Process and apparatus for breaking down biological material
AssigneeQiagen GmbH
InventorsSimone Gauch, Helge Bastian, Manfred Roord, Uwe Orth, Radu Anghel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The use of multi-well blocks with more than 10 wells is suggested for breaking down biological samples in a ball mill, wherein the process which is to be carried out provides that the biological sample, disposed in a multi-well block with more than 10 wells, is broken down in a ball mill and that following this, proteins and/or nucleic acids are isolated. With the ball mill necessary for this task, with milling containers fixed thereto in a holder (10), the milling containers are designed as uniform well blocks (16) and can be fixed in a form-locking manner into the adapted, twist-preventing holder (10).
Claims18
A process for breaking down multiple biological samples simultaneously in a vibrating ball mill for isolating proteins and/or nucleic acids comprising the steps of:
- disposing each of the biological samples in a well of a multi-well block (16) having more than 10 wells, wherein each well containing a biological sample is provided with a grinding means and a lid to close off the well and wherein the well block is clamped in a U-shaped holder of the ball mill, which holder has two opposing retaining arms, wherein one of the retaining arms is movably mounted for clamping the well block into the holder by means of an adjustment and clamping screw, and which holder prevents rotation of the well block by means of cams, which protrude above the planes of the base and the lid on the well block and which interlockingly engage in recesses in each of the retaining arms of the holder, wherein the depth of the recesses corresponds to the height of the cams;
- subjecting the biological samples and grinding means in the well block to input energy sufficient to break down the biological samples;
- and
- isolating proteins and/or nucleic acids from the broken down samples.
A vibrating ball mill apparatus adapted for use with multi-well blocks, having containers to be clamped therein in a U-shaped holder having two opposing retaining arms, one of the retaining arms being movably mounted for clamping the container and having an adjustment and clamping screw, and wherein individual grinding means are placed in the containers in order to supply energy for comminution, wherein the containers are constructed as unified well blocks having a plurality of grinding chambers, which are wells incorporated therein and closed off by means of a lid or a plurality of lids placed on the well block and the well blocks are adapted to be secured, by interlocking engagement in the holder having rotation prevention means, by integral cams protruding above the plane thereof, and wherein the retaining arms of the holder each have a recess, corresponding in depth to the height of the cams, for interlockingly receiving the cams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.