Device and process for sample preparation

A device for performing an in-situ preparation of a sample, said preparation comprising a number of steps and involving at least two substances, the device comprising:

• at least one elongated cavity, said cavity having upper and lower openings spaced along a longitudinal axis (X) of the device;
• said cavity having a substance receiving portion extending between a top open end and a bottom of the substance receiving portion, and having dimensions sufficient to receive therein through the upper opening a predetermined amount of material required for each of said steps;
• and
• a membrane constituting the bottom of the substance receiving portion and having such a structure as to allow fluid disposed in the substance receiving portion at least in one of the steps, to be transferred therefrom through the membrane towards the lower open end of the cavity only when vacuum is applied thereto via the lower opening;
• wherein the membrane is made of a hydrophobic material, which is free of absorption properties at least with respect to said substances, thereby allowing a clot formed thereon in the substance receiving portion by mixing said substances and, optionally, incubating the mixture in the substance receiving portion, to cover the membrane only partially, more particularly, in the range of 50-80% of the membrane area.

A kit for assembling a system comprising an array of wells, each having the form of an elongated cavity extending between a top well open end and a bottom well open end, the kit comprising:

• an upper plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of first well portions extending therebetween, each first well portion having a top open end at the upper surface and a bottom open end at the lower surface;
• and
• a lower plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and a plurality of second well portions extending therebetween and having cross-sectional shape and dimension corresponding to those of the first well portions, each second well portion having a top open end at the upper surface of the lower plate and a bottom open end at the lower surface of the lower plate;
• wherein the upper and lower plates are configured for use with a membrane sheet to be sandwiched therebetween when the plates are fixed to each other so that the first and the second well portions are coaxially aligned to form said well and are separated by the membrane, the top end of each first well portion constituting the first well open end, and the bottom end of each second well portion constituting the second well open end.

A system for performing an in-situ preparation of a sample, the system comprising:

• an upper plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and an array of first well portions extending therebetween;
• a lower plate having an upper surface, a lower surface and an array of second well portions extending therebetween and corresponding to the array of the first well portions;
• an upper sealing sheet having an array of respective upper seal openings and a lower sealing sheet having an array of respective lower seal openings, each corresponding to the arrays of the first and second well portions in the upper and lower plates;
• a membrane sheet having an upper surface and a lower surface and having such a structure as to allow fluid disposed at its upper surface to be transferred through the membrane towards its lower surface only when vacuum is applied to the lower surface;
• locks in the lower plate configured for securely holding together the upper and lower plates, the membrane, the upper sealing sheet between the upper plate and the membrane, and the lower sealing sheet between the membrane and the lower plate, with all the arrays being aligned so as to form an assembly with an array of wells each having a top open end at the upper surface of the upper plate, a bottom open end at the lower surface of the lower plate, the first well portion extending between the top open end and the upper surface of the membrane, and the second well portion extending between the lower surface of the membrane and the bottom open end, with the upper and lower surfaces of the membrane being sealed around the first and second well portions against fluid when transferred through the membrane from the first well portion into the second well portion;
• the system further comprising:
• a blocking base with an array of posts protruding from its upper surface and configured to be received in the second well portions when inserted therein from the bottom open end, to prevent fluid disposed at the membrane upper surface to be transferred through the membrane into the second well portion;
• the blocking base having a plurality of locks for securely holding the blocking base in fixed relation relative to the assembly, when the blocking posts are received in the second well portions.