Title: Cuvette arrays
Abstract: An integrally built, linear array of cuvettes is made of a plastic material. Every cuvette of the array has the same shape and dimensions. Neighboring cuvettes are connected to each other by a single web. Each of the single webs has a curved shape and each cuvette has means forming integral part thereof and serving for accurately positioning the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder and means for removably connecting the cuvette to the cuvette holder. Each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common symmetry axis passing through the centers of both chambers. Each of the upper and lower chambers has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cross-section of the upper chamber at the central part thereof is larger than the cross-section of the lower chamber. The lower chamber has an open lower end. The upper chamber has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular opening which connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber. The inner surface of the bottom wall of the upper chamber (
Patent Number: 6,887,432 Issued on 05/03/2005 to Kansy, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Kansy; Manfred (Freiburg, DE);
Tschirky; Hansjörg (Ettingen, CH);
Schneider; Werner (Pfeffingen, CH);
Büttgen; Heinrich (Rapperswil, CH);
Callenbach; Tilo (Jona, CH);
Mazenauer; Karl (Jona, CH)
|
| Assignee:
|
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Nutley, NJ);
Weidmann Plastics Technology AG (Rapperswil, CH)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
077363 |
| Filed:
|
February 15, 2002 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Current U.S. Class: |
422/102; 422/103; 422/104 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B01L 003//00 |
| Field of Search: |
422/61,99,102,103,104
220/232,234,236,238
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 3785773 | Jan., 1974 | Rohrbaugh.
| |
| 4263256 | Apr., 1981 | Morle.
| |
| 4472357 | Sep., 1984 | Levy et al.
| |
| 4566790 | Jan., 1986 | Mandle.
| |
| 4799599 | Jan., 1989 | Herrmann.
| |
| 4902479 | Feb., 1990 | Brickus.
| |
| 5084246 | Jan., 1992 | Lyman et al.
| |
| 5098661 | Mar., 1992 | Froehlich et al.
| |
| 5470536 | Nov., 1995 | Jarvimaki.
| |
| 5571479 | Nov., 1996 | Koch.
| |
| 5720406 | Feb., 1998 | Fassbind et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 197 30 445 | Jan., 1999 | DE.
| |
| 0 339 769 | Nov., 1989 | EP.
| |
| 0 415 307 | Mar., 1991 | EP.
| |
| 0 688 602 | Dec., 1995 | EP.
| |
Other References
Manfred Kansy, et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 7, pp. 1007-1010
(1998), no month.
|
Primary Examiner: Snay; Jeffrey R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Johnston; George W., Parise; John P.
Claims
1. An integrally built, linear array of cuvettes, which comprises:
(a) a plurality of adjacent cuvettes arranged along a straight line in an array,
each cuvette in the array having the same shape and dimensions,
(i) each cuvette has means that form an integral part thereof and serve to accurately
position the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder,
(ii) each cuvette has means for removably connecting the cuvette to a cuvette
holder,
(iii) each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common axis
of symmetry passing through the centers of both chambers, each of the upper and
lower chambers have a substantially cylindrical shape, the cross-sectional area
of the upper chamber at the central part thereof being larger than the cross-sectional
area of the lower chamber, the lower chamber has an open lower end, the upper chamber
has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular opening
that connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber, the inner surface of the
bottom wall is part of a conical surface which forms an angle of about 80 degrees
with the axis of symmetry, so that there is an abrupt change of cross-section between
the upper chamber and the lower chamber;
(b) a plurality of webs, the number of webs being one less than the number of
cuvettes in the array, each web connecting one adjacent cuvette to another adjacent
cuvette so that each cuvette in the array is connected to either one or two other
cuvettes, each web has a curved shape and only a single web joins two adjacent
cuvettes; and
(c) the array of cuvettes is made of a first plastic material which is particularly
suitable for being used in combination with a second material out of which a foil-shaped
layer is made, the foil-shaped layer being adapted to be closely attached to each
cuvette of the array of cuvettes for covering at least one opening of each cuvette.
2. The cuvette array according to claim 1, wherein the symmetry axis of every
cuvette forming part of the array of cuvettes lies substantially in a single plane
which is a symmetry plane of the cuvette array, the array having two terminal cuvettes
and a plurality of intermediate cuvettes, the upper part of each intermediate cuvette
of the array is connected by a first single web to a neighboring cuvette lying
on one side of the intermediate cuvette and is connected by a second single web
to a neighboring cuvette lying on the opposite side of the intermediate cuvette,
the first and second single webs lying on opposite sides of the symmetry plane.
3. A two-dimensional array of cuvettes, which comprises:
I. at least one integrally built, linear array of cuvettes, comprising:
(d) a plurality of adjacent cuvettes arranged along a straight line in an array,
each cuvette in the array having the same shape and dimensions,
(iv) each cuvette has means that form an integral part thereof and serve to accurately
position the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder,
(v) each cuvette has means for removably connecting the cuvette to a cuvette
holder,
(vi) each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common axis
of symmetry passing through the centers of both chambers, each of the upper and
lower chambers have a substantially cylindrical shape, the cross-sectional area
of the upper chamber at the central part thereof being larger than the cross-sectional
area of the lower chamber, the lower chamber has an open lower end, the upper chamber
has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular opening
that connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber, the inner surface of the
bottom wall is part of a conical surface, the cross-section of which forms an angle
of about 80 degrees with the axis of symmetry, so that there is an abrupt change
of cross-section between the upper chamber and the lower chamber;
(e) a plurality of webs, the number of webs being one less than the number of
cuvettes in the array, each web connecting one adjacent cuvette to another adjacent
cuvette so that each cuvette in the array is connected to either one or two other
cuvettes, each web has a curved shape and only a single web joins two adjacent
cuvettes; and
(f) the array of cuvettes is made of a first plastic material which is particularly
suitable for being used in combination with a second material out of which a foil-shaped
layer is made, the foil-shaped layer being adapted to be closely attached to each
cuvette of the array of cuvettes for covering at least one opening of each cuvette;
II. a cuvette holder having a matrix array of openings configured and dimensioned
for receiving the cuvettes, such that each cuvette of the at least one cuvette
array fits snugly into one of the openings of the cuvette holder.
4. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claim 3, wherein the cuvette
holder and the cuvettes of the at least one linear cuvette array are so configured
and dimensioned that two or more cuvette holders carrying each at least one linear
cuvette array can be stacked in such a way that cuvettes having the same relative
position in their respective holders are accurately positioned one above the other
with coincidence of their symmetry axis, one of the cuvettes taking the position
of an upper cuvette and the other cuvette taking the position of a lower cuvette,
a portion of the lower part of the upper cuvette lying within the upper chamber
of the lower cuvette and the lower end of the upper cuvette being at a predetermined
distance from the bottom wall of the upper chamber of the lower cuvette.
5. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claim 4, further comprising
a foil which is attached to the lower end of each cuvette for covering the opening
of the cuvette at that lower end thereof.
6. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claim 5, wherein the foil
is a filter.
7. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claims
5, wherein
the foil is transparent.
8. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claims
5, wherein
the foil carries genes or gene fragments deposited on the foil by microspotting.
9. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claim 4, wherein the cuvette
holder is of substantially rectangular shape and has four centering ribs located
each on the outer surface of one of the corners of the cuvette holder.
10. The two-dimensional array of cuvettes according to claim 4, wherein the cuvette
holder is so configured and dimensioned that the two-dimensional array of cuvettes
is adapted to be used in a centrifuge.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field
The invention relates to linear arrays of cuvettes that are useful for the chemical
analysis of samples and the use of such arrays in stackable systems.
2. Description
In the field of chemical analysis of samples, differential expression analysis
(profiling) of genes and gene fragments and in particular in the field of screening
of pharmaceutical compounds and in bio-diagnostics of such compounds and samples
large numbers of such compounds should be analyzed as fast as possible. There is
therefore a need for a system of cuvette arrays making it possible to perform diffusion
or filtration process steps as well as analytical measurements simultaneously or
sequentially on a plurality of liquid samples in order to perform a high throughput
screening of those samples.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention provides an integrally built, linear array of cuvettes.
This array comprises a plurality of adjacent cuvettes arranged along a straight
line in an array, each cuvette in the array having the same shape and dimensions,
and a plurality of webs. Each cuvette has means that form an integral part thereof
and serve to accurately position the cuvette into an opening of a cuvette holder.
Each cuvette has means for removably connecting the cuvette to a cuvette holder.
In addition, each cuvette has an upper chamber and a lower chamber having a common
axis of symmetry passing through the centers of both chambers. Each of the upper
and lower chambers have a substantially cylindrical shape, the cross-sectional
area of the upper chamber at the central part thereof being larger than the cross-sectional
area of the lower chamber. The lower chamber has an open lower end and the upper
chamber has an open top end and an annular bottom wall having a central circular
opening that connects the upper chamber with the lower chamber. The inner surface
of the bottom wall is part of a conical surface and forms an angle of about 80
degrees with the axis of symmetry, so that there is an abrupt change of cross-section
between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. The number of webs is one less
than the number of cuvettes in the array. Each web connects one adjacent cuvette
to another adjacent cuvette so that each cuvette in the array is connected to either
one or two other cuvettes. Each web has a curved shape and only a single web joins
two adjacent cuvettes. The array of cuvettes is made of a first plastic material
which is particularly suitable for being used in combination with a second material
out of which a foil-shaped layer is made. The foil-shaped layer being adapted to
be closely attached to each cuvette of the array of cuvettes for covering at least
one opening of each cuvette.
It is preferred that the symmetry axis of every cuvette forming part of the array
of cuvettes lies substantially in a single plane which is a symmetry plane of the
cuvette array. The array has two terminal cuvettes and a plurality of intermediate
cuvettes. The upper part of each intermediate cuvette of the array is connected
by a first single web to a neighboring cuvette lying on one side of the intermediate
cuvette and is connected by a second single web to a neighboring cuvette lying
on the opposite side of the intermediate cuvette. The first and second single webs
lying on opposite sides of the symmetry plane.
The subject invention also provides a two-dimensional array of cuvettes. This
array has at least one integrally built, linear array of cuvettes as described
above and a cuvette holder having a matrix array of openings configured and dimensioned
for receiving the cuvettes, such that each cuvette of the at least one cuvette
array fits snugly into one of the openings of the cuvette holder.
It is preferred that this two-dimensional array of cuvettes is where the cuvette
holder and the cuvettes of the at least one linear cuvette array are so configured
and dimensioned that two or more cuvette holders carrying each at least one linear
cuvette array can be stacked in such a way that cuvettes having the same relative
position in their respective holders are accurately positioned one above the other
with coincidence of their symmetry axis. In this situation, one of the cuvettes
takes the position of an upper cuvette and the other cuvette takes the position
of a lower cuvette. A portion of the lower part of the upper cuvette lies within
the upper chamber of the lower cuvette and the lower end of the upper cuvette is
at a predetermined distance from the bottom wall of the upper chamber of the lower cuvette.
It is further beneficial that the two-dimensional array of cuvettes further comprising
a foil which is attached to the lower end of each cuvette for covering the opening
of the cuvette at that lower end thereof. This foil is beneficially a filter, or
is transparent, or carries genes or gene fragments deposited on the foil by microspotting.
Other inventive two-dimensional array of cuvettes are of substantially rectangular
shape and have four centering ribs located each on the outer surface of one of
the corners of the cuvette holder. Such holder can be configured and dimensioned
that the two-dimensional array of cuvettes is adapted to be used in a centrifuge.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 Top view of a linear cuvette array 11 according to the invention.
FIG. 2 Cross-section through a plane A—A of linear cuvette array 11
in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 Cross-sectional view of one of the cuvettes 12 of linear cuvette
array 11 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 Cross-sectional view of one of the cuvettes 12 of linear cuvette
array 11 in FIG. 1, this cuvette including a foil shaped layer 61
attached to the lower end of the cuvette,
FIG. 5 Top view of a cuvette holder 32 forming part of a two-dimensional
cuvette array according to the invention.
FIG. 6 Cross-section through a plane B—B of cuvette holder 32
in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 Top view of a two-dimensional cuvette array 31 according to the invention.
FIG. 8 Cross-section through a plane C—C of two-dimensional cuvette array
31 in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 Cross-sectional representation of stacked two-dimensional cuvette arrays
31 and 41.
FIG. 10 Cross-sectional representation of a two-dimensional cuvette array 31
stacked onto a standard analysis multiwell plate 38.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention will now be described in terms of its preferred embodiments. These
embodiments are set forth to aid in understanding the invention but are not to
be construed as limiting.
The invention concerns an integrally built, linear array of cuvettes made of
a plastic material, every cuvette of the array having the same shape and dimensions,
and neighboring cuvettes being connected to each other by a single web.
The invention also concerns a two-dimensional array of cuvettes.
The invention also concerns a system comprising two or more two-dimensional arrays
of cuvettes.
The invention may be applicable to several aims—(i) to provide a linear
array of cuvettes which is apt to be used as a basic component of such a system,
(ii) to provide a two-dimensional array of cuvettes which is apt to be used as
a component of such a system, and (iii) to provide a system of cuvette arrays which
allows performance of diffusion or filtration process steps as well as analytical
measurements simultaneously or sequentially on a plurality of samples and in an
optimum way in order to achieve the desired high throughput screening of those
samples in an optimum way.
The main advantages of the invention are that it allows the desired process steps
to be performed efficiently and with great flexibility, at a relatively low cost,
and at the same time makes it possible to overcome problems encountered with prior
art devices.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter with reference
to the accompanying drawings wherein
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an integrally built, linear array
11 of cuvettes
12,
13,
14, etc. made of a plastic material.
Every cuvette of array
11 has the same shape and dimensions and neighboring
cuvettes are connected to each other by a single web
15,
16. Each
of these single webs
15,
16 has a curved shape.
The symmetry axis Y—Y of every cuvette
12 which forms part of array
11 of cuvettes lies substantially in one and the same plane A—A which
is a symmetry plane of cuvette array
11. The upper part of an intermediate
cuvette
12 of array
11 is connected by a first single web
15
to a neighboring cuvette
13 which lies on one side of intermediate cuvette
12 and is connected by a second single web
16 to a neighboring cuvette
14 which lies on the opposite side of intermediate cuvette
12. First
single web
15 and second single web
16 lie on opposite sides of said
symmetry plane A—A.
Webs
15,
16 are flexible and therefore facilitate the insertion
of the cuvettes in a cuvette holder, e.g. cuvette holder
32 described hereinafter,
in spite of variations of the length of cuvette array
11 which are due to
different shrinkage coefficients of the different materials used for manufacture
of cuvette arrays
11 by injection molding.
Each one of cuvettes
2 and
7 (this numbers indicate the relative
position of the cuvettes of the array) of cuvette array
11 has three radially
oriented ribs
19,
29 which serve for accurately positioning the cuvette
into an opening of cuvette holder
32 described hereinafter.
Each one of cuvettes
1,
3,
6,
8 or
1,
3-
6,
8 (this numbers indicate the relative position of the cuvettes of the array)
of cuvette array
11 has e.g. latches
21 and
22 which are an
integral part of the cuvette and which serve for removably connecting the cuvette
to cuvette holder
32 described hereinafter.
FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of one of the cuvettes, e.g. cuvette
12,
of cuvette array
11. As shown by FIG. 2, the cuvette has an upper chamber
17 and a lower chamber
18 which have a common symmetry axis Y—Y
which passes through the centers of both chambers. Upper chamber
17 and
lower chamber
18 have each a substantially cylindrical shape. The cross-section
of upper chamber
17 at the central part thereof is larger than the cross-section
of lower chamber
18.
Lower chamber
18 has an open lower end
23. Upper chamber
17
has an open top end
24 and an annular bottom wall
25. This bottom
wall has a central circular opening
26 which connects said upper chamber
17 with lower chamber
18.
The inner surface
27 of bottom wall
25 is part of a conical surface
the cross-section of which forms an angle of about 80 degrees with the symmetry
axis Y—Y of the cuvette, so that there is an abrupt change of cross-section
between said upper chamber
17 and said lower chamber
18.
The cuvette array
11 is made by injection molding of a selected first
plastic material which is particularly suitable for being used in combination with
a second selected material of which a foil shaped layer is made. This layer is
adapted to be closely attached to each cuvette of the array of cuvettes for covering
at least one opening of each cuvette.
The attachment of the foil shaped layer to each cuvette can be effected e.g.
by gluing the layer and the cuvette or by a welding process. The foil attached
to each individual cuvette is attached only to this individual cuvette and has
no connection with any other cuvette or with a foil attached to a different cuvette.
The attachment of the layer to the cuvette must ensure a medium tight connection
(liquid and/or gas tight connection) of these components.
Possible uses of such a foil shaped layer include e.g. its use as a filter
and/or as a transparent closure (e.g. transparent to ultraviolet irradiation),
which must not necessarily have the function of a filter.
When the foil shaped layer is used as a filter, the filtration process can be
effected by use of vacuum or pressure applied to the medium contained in each cuvette
of a cuvette array.
Suitable materials for a foil shaped layer usable as a filter and having
a thickness in a range of 10 to 200 micrometer are for instance: polyvinylidenfluoride
(PVDF), polycarbonate (PC), polysulfone (PSU), regenerated cellulose, polytetrafluorethylene
(PTFE), PET, and filter paper.
As shown by FIG. 4 such a foil shaped layer is adapted to be closely attached
to the lower end of the cuvette. FIG. 4 shows a cuvette
12 and a foil shaped
layer
61 which is closely attached to cuvette
12 for covering the
opening of this cuvette at the lower end
23 thereof.
The injection molding apparatus for manufacturing the cuvette array is preferably
so configured and dimensioned that injection molding of different materials having
different shrinkage coefficients can be carried out with one and the same apparatus.
In order to obtain a high stability of the assembly formed by a cuvette array
11 and the above mentioned foil shaped layer, the material of which this
layer is made is so selected that properties of the layer are suitable for use
with the material of which the cuvettes are made.
On the other hand the materials of the cuvette array and of the foil shaped layer
are so selected that they are particularly well adapted for and thereby enable
optimization of a particular process carried out with the assembly of cuvette array
and foil shaped layer. Such processes are e.g. filtration, diffusion, concentration
determination, "microspotting".
For instance, cuvettes made of an hydrophilic material, e.g. celluloseacetate,
are suitably combined with ultrafiltration membranes for carrying out ultrafiltrations
in an optimal way. Diffusion processes through artificial membranes are preferably
carried out with hydrophobic filtration membranes, which are suitable for being
combined by a melting process with cuvette material having similar hydrophobic
properties. Filtration processes require hydrophilic or lipophilic properties of
the cuvettes and of the filtration membrane attached thereto, and the selection
of the materials of these components depends from the properties of the substance
to be filtered.
For processes involving genes or genes fragments are deposited by microspotting
on the foil which is attached to the lower end of the cuvettes of cuvette array
11.
Following materials are examples of materials which can be used to manufacture
cuvette array
11: celluloseacetate, polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF), polysulfones, polystyrene, polypropylene (PP). Materials with similar shrinkage
coefficient (in connection with injection molding) and melting properties may also
be used for manufacturing cuvette array
11.
FIG. 5 shows a top view of a cuvette holder
32 which can be used to hold
a plurality of the above described cuvette arrays
11 to form a two-dimensional
cuvette array
31. FIG. 6 shows a cross-section through a plane B—B
of cuvette holder
32 in FIG.
5.
In a preferred embodiment, cuvette holder
32 is of substantially rectangular
shape and has four centering ribs located each on the outer surface of one of the
corners of cuvette holder
32.
FIG. 7 shows a top view of a two-dimensional cuvette array
31 according
to the invention. FIG. 8 shows a cross-section through a plane C—C of two-dimensional
cuvette array
31 in FIG.
7.
As can be appreciated from FIGS. 7 and 8, a two-dimensional array
31 of
cuvettes according to the invention comprises a cuvette holder
32 having
a matrix array
33 of openings
34 for receiving cuvettes
12
of at least one linear cuvette array
11 having the above described features.
Each of the cuvettes
12 of cuvette array
11 has a shape and dimensions
that snugly fits into one of openings
34 of cuvette holder
32.
Cuvette holder
32 is so configured and dimensioned that two-dimensional
array
31 is adapted to be used in a centrifugator. As shown by FIG. 8, cuvette
holder
32 snugly fits into a holder plate
39 of a centrifuge.
As shown by FIG. 9, two or more two-dimensional cuvette arrays e.g. arrays
31
and
41 each of which has the structure described above with reference to
FIGS. 7 and 8 and their respective cuvette holders
32,
42 can be
stacked on each other to form a three-dimensional cuvette array. Cuvetter holder
42 is positioned on a holder plate
43. According to the invention,
the components of such an array are so configured and dimensioned that cuvettes
having the same relative position in their respective holders are accurately positioned
one above the other with coincidence of their symmetry axis, one of said cuvettes
taking the position of an upper cuvette
51 and the other cuvette taking
the position of a lower cuvette
52. In a preferred embodiment a portion
of the lower part of each upper cuvette
51 lies within the upper chamber
of the corresponding lower cuvette
52 and the lower end of the upper cuvette
51 is at a predetermined distance from the bottom wall of the upper chamber
of the lower cuvette
52.
In FIG. 9 the following volumes available in the cuvettes are represented by
corresponding
shaded parts:
a volume
62 available for a sample in a lower cuvette, a volume
63
displaced by the lower part of the upper cuvette in the upper part of the corresponding
lower cuvette, a volume
64 available for overflow liquid in the upper part
of an upper cuvette, and a volume
65 available for excess liquid in the
upper part of a lower cuvette.
As shown by FIG. 10, a two-dimensional cuvette array
31 which has the
structure
described above with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 can be stacked also on a standard
holder plate
38 for a standard multiwell plate.
According to the invention a system comprising one or more two-dimensional
arrays
31,
41, etc. of cuvettes having the above-described structure
are used to perform simultaneously diffusion, filtration or detection process steps
on a plurality of liquid samples, wherein said samples are e.g. genes, gene fragments,
drug substance or precursors of drugs.
In a preferred embodiment such a system comprises a first two-dimensional cuvette
array
31 and a second two-dimensional cuvette array
41, said cuvette
arrays
31,
41 are stacked on each other, and the cuvette holders
32,
42 and the cuvettes
12 of said two-dimensional cuvette
arrays
31,
41 are so configured and dimensioned that cuvettes having
the same relative position in their respective holders are accurately positioned
one above the other with coincidence of their symmetry axis, one of the cuvettes
taking the position of an upper cuvette
51 and the other cuvette taking
the position of a lower cuvette
52. In a preferred embodiment a portion
of the lower part of the upper cuvette
51 lies within the upper chamber
of the lower cuvette
52 and the lower end of the upper cuvette
51
is at a predetermined distance from the bottom wall of the upper chamber of the
lower cuvette
52. With this arrangement there is no capillary gap between
liquid contained in the lower part of the upper cuvette
51 and liquid contained
in the upper chamber of the lower cuvette
52.
| |
| List of reference numbers |
| |
| |
| 11 |
linear cuvette array |
| 12 |
cuvette |
| 13 |
cuvette |
| 14 |
cuvette |
| 15 |
web |
| 16 |
web |
| 17 |
upper chamber |
| 18 |
lower chamber |
| 19 |
rib |
| 21 |
latch |
| 22 |
latch |
| 23 |
open low end |
| 24 |
open top end |
| 25 |
bottom wall |
| 26 |
opening |
| 27 |
inner surface of bottom wall 25 |
| 28 |
[not used in text or figures] |
| 29 |
rib |
| 31 |
two-dimensional cuvette array |
| 32 |
cuvette holder |
| 33 |
matrix array of openings |
| 34 |
opening (for receiving cuvettes) |
| 35 |
[not used in text or figures] |
| 36 |
[not used in text or figures] |
| 37 |
[not used in text or figures] |
| 38 |
standard holder plate for a standard multiwell plate |
| 39 |
holder plate of a centrifugator |
| 41 |
two-dimensional cuvette array |
| 42 |
cuvette holder |
| 43 |
holder plate |
| 51 |
upper cuvette |
| 52 |
lower cuvette |
| 61 |
foil shaped layer |
| 62 |
volume available for a sample |
| 63 |
displaced volume |
| 64 |
volume available for overflow liquid |
| 65 |
volume available for excess liquid |
| |
Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be
apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly,
this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose
of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention.
Details of the apparatus and of the system described may be varied without departing
from the scope and spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all modifications
which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.
*
