# US 2014/0154043 A1 · Microplate handling systems and related computer program products and methods

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- Number: US 2014/0154043 A1
- Document ID: US20140154043A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/027,781
- Filed: 2013-09-16
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-16
- Assignees: Ibis Biosciences, Inc.
- Inventors: Steven A. Hofstadler; Jared J. Drader; Jose R. Gutierrez; Paul J. Gleason; Rex O. Bare; Robert D. Miller; Jeffrey C. Smith; Kevin S. Oberkramer; Ronald K. Bergold
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154043A1

## CPC

- G01N 35/028: {having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates}
- G01N 35/0095: {introducing urgent samples with priority, e.g. Short Turn Around Time Samples [STATS]}
- G01N 2035/0425: {Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

Systems, computer program products, and methods useful for handling or managing microplates are provided.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21

A method of handling a priority microplate in a microplate handling system, the method comprising:
(a) placing the priority microplate in a priority microplate storage unit of the microplate handling system;
(b) transporting a first non-priority microplate from a microplate processing area of the microplate handling system to a non-priority microplate holding area of the microplate handling system using a microplate transport mechanism of the microplate handling system;
(c) placing the first non-priority microplate onto a non-priority microplate holding component disposed in the non-priority microplate holding area using the microplate transport mechanism;
(d) transporting the priority microplate from the priority microplate storage unit to the microplate processing area using the microplate transport mechanism;
(e) transferring material to and/or from one or more selected wells of the priority microplate using a material transfer component of the microplate handling system, and;
(f) transporting the priority microplate from the microplate processing area to a second non-priority microplate storage unit of the microplate handling system or to the priority microplate storage unit using the microplate transport mechanism, thereby handling the priority microplate in the microplate handling system.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein one or more wells of the priority microplate comprise nucleic acid molecules and wherein the method comprises amplifying one or more target regions of the nucleic acid molecules prior to (a).

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, comprising transporting the first non-priority microplate from a first non-priority microplate storage unit of the microplate handling system to the microplate processing area using the microplate transport mechanism prior to (b).

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, comprising removing material from one or more selected wells of the first non-priority microplate using the material transfer component prior to (b).

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, comprising loading a plurality of non-priority microplates in a selected order into the first non-priority microplate storage unit.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein one or more wells of the plurality of non-priority microplates comprise nucleic acids and wherein the method comprises amplifying one or more target regions of the nucleic acids prior to loading the plurality of non-priority microplates into the first non-priority microplate storage unit.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, comprising transporting the first non-priority microplate from the non-priority microplate holding area to the microplate processing area using the microplate transport mechanism.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, comprising transferring material to and/or from one or more selected wells of the first non-priority microplate using the material transfer component.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, comprising transporting the first non-priority microplate from the microplate processing area to the second non-priority microplate storage unit using the microplate transport mechanism.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, comprising transporting a second non-priority microplate from the first non-priority microplate storage unit to the microplate processing area using the microplate transport mechanism.

### Claim 31 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the material transfer component comprises one or more needles and wherein the method comprises aspirating one or more aliquots of magnetically responsive particles into the needles from a magnetically responsive particle source prior to or after transferring the material from the selected wells of the first non-priority microplate.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31, wherein the material comprises a fluidic material and wherein the method comprises aspirating one or more aliquots of the fluidic material into the needles from the selected wells of the first non-priority microplate.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, comprising transferring the aliquots of magnetically responsive particles and fluidic material to a container of a sample processing station to form a mixture in which the magnetically responsive particles capture at least a first component of the mixture.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, comprising moving and/or retaining the magnetically responsive particles proximal to a surface of the container using a magnetic field and removing at least a second component of the mixture from the container.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, comprising eluting the captured first component from the magnetically responsive particles and detecting a molecular mass of the first component.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The method of claim 35, wherein the first component comprises a nucleic acid molecule and wherein the method comprises determining a base composition of the nucleic acid molecule from the molecular mass of the nucleic acid molecule.

### Claim 37 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the material transfer component comprises one or more needles and wherein the method comprises aspirating one or more aliquots of magnetically responsive particles into the needles from a magnetically responsive particle source prior to (e).

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the material comprises a fluidic material and wherein (e) comprises aspirating one or more aliquots of the fluidic material into the needles from the selected wells of the priority microplate.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The method of claim 38, comprising transferring the aliquots of magnetically responsive particles and fluidic material to a container of a sample processing station to form a mixture in which the magnetically responsive particles capture at least a first component of the mixture.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, comprising moving and/or retaining the magnetically responsive particles proximal to a surface of the container using a magnetic field and removing at least a second component of the mixture from the container.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, comprising eluting the captured first component from the magnetically responsive particles and detecting a molecular mass of the first component.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, wherein the first component comprises a nucleic acid molecule and wherein the method comprises determining a base composition of the nucleic acid molecule from the molecular mass of the nucleic acid molecule.