Micro-vials

A vial for holding a micro-volume of fluid, comprising:

• a body defining an interior wall, wherein the body is a unitary structure, comprising a cylindrical sample section having a bottom, a wider cylindrical alignment section, a conical guide section, and a relatively large cylindrical body section having an opening, arranged in sequence in that order along a center axis of the body, wherein the wider cylindrical alignment section is immediate adjoining to the cylindrical sample section along the center axis of the body, wherein the cylindrical sample section is sized to receive a tip of a capillary tube and to hold a micro-volume of fluid in the order of less than 5 micro-liters, and wherein the exit end of the wider cylindrical alignment section immediate adjoins the opening end of the cylindrical sample section without any restraint at the opening end of the cylindrical sample section to allow insertion of the tip of the capillary tube.

A method of manufacturing a vial for holding a micro-volume of fluid, comprising:

• injection molding a body defining an interior wall, wherein the body is a unitary structure, comprising a cylindrical sample section having a bottom, a wider cylindrical alignment section, a conical guide section, and a relatively large cylindrical body section having an opening, arranged in sequence in that order along a center axis of the body, wherein the wider cylindrical alignment section is immediate adjoining to the cylindrical sample section along the center axis of the body, wherein the cylindrical sample section is sized to receive a tip of a capillary tube and to hold a micro-volume of fluid in the order of less than 5 micro-liters, and wherein the exit end of the wider cylindrical alignment section immediate adjoins the opening end of the cylindrical sample section without any restraint at the opening end of the cylindrical sample section to allow insertion of the tip of the capillary tube.

A bioanalytical process, comprising access to a mico-volume of fluid, wherein said access comprises:

• providing a vial comprising a body defining an interior wall, wherein the body is a unitary structure, comprising a cylindrical sample section having a bottom, a wider cylindrical alignment section, a conical guide section, and a relatively large cylindrical body section having an opening, arranged in sequence in that order along a center axis of the body, wherein the wider cylindrical alignment section is immediate adjoining to the cylindrical sample section along the center axis of the body, wherein the cylindrical sample section is sized to receive a tip of a capillary tube and to hold a micro-volume of fluid in the order of less than 5 micro-liters, and wherein the exit end of the wider cylindrical alignment section immediate adjoins the opening end of the cylindrical sample section without any restraint at the opening end of the cylindrical sample section to allow insertion of the tip of the capillary tube;
• inserting a capillary tube coaxially supported in a wider cylindrical support tube, with the support tube and the capillary tube inserted into the cylindrical alignment section, and with a distal tip of the capillary tube extending into the cylindrical sample section, wherein the support tube does not extend into the cylindrical sample section.