Apparatus and methods for magnetic mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851336-B2
Application number	US-201816202315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 18, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems for magnetic mixing. Particular embodiments relate to applying a magnetic field to move a magnetically responsive component in a chamber.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of mixing reagents, the method comprising:
obtaining an apparatus comprising:
a chamber containing a magnetically responsive component and reagents;
a heating module;
an insert configured to (i) receive the chamber, and (ii) conduct thermal energy from the heating module to the chamber; and
a magnet coupled to a rotating shaft, where:
the shaft is configured to move from a first shaft position to a second shaft position;
in the first shaft position, the second end of the magnet is distal from the chamber; and
in the second shaft position, the second end of the magnet is proximal to the chamber; and

moving the shaft from a first position to a second position, wherein the magnetically responsive component is moved within the chamber from a first position to a second position, thereby mixing the reagents.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the chamber comprises a bottom surface and a side surface, and wherein the magnetically responsive component contacts the bottom surface in the first position and wherein the magnetically responsive component contacts the side surface in the second position.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the magnetically responsive component is moved from the first position to the second position and held in the second position for approximately 3 seconds; and
the magnetically responsive component is moved from the second position to the first position and held in the first position for approximately 3 seconds.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the magnetically responsive component is cycled between the first and second positions for approximately 90 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reagents is provided in a lyophilized form.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the side surface of the chamber is tapered and the bottom surface of the chamber is curved.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:
the bottom surface is curved with a first radius;
the moveable magnetically responsive component is a spherical ball with a second radius; and
the first radius is greater than the second radius.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component prior to beginning a polymerase chain reaction.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component during at least a portion of a polymerase chain reaction.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein movement of the magnetically responsive component occurs during a temperature ramping phase.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein movement of the magnetically responsive component from the first position to the second position reduces a temperature gradient in the chamber.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component prior to and during a polymerase chain reaction.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component prior to beginning a reverse transcription reaction.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component during at least a portion of a reverse transcription reaction.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving the magnetically responsive component prior to and during a polymerase chain reaction.

16. A method of mixing reagents, the method comprising:
obtaining an apparatus comprising:
a chamber containing a magnetically responsive component and reagents; and
a magnet coupled to a rotating shaft, where:
the shaft is configured to move from a first shaft position to a second shaft position;
in the first shaft position, the second end of the magnet is distal from the chamber; and
in the second shaft position, the second end of the magnet is proximal to the chamber; and

moving the shaft from a first position to a second position, wherein the magnetically responsive component is moved within the chamber from a first position to a second position, thereby mixing the reagents, wherein movement of the magnetically responsive component from the first position to the second position inverts a wax lyophilized layer in the chamber.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetically responsive component is a sphere.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sphere has a diameter of approximately 0.0625 inches.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetically responsive component is a disk or a sphere having a first diameter, and wherein a distance from first position to the second position of the magnetically responsive component is between two and five times the first diameter.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the reagents are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagents.

Assignees

• Luminex Corp

Inventors

• Whitman Doug
• Heisler James
• Bozarth Colin
• Siew Germaine
• Collins Charles
• Smith Eric

Classifications

• H01F7/00

  Magnets (superconducting magnets H01F6/00; for separation of solid materials or fluids B03C1/00; for bench or like work-holders B23B31/28, B23Q3/00; work-holding devices B25B11/00; lifting magnets B66C1/00; {operating or controlling locks using permanent magnets E05B47/0038; devices for holding a wing, e.g. door or window, by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction E05C19/16; relieving load or bearings using magnetic means F16C39/06} ; for electric meters G01R; for relays H01H; {for electric discharge tubes H01J, e.g. H01J3/24, H01J23/10, H01J29/68} ; for dynamo-electric machines H02K) · CPC title

• C12M27/02 Primary

  Stirrer or mobile mixing elements · CPC title

• B01L7/52

  with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples · CPC title

• B01F2101/23

  Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials · CPC title

• B01F2035/99

  Heating · CPC title