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US 6,566,145 B2Granted
Disposable pipette extraction
OwnerWilliam E Brewerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a disposable apparatus for the rapid, low-volume solid phase extraction of analytes from a variety of sources. The apparatus of the present invention is configured as a pipette tip and contains a loosely confined stationary phase. The mobility of the stationary phase particles enables rapid mixing and equilibration with a sample solution during agitation. The analyte may thereby be extracted in less time with less solvent, removing the need for a separate concentration step.
Claims19
A pipette tip for solid phase extraction comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end with a lower opening adapted for the passage of liquid and a distal end with an upper opening dimensioned to fit on the end of a pipettor;
- a first frit inside said housing and above said lower opening;
- a second frit inside said housing and between said first frit and said upper opening;
- and
- a plurality of adsorptive particles inside said housing and confined between said first frit and said second frit, wherein said adsorptive particles and said second frit are spaced apart so as to form a void therebetween, and wherein said void is dimensioned so that said adsorptive particles can travel freely within said void allowing for thorough mixing between said adsorptive particles and a sample solution when said sample solution is in said void.
2 more elements
A process for extracting an analyte from a liquid, said process comprising the steps of:
- providing a pipette tip with a housing having a lower opening adapted for the passage of liquid and a distal end with an upper opening dimensioned to fit on the end of a pipettor, a first frit inside said housing and above said lower opening, and a plurality of adsorptive particles inside said housing and confined between said first frit and said upper opening, wherein said adsorptive particles and said upper opening are spaced apart so as to form a void therebetween, and wherein said void is dimensioned so that said adsorptive particles can travel freely within said void allowing for thorough mixing between said adsorptive particles and a sample solution when said sample solution is in said void;
- attaching said pipette to a pipettor;
- drawing a sample liquid into said pipette tip so that said liquid is in physical contact with said adsorptive particles;
- agitating said liquid sample in said pipette tip, wherein said agitating step is selected from the group consisting of shaking said liquid sample, vortexing said liquid sample, and drawing air into said liquid sample;
- expelling said sample liquid from said pipette tip;
- adding extraction solvent into said pipette tip so said extraction solvent is in physical contact with said adsorptive particles;
- and
- expelling said extraction solvent from said pipette tip.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.