Apparatus for performing sonication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931604-B2
Application number	US-201414773796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for performing sonication on liquid samples comprises a rack for holding an array of sample vials, an ultrasonic probe with an arrangement of recesses corresponding to the array of sample vials and adapted to respectively receive and contact an outer surface of a bottom portion of a respective one of the sample vials, and a counter-holder with an arrangement of pushing members corresponding to the array of sample vials and adapted to respectively apply a force to a respective one of the sample vials so as to push the bottom portion of each vial into contact with the associated recess of the probe. The apparatus can be used in a method of preparing a sample for detection of cell components (e.g. cell analyte, proteins, nucleid acids etc.) and applying sonication within certain parameter ranges which can provide a universal lysis method that can be applied to a large variety of cells or organisms like all bacteria, viruses, spores, yeast and mold within the same apparatus and process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for performing sonication on liquid samples, comprising:
a rack ( 1 ) for holding an array of sample vials ( 2 );
an ultrasonic probe ( 3 ) with an arrangement of recesses ( 4 ) corresponding to the array of sample vials ( 2 ) and adapted to respectively receive and contact an outer surface of a bottom portion ( 2 a ) of a respective one of the sample vials ( 2 ); and
a counter-holder ( 5 ) with an arrangement of pushing members ( 6 ) corresponding to the array of sample vials ( 2 ) and adapted to respectively apply a force to a respective one of the sample vials ( 2 ) so as to push the bottom portion ( 2 a ) of each vial ( 2 ) into contact with the associated recess ( 4 ) of the probe ( 3 ), and
wherein the pushing members are in the form of pushrods ( 6 ) and are arranged to apply the force to a top portion of the respective associated vials ( 2 ) wherein the pushrods are elastically biased towards the vials.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a positioning mechanism ( 7 ) is provided to selectively engage the pushing members ( 6 ) with the vials ( 2 ).

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the positioning mechanism ( 7 ) comprises a platform ( 8 ) for holding the array of pushing members ( 6 ), said platform ( 8 ) being supported so as to be at least movable in the direction towards and away from the probe ( 3 ) and including a drive mechanism for alternatingly moving the platform ( 8 ) in this direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rack ( 1 ) is movably supported in the direction of the center axes and elastically biased in a direction towards the pushing members ( 6 ).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a moving mechanism for moving the rack ( 1 ) between a position outside of a housing of the apparatus and a position inside the housing aligned with the ultrasonic probe ( 3 ).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recesses ( 4 ) are formed to match a bottom configuration of the vials ( 2 ) in the array.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein each recess ( 4 ) is configured so as to match different bottom configurations of at least two different vials ( 2 ).

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein at least the portion of the probe ( 3 ) containing the recesses ( 4 ) is exchangeable to accommodate a different array of sample vials ( 2 ) and/or sample vials ( 2 ) with different bottom configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the recesses ( 4 ) are rotational symmetrical about a center axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the rotation of the recesses ( 4 ) is hemispherical or conical.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each recess ( 4 ) has a rounded bottom portion ( 4 a ) and a conical peripheral portion ( 4 b ).

12. A method of preparing a sample for detection of cell components, comprising:
providing the sample in a sample vial ( 2 ),
placing the sample vial ( 2 ) in the apparatus as defined in claim 1 ,
performing sonication on the sample in the sample vial ( 2 ) by the apparatus using the following parameters to effect a lysis of the sample:
applying a mechanical stress in between the sample vial and the probe of 0.1 to 1 N/mm 2 ,
applying a peak-to-peak amplitude of vibration of 2 to 10 μm, and
applying a frequency of vibration of 20 to 100 kHz.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein plural samples are provided in plural sample vials in the array and the sonication is simultaneously performed in the apparatus on the plural samples in the array.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample(s) is/are provided in a sample volume of 20 μl to 1 ml in sample vial(s) having a rated volume of 200 μl to 50 ml.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample vial(s) used for receiving the sample(s) is/are standard laboratory tubes.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sample vial(s) are conical laboratory tubes.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sample vial(s) are made from a plastic material, which is polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, or polyethylene material.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sample vial(s) are made from 50 ml conical centrifuge tubes, round-bottom tubes, 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tubes, 2 ml microcentrifuge tubes, multi-well plates, or microtiter plates.

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Felden Luc
• Lehmann David
• Hohnadel Marisa
• Jouette Sebastien

Classifications

• B01F2215/0037

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01N2035/00554

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• B01F11/02 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F11/0266

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01N1/28 Primary

  Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00}) · CPC title