Patent ID: 7718072

Claim:
A method for separating magnetic particles suspended in a fluid comprising: providing an apparatus having a container for containing a fluid having magnetic particles suspended in the fluid, an automated pipette, and a magnet; placing the magnet and the container in a first position relative to one another so that the magnet exerts a magnetic field on the magnetic particles that tends to isolate the magnetic particles in a selected zone of the container distal from the pipette; applying the magnetic field across the container for a selected period of time to evacuate the magnetic particles from a first aspiration zone of the container; aspirating a preselected quantity of fluid from the first aspiration zone in the container, wherein the preselected quantity of fluid is less than ½ (one-half)) the volume of the fluid; placing the apparatus in a second position separating the magnetic field from the pipette, whereby in the second position the magnet applies a magnetic field to the magnetic particles to evacuate the magnetic particles from a second aspiration zone; aspirating the fluid from the second aspiration zone whereby the magnetic particles are separated from the fluid.