Dual chamber microplate washer

Claim 1

An apparatus for the filling and evacuation of all wells simultaneously of a multiwell microplate, said apparatus comprising: a distribution head comprising three parallel plates designated, respectively, an upper plate, a middle plate, and a lower plate, said plates spaced apart to form gaps therebetween and thereby define two enclosed chambers designated, respectively, an upper chamber and a lower chamber with said middle plate forming a common boundary therebetween, said lower plate having affixed therein a plurality of tubes spaced apart from each other, each said tube passing through said lower plate and perpendicular thereto, said tubes forming a rectangular array such that, when said distribution head is superimposed over said microplate, a pair of said tubes is aligned with each well of said microplate, the portions of each tube of said pair which extends below said lower plate being of unequal length thereby defining a more extended tube and a less extended tube, said less extended tube extending upward through said lower chamber and said middle plate to terminate above the upper surface of said middle plate inside the interior of said upper chamber, and said more extended tube providing an open passage from its lower end to the interior of said lower chamber, a support for said microplate, said support comprising a substantially flat horizontal surface containing guide means adapted to secure said microplate in a predetermined position on said support surface, means for aligning said distribution head above said support with said upper, middle, and lower plates of said distribution head and said support surface in parallel relation, and for narrowing and widening the distance between said distribution head and said support surface while substantially maintaining said parallel relation, stop means for setting a minimum spacing distance between said distribution head and said support surface such that when said distance is at said minimum, the exposed end of the more extended tube of each said tube pair is sufficiently close to the bottom of the corresponding well in said microplate to permit evacuation of substantially all liquid from said well, means for applying a vacuum to said chamber communicating with said more extended tube, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to the chamber communicating with said less extended tube.

Claim 2

An apparatus for the filling and evacuation of all wells simultaneously of a multiwell microplate, said apparatus comprising: a distribution head comprising three parallel plates designated, respectively, an upper plate, a middle plate, and a lower plate, said plates spaced apart to form gaps therebetween and thereby define two enclosed chambers designated, respectively, an upper chamber and a lower chamber with said middle plate forming a common boundary therebetween, said lower plate having affixed therein a plurality of tubes spaced apart from each other, each said tube passing through said lower plate and perpendicular thereto, said tubes forming a rectangular array such that, when said distribution head is superimposed over said microplate, a pair of said tubes is aligned with each well of said microplate, the portions of each tube of said pair which extends below said lower plate being of unequal length thereby defining a more extended tube and a less extended tube, said less extended tube extending upward through said lower chamber and said middle plate to terminate above the upper surface of said middle plate inside the interior of said upper chamber, and said more extended tube providing an open passage from its lower end to the interior of said lower chamber, a support for said microplate, said support comprising a substantially flat horizontal surface containing guide means adapted to secure said microplate in a predetermined position on said support surface, means for aligning said distribution head above said support with said upper, middle, and lower plates of said distribution head and said support surface in parallel relation, and for narrowing and widening the distance between said distribution head and said support surface while substantially maintaining said parallel relation, stop means for setting a minimum spacing distance between said distribution head and said support surface such that when said distance is at said minimum, the exposed end of the more extended tube of each said tube pair is sufficiently close to the bottom of the corresponding well in said microplate to permit evacuation of substantially all liquid from said well, means for applying a vacuum to said chamber communicating with said more extended tube, and means for supplying pressurized fluid to the chamber communicating with said less extended tube.