Patent ID: 6776174
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: B01L,B03C,G01N

Abstract:
An apparatus for washing or manipulating magnetic particles said apparatus comprising:a) a well plate for receiving an array tube holder having x rows of tubes, each tube containing magnetic particles, said well plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, and (x+1) rows of wells for shifting said array tube holder from a first position to a second position in said well plate; b) ((x/2)+1) rows of magnets asymmetrically positioned within said well plate, wherein a first row of magnets is adjacent to tubes in a first row of wells and (x/2) rows of magnets are positioned between x remaining rows of wells; and c) base plate attached to said lower surface of said well plate for securing said magnets to said well plate; whereby placing said array tube holder in said first position causes magnetic fields produced by said magnets to attract the magnetic particles in adjacent rows of tubes to one side of said tubes, and shifting said array tube holder to said second position reverses said magnetic fields causing said magnetic particles to move across to the other side of said tubes.