Method and device for the provision of a sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200722-A1
Application number	US-201816641445-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 24, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is provided for preparing a sample of a specimen to be analysed from a thin-layer plate in thin-layer chromatography. The sample is removed from a surface of the thin-layer plate by means of a blade disposed at a receiving opening of a cannula and fed through the cannula to a specimen chamber connected to the cannula. A reduced pressure can be generated in the specimen chamber to suck the sample removed from the thin-layer plate by means of the cannula through the receiving opening into and through the cannula and into the specimen chamber. After removal and feed of the sample, the specimen chamber can be filled with a solvent to dissolve the sample. The cannula with the blade can be deflected against a spring force or the blade can be deflected against a spring force relative to the receiving opening of the cannula at the receiving opening of the cannula to prevent the blade from penetrating into the thin-layer plate with an excessive contact pressure during the removal of the sample from the thin-layer plate.

First claim

1 . Method for the provision of a sample of a specimen to be analysed from a thin-layer plate ( 2 ) in thin-layer chromatography, where the sample is removed from the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) and fed to a specimen chamber ( 3 ), characterised in that the sample is removed from a surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) by means of a blade ( 9 , 18 ) disposed at a receiving opening ( 8 ) of a cannula ( 6 ) and is fed through the cannula ( 6 ) to the specimen chamber ( 3 ) connected to the cannula ( 6 ).

2 . Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that a reduced pressure is generated in the specimen chamber ( 3 ) in order to suck the sample removed from the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) by means of the cannula ( 6 ) through the receiving opening ( 8 ) into the cannula ( 6 ) and through the cannula ( 6 ) into the specimen chamber ( 3 ).

3 . Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that, after the removal and feed of the sample, the specimen chamber ( 3 ) is filled with a solvent in order to dissolve the sample.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cannula ( 6 ) with the blade ( 9 , 18 ) is deflected against a spring force or in that the blade ( 18 ) at the receiving opening ( 8 ) of the cannula ( 6 ) is deflected against a spring force relative to the receiving opening ( 8 ) of the cannula ( 6 ) in order to prevent the blade ( 9 , 18 ) from penetrating into the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) with an excessive contact pressure during removal of the sample from the thin-layer plate ( 2 ).

5 . Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cannula ( 6 ) and the surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) are displaced relative to one another by means of a displacement device ( 20 ) in order to remove the sample from the thin-layer plate ( 2 ).

6 . Method according to claim 5 , characterised in that an optical image of the surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) containing the specimen to be analysed is generated by means of an optical recording device and in that an area on the surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) within which the cannula ( 6 ) is displaced relative to the surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) by means of the displacement device ( 20 ) in order to remove the sample from thin-layer plate ( 2 ) is specified by means of an evaluation device.

7 . Device ( 1 ) for the provision of a sample of a specimen to be analysed from a thin-layer plate ( 2 ) in thin-layer chromatography, where the device ( 1 ) has a removal device for the removal of the sample from the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) and a specimen chamber ( 3 ), in which the sample can be collected and provided for subsequent analysis, characterised in that the removal device has a cannula ( 6 ) having a blade ( 9 , 18 ) disposed at a receiving opening ( 8 ) of the cannula ( 6 ), and the cannula ( 6 ) is connected to the specimen chamber ( 3 ).

8 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the blade ( 9 ) forms an edge of the receiving opening ( 8 ) of the cannula ( 6 ).

9 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the blade ( 18 ) is arranged at a distance from an edge of the receiving opening ( 8 ) of the cannula ( 6 ).

10 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the blade ( 18 ) has a cutting edge which runs in a straight line, at least in part.

11 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the cannula ( 6 ) with the blade ( 9 ) is supported on a supporting device ( 15 ) against a spring force of a spring device ( 16 ), or in that the blade ( 18 ) is supported relative to the cannula ( 6 ) or the specimen chamber ( 3 ) via a spring device ( 17 ).

12 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the cannula ( 6 ) and the blade ( 9 , 18 ) can be displaced relative to a surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) by means of a displacement device ( 20 ).

13 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the specimen chamber ( 3 ) is connected to a reduced-pressure generation device ( 26 ).

14 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the specimen chamber ( 3 ) is connected to a solvent filling device ( 27 ) and/or a cleaning-fluid filling device.

15 . Device ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the device ( 1 ) has a displacement device ( 20 ) which can be automated, by means of which the cannula ( 6 ) with the blade ( 9 , 18 ) and the surface ( 10 ) of the thin-layer plate ( 2 ) can be displaced relative to one another.

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Heub Sarah
• Horisberger Aurele
• Faye Younouss
• Orhan Jean-Baptiste
• Marti Olivier

Classifications

• G01N30/91 Primary

  Application of the sample · CPC title

• G01N30/92

  Construction of the plate · CPC title

• G01N1/286 Primary

  involving mechanical work, e.g. chopping, disintegrating, compacting, homogenising (microtomes G01N1/06; pulverising in general B02C; mixing in general B01F) · CPC title

• G01N2001/2873

  Cutting or cleaving · CPC title

• G01N1/34

  Purifying; Cleaning {(processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003)} · CPC title