Patent ID: 6254826
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: B01L,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A work station for simultaneously performing multiple assays, said work station comprising:(a) a receptacle holding structure constructed and arranged to hold each of a plurality of receptacles in one of a plurality of receptacle sets, each set including at least two receptacles;(b) a substance transfer device constructed and arranged to operatively interact with the receptacles of at least two of the receptacle sets held in said receptacle holding structure to simultaneously dispense substance into each of the receptacles of a first receptacle set of the at least two receptacle sets and to simultaneously remove substance from each of the receptacles of a second receptacle set of the at least two receptacle sets, wherein said substance transfer device is constructed and arranged to simultaneously remove substance from each of the receptacles of the second receptacle set at about the same time that said substance transfer device is simultaneously dispensing substance into each of the receptacles of the first receptacle set; and(c) a substance transfer device positioning mechanism including first registration elements associated with portions of said receptacle holding structure corresponding to each of said receptacle sets and second registration elements fixed to said substance transfer device and constructed and arranged to be selectively engageable with a portion of said first registration elements to thereby position said substance transfer device with respect to any two or more of the receptacle sets held in said receptacle holding structure to allow said substance transfer device to:(i) simultaneously dispense substance into each of the receptacles of a first receptacle set of the two or more receptacle sets,(ii) simultaneously remove substance from each of the receptacles of a second receptacle set of the two or more receptacle sets, or(iii) simultaneously dispense substance into each of the receptacles of the first receptacle set and simultaneously remove substance from each of the receptacles of the second receptacle set at about the same time that said substance transfer device is simultaneously dispensing substance into each of the receptacles of the first receptacle set.