Patent ID: 7101510
Filing Date: 2006-09-05
Classification: B01J,B01L,C40B,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A system for storing and dispensing a plurality of reagents, comprising: an addressable array of reagent dispensers; a gate mechanism at an outlet region of each dispenser, each gate mechanism being independently operable between (i) an opened condition permitting passage of a respective reagent through said outlet region and (ii) a closed condition wherein said passage is blocked; a first support disposed adjacent said array; a second support mounted on said first support, said second support having a holding area for receiving a plurality of receptacles, wherein (i) said first support is variably positionable to permit placement of a fixed target region thereof in alignment with any selected one of said dispensers in said array, and (ii) said second support is variably positionable to permit placement of any selected target site of said holding area in alignment with said fixed target region; a plurality of different reagents disposed in said dispenser passageways; a plurality of bead lots, each lot comprised of a plurality of substantially similar beads carrying a respective one of said different reagents and moveable through said outlet region; and a plurality of sealed ampules, said ampules being dimensioned to move downward through any one of said passageways under the force of gravity in a substantially single-file fashion; wherein said dispensers are elongated containers, each having a longitudinally extending passageway configured to receive and hold a respective reagent when said gate mechanism is in the closed condition, each bead has a diameter of less than about a millimeter, each ampule contains beads from the same or substantially identical lots, and each passageway is loaded with a plurality of such ampules.