US 12,449,433 B2
Automated method for direct sampling of immune cells from whole blood or other biological samples in microwell plates
Zhaoping Liu, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Stephen Barnes, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Dominique Perez, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Christopher Suski, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Sartorius BioAnalytical Instruments, Inc., Bohemia, NY (US)
Filed by Sartorius BioAnalytical Instruments, Inc., Bohemia, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/009,225.
Prior Publication US 2022/0065879 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/50 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 35/0098 (2013.01) [G01N 33/5002 (2013.01); G01N 35/0099 (2013.01); G01N 35/10 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00524 (2013.01); G01N 2035/00564 (2013.01); G01N 2035/1053 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. A method for automatic sampling of immune cells from a biological fluid sample deposited in a well of a microwell plate, the well having a wall, the biological fluid sample containing (1) red blood cells (RBCs) and (2) magnetic beads which are designed to bind to the RBCs in the sample, comprising the steps of:
a) placing the microwell plate on a shaker having a magnetic adapter including at least one magnet, wherein the magnetic adapter is removably coupled to the shaker and the microwell plate is removably coupled to the magnetic adapter, wherein the magnet causes the RBCs bound to the magnetic beads to be held against the wall of the well, wherein a shield comprising a ferromagnetic material is affixed to a bottom surface of the magnetic adapter such that the shield does not directly contact the at least one magnet, wherein the shaker further comprises a sensor, and wherein the shield is configured to shield the sensor from a magnetic field created by the at least one magnet;
b) shaking with the shaker the microwell plate in a manner and for a time period so as to suspend the immune cells in the biological fluid sample within a region of the well such that the immune cells are isolated from the RBCs held against the wall of the well; and
c) lowering a sample probe into the well in the region of the well and withdrawing a portion of the sample containing the immune cells from the region.