Patent ID: 8088285

Claim:
An apparatus constructed and arranged for mixing and separating magnetic particles in a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a holder having a plurality of apertures configured as an array; a plurality of containers, each container being sized to be placed at least partially in an aperture of the holder, each container being capable of receiving liquid containing magnetic particles; a plurality of magnets arranged relative to the containers so as to produce at least one magnetic field in each container, said magnets being movable relative to the containers between a first position and a second position so as to change the relative position of the magnets and the magnetic particles in the containers; and a motor moving the magnets or containers in a repetitive motion between first and second positions at a sufficiently high speed such that the magnetic particles do not significantly settle down due to gravitational forces during the motion between the first and second positions, wherein the movement of the magnets firstly places magnets adjacent to one side of a lateral wall of each of the containers and secondly places the magnets adjacent to the opposite side of the lateral wall of each of the containers.