METHOD OF PROCESSING A BIOLOGICAL AND/OR CHEMICAL SAMPLE

• Main Authors: NEUZIL, PAVEL, HSIEH, TSENG-MING, PIPPER, JUERGEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 23.08.2007
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; ENZYMOLOGY; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROMSOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; MEASURING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; SEPARATION; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS; SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; SPIRITS; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; VINEGAR; WINE

The invention provides a method of processing a biological and/or chemical sample. The method includes providing a fluid droplet, which includes an inner phase and an outer phase. The outer phase is immiscible with the inner phase, and the outer phase is surrounding the inner phase. The inner phase includes the biological and/or chemical sample. The fluid droplet furthermore comprises magnetically attractable matter. The method also includes providing at least one surface, which is of such a texture and such a wettability for the fluid of the inner phase of the fluid droplet, that the fluid droplet remains intact upon being contacted therewith. The method further includes disposing the fluid droplet onto the at least one surface. The method also includes performing a process on the biological and/or chemical sample in the fluid droplet. L'invention concerne un procédé de traitement d'un échantillon biologique et/ou chimique. Le procédé consiste à disposer une gouttelette de fluide qui comprend une phase interne et une phase externe. La phase externe est immiscible avec la phase interne, et la phase externe entoure la phase interne. La phase interne comprend l'échantillon biologique et/ou chimique. La gouttelette de fluide comprend en outre une matière pouvant être attirée magnétiquement. Le procédé consiste également à disposer au moins une surface dont la texture et la mouillabilité pour le fluide de la phase interne de la gouttelette de fluide sont telles que la gouttelette de fluide reste intacte à son contact. Le procédé consiste en outre à disposer la gouttelette de fluide sur ladite ou lesdites surfaces. Le procédé consiste également à réaliser un traitement sur l'échantillon biologique et/ou chimique contenu dans la gouttelette de fluide.