Patent ID: 7534397

Claim:
A sample preparation device comprising, (a) a vessel having a liquid receiving space and a bottom end defining a bottom portion of the liquid receiving space, (b) the bottom end of the vessel having a bottom opening, (c) a valve at the bottom end of the vessel below said bottom opening for controlling the flow of any liquid in said liquid receiving space out of said liquid receiving space through said bottom opening, said valve having an outlet port communicable with the bottom opening to enable any liquid flowing through the bottom opening to flow to said outlet port, (d) said valve being in a normally closed condition for preventing any liquid in said vessel from flowing out of said liquid receiving space through said bottom opening, and (e) said valve having a deflectable membrane positioned against the bottom end of said vessel and against said bottom opening to close said bottom opening when said valve is in its normally closed condition, said membrane being deflectable away from the bottom end of said vessel and away from the bottom opening such that the membrane is spaced from said bottom opening when said valve is in said open condition to permit any liquid in said liquid receiving space to flow through said bottom opening and through the space between said membrane and said bottom opening to said outlet port.