Patent ID: 8047253

Claim:
A device for removal of a film seal from an array of containers containing a plurality of liquid samples, comprising: a processing surface; a collection rod disposed above the processing surface, the collection rod having a length substantially equal to or greater than a width of the film seal, the collection rod adapted to apply a downward force against an upper surface of the array of containers and the film seal; an adhesive surface having a width approximately equal to the width of the film seal extending downward along the length of the collection rod, wherein the downward force presses the adhesive surface against the film seal and the upper surface of the array of containers; translation means for moving one of the array of containers and the adhesive surface relative to the other along a translation path in a direction parallel to a plane of the processing surface; and a mechanism adapted to produce tangential upward forces at a downstream side of the collection rod so that the adhesive surface pulls up a leading edge of the film seal and causes the film seal to be peeled upward away from the array of containers as one of the array of containers and the adhesive surface moves along the translation path, wherein the collection rod is oriented at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to each of the translation path and a leading edge of the array of containers to begin peeling the film seal at a single corner of the leading edge of the film seal, wherein the translation means causes the collection rod to be moved from the leading edge of the film seal to a trailing edge of the film seal while the film seal is peeled from the array of containers.