Patent ID: 9404901
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: B01L,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A fluid sample holder suitable for allowing a fluid sample to be delivered to, or received from, a fluid processing equipment, the sample holder comprising: a sample fluid reservoir; a sample fluid port for providing fluid communication between said sample fluid reservoir and said fluid processing equipment; a buffer fluid port also for providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the fluid processing equipment; and a sliding seal within the reservoir including a sealing area which generally sealingly engages with a wall of the reservoir thereby defining a first and a second fluid separated region in the reservoir, said first region being in fluid communication with the sample fluid port, and said second region being in fluid communication with the buffer fluid port, said sliding seal being displaceable within the reservoir by means of a pressure differential between said first and second regions to thereby change the respective volumes of the first and second regions, and the sliding seal including a valve operable when the sliding seal reaches or substantially reaches an end of its displacement, said valve including a stem having a tapered portion for cooperating with a complementary tapered aperture for substantially preventing fluid flow when so cooperating, said stem being displaceablely away from said aperture and out of said cooperation at said end of its displacement, to open the valve, wherein the sliding seal includes a body which includes the aperture, and the stem is resiliently mounted to the body so that the stem's displacement with respect to the body is resilient and biased into said cooperation.