducing the amount of air flowing through the remaining wells. As a result, it is difficult to guarantee all wells have filtered their media within a given time allotment.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 47/82",
    "B01D 11/0207",
    "G01N 2001/4061",
    "G01N 2035/00564",
    "G01N 35/0099",
    "G01N 35/109"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01D 11/02",
    "B65G 47/82",
    "G01N 35/10",
    "G01N 35/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hamilton Co Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Garrett Voss",
    "Harrison Elings"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-02-21",
  "publication_date": "2020-02-04",
  "grant_date": "2020-02-04",
  "priority_date": "2014-01-17",
  "application_number": "US-201815901373-A",
  "family_id": "53543626",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "US5324480A",
    "US5599500A",
    "US5760299A",
    "US6133045A",
    "US6899848B1"
  ]
}