Patent Document ID: 10001501
Application ID: 15395472
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for automated sample handling for extraction, detection and quantification of at least one metabolite biomarker in at least one biological sample, the method comprising the steps of: (a) thawing the at least one biological sample on a cooler block shaped and sized to hold the at least one biological sample; (b) mixing the at least one thawed biological sample; (c) following step (b), pipetting: (i) the at least one biological sample into at least one plate, (ii) at least one blank sample into the at least one plate, and (iii) at least one quality control sample into the at least one plate; (d) pipetting a solvent and an internal standard into (i) each of the at least one biological sample in the at least one plate, (ii) each of the at least one blank sample in the at least one plate, and (iii) each of the at least one quality control sample in the at least one plate; (e) shaking the at least one biological sample, the solvent, and the internal standard in the at least one plate; (f) incubating the at least one biological sample, the solvent, and the internal standard in the at least one plate on the cooler block; (g) centrifuging the at least one incubated biological sample in the at least one plate; (h) removing a first supernatant from the at least one centrifuged biological sample to at least one first analysis plate; (i) applying nitrogen flow to the first supernatant of the at least one biological sample in the at least one first analysis plate to obtain at least one dried biological sample; (j) resuspending the at least one dried biological sample in the at least one first analysis plate; (k) centrifuging the at least one resuspended biological sample in the at least one first analysis plate; (l) removing a second supernatant from the at least one centrifuged biological sample from step (k) in the at least one first analysis plate to at least one second analysis plate; (m) following step (l), placing the at least one second analysis plate in a metabolite separations/analytics subsystem; and (n) following step (m), generating at least one analysis report for the at least one biological sample.