Patent ID: 7858393

Claim:
A method for handling a microtitration tray ( 13 ) with cavities ( 12 ) each comprising an upper aperture and a lower aperture ( 17 ) receiving filters ( 11 ) within the cavities ( 12 ), comprising the steps of: (1) configuring the microtitration filter tray ( 13 ) on a chamber ( 14 ) designed for vacuum filtration of microtitration filter trays ( 13 ); (2) pipetting samples into the individual microfiltration filter tray cavities ( 12 ); (3) aspirating the samples through the filters ( 11 ) by applying a vacuum to the lower apertures ( 17 ) of the cavities ( 12 ) receiving the filters ( 11 ); (4) applying several times a washing solution into the cavities ( 12 ) and aspirating the solution through the filters ( 11 ) and/or using an elution buffer to remove significant components of the samples from the filters ( 11 ); (5) mounting a heat exchanger ( 21 ) detachably on the microtitration filter tray ( 13 ) which is either heated before being mounted or is heated after being mounted, said heat exchanger ( 21 ) comprising at least one inlet aperture and at least one outlet aperture ( 22 ) allowing a gas flow ( 23 ) to move between them; and (6) generating a gas flow to pass through the filters ( 11 ) by a vacuum pump ( 16 ) communicating with the vacuum chamber ( 14 ) using said heat exchanger ( 21 ) to heat the gas flow ( 23 ) and guide the gas flow to the upper apertures of the cavities ( 12 ), the gas flow ( 23 ) moving from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture of said heat exchanger ( 21 ).