Patent ID: 7807476

Claim:
A method for processing particulate matter-containing liquid held in a vial, the vial comprising: a container having an opening at an upper end thereof; an imperforate cover removably coupled to the container to close the opening; and a processing assembly that is separate from the container and is coupled to the cover proximate an interface between the cover and the opening by a releasable coupling that allows the processing assembly to be removed from the container along with the cover while still coupled thereto, the releasable coupling comprising mating couplers in the form of closely fitting projections held together by a frictional retention force and respectively carried by the inside of the cover and an upper portion of the processing assembly such that the couplers disengage upon application of an external force to the vial that overcomes the retention force, whereby the processing assembly may be selectively detached inwardly from the cover while the cover is on the container so that the processing assembly remains in the container when the cover is subsequently removed; the method comprising: detaching the processing assembly from the cover while the cover is on the container; removing the cover to expose the detached processing assembly in the container; and manipulating the processing assembly so as to process the particulate matter-containing liquid in the container.