Patent Publication Number: US-11642677-B2

Title: Split microplate and vials

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed toward the combination of a plurality of vials and a microplate and, more particularly, toward the combination of vials and a microplate wherein the microplate is split into two separate parts. 
     As is well known in the art, microplates are widely used for storing, filtering, incubating and detecting samples in chemical experiments, biological assays, medical tests and the like. For example, a microplate might be used as micro-containers to store, filter, prepare, or incubate multiplicate samples in different wells. A microplate can also be used to conduct relatively tiny volume cell cultures in vitro. The sample filled microplate might eventually be subject to specific measuring methods to analyze its contents qualitatively and/or quantitatively in chromatographic or spectrometry systems. 
     Some microplates, and primarily those made of plastic, have the wells formed directly therein. Others include openings in the top thereof into which can be inserted a plurality of glass or plastic vials. While microplates may come in various sizes, the current standard and most widely used today is one that has 96 wells or, as with the present invention, includes openings that can hold 96 vials. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inventive microplate, made of plastic, is designed to hold 96 glass vials. 
     As is also well known in the art, many vials used with microplates are often manipulated robotically. This requires that the vials be arranged in the microplate so that they can by grasped and lifted by a robotic arm or gripper. Not only must they be exposed so that they can be gripped, they must be kept in an essentially vertical position. Even further, in many applications, a needle extends down onto a vial from the top and there must be a way to determine whether the needle has extended downwardly a sufficient distance. To Applicants&#39; knowledge, there is no microplate available that satisfies all of the desired requirements. 
     A need exists, therefore, for a microplate and vial combination that maintains the vials in a substantially vertical orientation but which exposes the tops of the vials so that they can be gripped robotically and which provides means for controlling the depth of a needle moving downwardly into the vial. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is designed to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a microplate and vial combination wherein the microplate is split into two parts for easier handling. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide such a microplate and vial combination that maintains the vials in a slightly raised position so that they are accessible for robotic access. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a microplate and vial combination that maintains the vials in a substantially vertical position even when the vials are raised. 
     In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided a split or two-part microplate that is formed of a base and a rack. The rack has a top with a plurality of openings capable of holding glass vials. The base has an interior bottom surface and an exterior bottom surface and a plurality of upwardly extending vertical walls and being so dimensioned and sized so as to fit onto the base with at least a portion of the top planar surface resting on the vertical walls. When the rack is assembled onto the base, the top planar surface is spaced from the bottom surface by a first distance. The rack includes downwardly extending legs that are adapted to rest on a flat surface whereby the top planar surface is spaced from the flat surface by a second distance which is greater than the first distance. 
     A plurality of vials are held in the openings and include rims preventing the vials from passing through the openings. The length of the vials from below the rim to the bottom is greater than the first distance but less than the second distance, whereby, when the rack is resting on a flat surface, the vials hang from the rack and when the rack is assembled onto the base, the bottoms of the vials engage the interior bottom surface and the rims of the vials are positioned above the top planar surface. 
     The interior bottom surface of the base includes a plurality of recesses which includes a low point and slanted walls leading into the low point, the slanted walls guiding the bottom end of said vial into the low point. In addition, the exterior bottom surface of the base includes flat surfaces formed directly beneath the recesses. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings one form which is presently preferred; it being understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
         FIG.  1    is a front top perspective view of the rack portion of the split microplate of our invention without any vials being held therein; 
         FIG.  2    is a front top perspective view of the base portion of the split microplate of our invention; 
         FIG.  3    is view similar to  FIG.  1    but showing the rack portion filled with vials; 
         FIG.  4    is a front top perspective view of the combined split microplate filled with vials; 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional view of a portion of  FIG.  4   , and 
         FIG.  6    is a front top perspective view similar to  FIG.  2    but showing a portion thereof exploded. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the various figures to designate like elements, there is shown in  FIG.  4    a split microplate and vials constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally as  10 . 
     The split microplate and vials  10  is comprised essentially of two parts, the microplate  12  and the plurality of vials such as shown at  14 ,  16  and  18 . The microplate itself is also comprised of two parts: a base  20  as shown best in  FIG.  2    and a rack  22  as best shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     The rack  22  has a top planar surface  24  with a plurality of openings  26  therein. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are 96 such openings  26 . This is, however, only the preferred embodiment of the invention as a different number of openings  26  may be provided depending on the equipment in which the microplate is intended to be used. 
     The base  20  includes an interior bottom surface  28  and an exterior bottom surface  30 . See  FIG.  5   . The base also includes a plurality of upwardly extending vertical walls such as shown at  32  and  34  around the periphery of the bottom surfaces  28  and  30 . The rack  22  is dimensioned and sized so as to fit onto the base  20  with at least a portion of the top planar surface  24  resting on the tops  36  and  38  of the vertical walls  32  and  34  when the rack  22  is assembled onto the base  20 . As shown most clearly in  FIG.  5   , the top planar surface  24  is spaced from the interior bottom surface  28  when the rack  22  is assembled onto the base  20  by a first distance. 
     The rack  22  also includes four downwardly extending legs  40 ,  42  and  44  as shown in  FIG.  1   . The fourth leg is not specifically shown in the figures but it will be understood that it is substantially the same as the three legs that are shown. These legs extend downwardly from each of the corners  46 ,  48 ,  50  and  52  of the top planar surface  24 . 
     The legs are all of the same length and are adapted to rest on a flat support surface such as a tabletop or the like whereby the top planar surface  24  will be spaced from the flat support surface by a second distance. This second distance is essentially the same as the height of each of the legs but is greater than the first distance described above. 
     Each of the vials such as vial  16  shown in  FIG.  3    has an open top end  56 , a closed bottom end  58  and a substantially cylindrically shaped body  60 . The diameter of the cylindrical body  60  is slightly less than the diameter of the openings  26  in the top planar surface  24  of the rack  22 . This, of course, allows the vials to enter the openings. 
     Each of the vials also includes an outwardly extending rim  62  adjacent the top end  56  thereof. The rim  62  is wider than the diameter of the openings  26  in the top planar surface  24  thereby preventing the vials from passing downwardly through the openings. It is understood that while only one or two vials are shown in detail, each of the vials in the rack are constructed in essentially the same manner. 
     The length of the vials such as vial  16  from below the rim  62  to the bottom end  58  thereof is greater than the first distance described above but less than the second distance. As a result, when the rack  22  is resting on a flat or support surface through the use of the legs  40 ,  42  and  44 , the vials hang from the rack by the rims  62 . However, when the rack  22  is assembled onto the base  20 , the bottoms  58  of the vials engage the interior bottom surface  28  and the rims  62  of the vials are positioned above the top planar surface  24  of the rack  22 . This is shown most clearly in  FIG.  5   . 
     As is also shown most clearly in  FIGS.  5  and  6   , the interior bottom surface  28  of the base  20  includes a plurality of recesses such as shown at  64  and  66 . Each recess is associated with a different opening  26  and lies directly beneath the same when the rack  22  is assembled onto the base  20 . Each of the recesses  64  and  66  includes a low point  68  and slanted walls such as shown at  70  and  72  leading to the low point  68 . As a result of this arrangement, the slanted walls  70  and  72  guide the bottom end  58  of each of the vials into the low point  68  as the rack  22  with the vials loaded thereon is assembled onto the base  20 . This helps to maintain each of the vials in a substantially vertical position. 
     As can best be seen in  FIG.  5   , the exterior bottom surface  30  of the base  20  includes flat surfaces  74  and  76  that are formed directly beneath each of the low points  68  of the recesses. This allows the base  20  to be placed on a metal plate or the like of an apparatus which is then capable of measuring the quantity of a liquid within each vial or which can determine the depth of a needle passing downwardly into a vial. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.