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US 2026/0063655 A1Published application
Fully automated sample preparation system and methods
OwnerQian Cheng, Jia Heinventors
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Abstract
The invention provides a novel system and improved method for liquid sample preparation and handling. More particularly, the invention relates to a fully automated system and method for sample preparation and handling of biological samples for analysis (e.g., LC/MS/MS analysis).
Claims25
An automated liquid sample preparation system, comprising:
- (a) a set of two or more grippers, each is capable of gripping, de-capping and re-capping a respective sample tube;
- (b) a set of two or more barcode readers arranged to read a respective barcode and/or reference information labeled on a respective sample tube;
- (c) a set of two or more pipettors arranged to extract a respective liquid sample from a respective de-capped sample tube;
- (d) a plurality of sample analysis wells, or a plate comprising the same, for receiving the respective pipetted liquid samples;
- and
- (e) a control unit comprising an operating system and user interface allowing automated manipulation of the above.
3 more elements
A method for automated high-throughput liquid sample preparation, comprising performing the following steps in dual or multiplexed mode:
- (1) retrieving two or more capped sample tubes, each sample tube being labeled thereon with a respective barcode and/or reference information and comprising a respective liquid sample therein;
- (2) scanning the two or more capped sample tubes to read the two or more respective barcodes and/or reference information thereon;
- (3) de-capping the two or more capped sample tubes to allow access to the two or more respective liquid samples therein;
- (4) pipetting from the two or more liquid samples to transfer an aliquot thereof respectively to two or more analysis wells as prepared samples for further use;
- (5) re-capping the two or more sample tubes;
- and
- (6) placing the two or more re-capped sample tubes on a sample storage rack.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.