Magnetic isolating apparatus with non-physical coupling between a magnet arrangement and the movement drive of said magnet arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11413625-B2
Application number	US-201716338187-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A magnetic isolating apparatus (10) for isolating magnetic particles (66) from a suspension has an immersion section (30) which is designed to be temporarily immersed in the suspension, a guide apparatus (16) which extends along a guide path (F), a magnet arrangement (18) which is guided by the guide apparatus (16) such that it can be moved between an active position which is situated close to the immersion section (30) and an inactive position which is positioned further away from the immersion section (30) along the guide path (F), so that a magnetic field in the region of the immersion section (30) can be changed by moving the magnet arrangement (18) between the active position and the inactive position, and a drive apparatus (22, 50) by which the magnet arrangement (18) can be driven to move at least in a direction between the active position and the inactive position, wherein the drive apparatus (22, 50) is coupled in a non-physical manner to the magnet arrangement (18) by a force field and/or a fluid so as to transmit drive force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic isolating apparatus for isolating magnetic particles from a suspension, the isolating apparatus comprising:
an immersion portion that is embodied for immersion into the suspension;
a guidance apparatus extending along a guidance path;
a magnet arrangement that is guided by the guidance apparatus shiftably between an active position located closer to the immersion portion and an inactive position located along the guidance path farther from the immersion portion, so that a magnetic field in the region of the immersion portion is modifiable by shifting the magnet arrangement between the active position and the inactive position;
a drive apparatus by means of which the magnet arrangement is drivable to move at least in a direction between the active position and the inactive position; and
a sheath that surrounds the magnet arrangement orthogonally to the guidance path radially externally at least in the active position, and along the guidance path on the side facing away from the inactive position;
wherein the drive apparatus is non-physically drive-force-transferringly coupled to the magnet arrangement by way of a fluid;
wherein the magnetic isolating apparatus further comprises a coupling arrangement that is coupled at a first coupling point, constituting a guidance coupling point, to the guidance apparatus, and is embodied at a second coupling point, different from the first coupling point and constituting an apparatus coupling point, for detachable coupling to a pipetting channel of a pipetting apparatus;
wherein the guidance apparatus comprises a guidance tube that guides the magnet arrangement for shifting between the active position and inactive position;
wherein the guidance tube surrounds the magnet arrangement radially externally with reference to a tube axis coincident with the guidance path;
wherein the magnet arrangement comprises a sealing arrangement that seals against the inner wall of the guidance tube and divides the volume enclosed by the guidance tube into an actuation volume closer to the inactive position and a displacement volume closer to the active position;
wherein the sheath radially externally surrounds the guidance tube, and a gas-conveying conduit that terminates in the displacement volume of the guidance tube is embodied radially between the guidance tube and the sheath;
wherein a longitudinal end of the sheath located closer to the inactive position is secured, detachably, on at least one of the guidance apparatus and the coupling arrangement; wherein the guidance tube comprises, at its longitudinal end located closer to the active position, openings passing radially through the guidance tube; and
wherein the openings connect the displacement volume with the gas-conveying conduit formed between the sheath and the guidance tube.

2. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal end of the sheath located closer to the active position of the magnet arrangement, constituting an immersion longitudinal end, forms the immersion portion of the isolation apparatus.

3. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal end of the sheath located closer to the inactive position is secured on at least one of the guidance apparatus and the coupling arrangement;
further comprising a sheath that surrounds the magnet arrangement orthogonally to the guidance path radially externally at least in the active position, and along the guidance path on the side facing away from the inactive position.

4. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a piston, connected to the magnet arrangement for motion together, which carries the sealing arrangement, the magnet arrangement being connected to the piston on a side thereof facing toward the displacement volume or at a region thereof located in the displacement volume.

5. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a piston rod that connects the piston and the magnet arrangement for motion together is arranged between the piston and the magnet arrangement.

6. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the guidance apparatus directly guides the piston and the piston rod to move along the guidance path.

7. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the guidance apparatus comprises a guidance tube, the magnet arrangement being located, in any operating position, axially outside the guidance tube with reference to the tube axis of the guidance tube.

8. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling arrangement comprises a connecting conduit that fluid- and pressure-transferringly connects the apparatus coupling point to an actuation volume.

9. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a holding apparatus comprising a holding magnet or a soft-magnetic holding component, which holds the magnet apparatus in the inactive position, is provided in the region of the inactive position.

10. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a control magnet arrangement whose magnetic field in the region of the guidance path is modifiable.

11. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the control magnet arrangement encompasses a switchable electromagnet.

12. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a base body that is coupled to the guidance apparatus.

13. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the control magnet arrangement is provided on the base body.

14. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the base body includes a coupling arrangement that is coupled at a first coupling point, constituting a guidance coupling point, to the guidance apparatus, and is embodied at a second coupling point, different from the first coupling point and constituting an apparatus coupling point, for detachable coupling to a pipetting channel of a pipetting apparatus.

15. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising at least one of a container embodied for reception of the suspension and a container carrier embodied for reception of the container, the control magnet arrangement being provided on the at least one of the container and on the container carrier.

16. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising the container carrier that comprises a receiving recess for reception of a container portion, the control magnet arrangement being provided at at least one location of on the container carrier so as to surround the receiving recess, and below a placement surface on which the container, received on the container carrier, stands as intended on the container carrier.

17. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the drive apparatus encompasses a pipetting apparatus.

18. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a longitudinal end of the sheath located closer to the inactive position is secured, detachably, on at least one of the guidance apparatus and the coupling arrangement;
further comprising a sheath that surrounds the magnet arrangement orthogonally to the guidance path radially externally at least in the active position, and along the guidance path on the side facing away from the inactive position.

19. The magnetic isolating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the gas-conveying conduit is embodied radially between the coupling ar

Assignees

• Hamilton Bonaduz Ag

Inventors

• Schwaiger Ingo
• Romer Hanspeter

Classifications

• B03C1/01 Primary

  by addition of magnetic adjuvants · CPC title

• B03C1/286

  disposed at the inner circumference of a recipient, e.g. magnetic drain bolt · CPC title

• B03C1/284 Primary

  with associated cleaning means, e.g. retractable non-magnetic sleeve · CPC title

• B03C2201/18

  Magnetic separation whereby the particles are suspended in a liquid · CPC title

• B03C1/0332

  using permanent magnets · CPC title