Patent ID: 7632405

Claim:
An apparatus for dispersing and mixing magnetic particles in liquid within containers by changing the angular position between magnet and magnetic particles and separating magnetic particles from the liquid within containers, said apparatus comprising: a holding means with evenly spaced apertures configured as a 8×12 array of rows and columns positioned in a relatively fixed position with multiple containers in the form of a multiple well microplate for holding liquids in a form of 8×12 array of rows and columns wherein the wells protrude underneath the upper surface of microplate with spaces between the wells; at least two independently moveable magnet supports for holding magnets with five evenly spaced linear rows of seven spaced apart magnets mounted on one support and four evenly spaced linear rows of six spaced magnets mounted on the second support wherein both supports are guided for movements in the vertical plane aligned with said microplate so that upward movement of one magnet support insert the magnets at one side of the wells underneath the microplate and the upward movement of second magnet support insert the magnets on the opposite side of the wells; means for mixing magnetic particles in the wells by repetitively moving one magnet support at a time vertically, said means providing the repetitive movement at a sufficiently rapid rate to prevent the gravitational settling of magnetic particle between successive movements and delaying each subsequent movement of magnet support for at least 0.25 second to agglomerate substantially all migrating magnetic particles, said means providing cyclical movement of the two magnet supports causing repeated changes in the angular position between magnets and magnetic particles thereby causing the magnetic particles to repeatedly disperse and mix in the liquid within the wells; means for separating magnetic particles from the liquid within wells by moving only one magnet support to insert magnets between the wells and allowing sufficient time to agglomerate substantially all magnetic particles on inside wall of the wells in proximity to outside magnets.