Patent ID: 7458419

Claim:
A probe assembly for employment by a downhole tool disposed in a wellbore surrounded by a layer of contaminated fluid, the wellbore penetrating a subsurface formation having a virgin fluid therein beyond the layer of contaminated fluid, the probe assembly comprising: a probe body extendable from the downhole tool; a packer carried by the probe body and having a distal surface adapted for sealingly engaging a portion of the wellbore, the packer having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, the inner diameter being defined by a bore through the packer, the packer being further equipped with: one or more channels formed in the distal surface and arranged to define an annular cleanup intake intermediate the inner and outer diameters; a plurality of braces disposed in the one or more channels and operatively connected to define a flexible bracing ring; and at least one passageway extending through the packer for conducting one of virgin fluid, contaminated fluid and combinations thereof between the one or more channels and a first inlet in the probe body, the first inlet in the probe body fluidly communicating with the downhole tool; and a sampling tube sealingly disposed in the bore of the packer for conducting virgin fluid to a second inlet in the probe body, the second inlet in the probe body fluidly communicating with the downhole tool.