Patent ID: 7025935

Claim:
A sample transfer apparatus for transferring samples from source wells to destination sample locations, comprising a plurality of separate capillary tubes each comprising an inlet and outlet orifice; a support member orienting said inlet orifices as a matrix of inlet orifices and said plurality of outlet orifices as a matrix of outlet orifices; and a multi-well plate comprising a plurality of source wells, wherein said support member comprises a first contact surface for a supporting said multi-well plate, wherein said inlet orifices are directed to said wells and said outlet orifices are directed to destination sample locations, wherein said inlet orifices extend beyond said first contact surface into contact with the interiors of said wells, wherein said support member comprises a second contact surface spaced from and parallel to said first contact surface for holding a substrate having said destination sample locations, wherein said second contact surface is positioned to allow for a substrate placed thereon to be within 250 μm of said outlet orifices, and wherein the area of said matrix of inlet orifices is larger than the transfer area of said matrix of outlet orifices.