Carrier plate for laboratory devices

Abstract

A carrier plate, which is used within an electrophoresis process, and to a holding device tailored to the carrier plate, the carrier plate having a region with a magnetic property and a positioning device. The magnetic property is designed to fix the carrier plate in the laboratory device. The positioning device is designed to guarantee a position of the carrier plate in the laboratory device.

Claims

1. A carrier plate for an electrophoresis device, the carrier plate comprising: two flat sides that are parallel to one another, one of the two flat sides being a sample side forming a sample area configured to have samples deposited thereon, a region with a magnetic characteristic, a positioning appliance, and a fixation layer for a carrier medium, wherein the magnetic characteristic is configured to fix the carrier plate in the electrophoresis device, and wherein the positioning appliance is configured to guarantee a position of the carrier plate in the electrophoresis device, wherein the sample area and the region with the magnetic characteristic are not overlapping, wherein the sample area is an inner surface of the sample side, said inner surface being continuous, or the carrier plate comprises an object carrier and the sample area is a surface of the object carrier, said surface being continuous.

2. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein: the carrier plate has a basic shape and the positioning appliance is configured for positioning and aligning the carrier plate in a desired position and a desired alignment in the electrophoresis device, and the basic shape has at least one symmetry transformation, under which the basic shape is transposed into itself and under which the positioning appliance is not transposed into itself.

3. The carrier plate according to claim 2, wherein the positioning appliance comprises the region with the magnetic characteristic and the positioning appliance is not transposed into itself under the symmetry transformation because the region with the magnetic characteristic is not transposed into itself.

4. The carrier plate according to claim 3, wherein a magnetic field which is produced by the region with the magnetic characteristic is not symmetrical under the symmetry transformation of the basic shape.

5. The carrier plate according to claim 4, wherein a direction of the produced magnetic field has changed at a position of the basic shape, said basic shape having been transposed into itself by the symmetry transformation.

6. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the region with the magnetic characteristic is magnetized along a direction which runs parallel to the normal of the sample side.

7. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the region with the magnetic characteristic comprises a magnet and the magnetic characteristic of the region corresponds to the magnetic characteristic of the magnet.

8. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein: the region with the magnetic characteristic is a first magnetic region and the carrier plate comprises a second magnetic region, the first magnetic region is magnetized along a first direction and the second magnetic region is magnetized along a second direction which differs from the first direction, and the positioning appliance comprises the first magnetic region and the second magnetic region.

9. The carrier plate according to claim 8, comprising at least two second magnetic regions and a basic shape which has at least one symmetry transformation, under which the basic shape is transposed into itself and under which the positioning appliance is not transposed into itself, wherein the positions of the second magnetic regions are arranged on the carrier plate such that these positions are not transposed into themselves under the symmetry transformation, or the second magnetic regions are arranged on a symmetry axis of the basic shape and are displaced relative to one another along the symmetry axis in comparison to other magnetic regions which are arranged on an equivalent symmetry axis of the basic shape.

10. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the sample area is at least one of uninterrupted, hole-free, opening-free, recess-free, and planar.

11. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the carrier plate, except the region with the magnetic characteristic, is made of plastic or of glass.

12. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the carrier plate comprises the inner surface, and further comprises an edge region and markings, wherein the markings are configured to unambiguously identify a multitude of sample positions on the carrier plate.

13. The carrier plate according to claim 12, wherein the markings and the at least one region with the magnetic characteristic are arranged in the edge region.

14. The carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein the carrier plate comprises the object carrier, and the object carrier is an object carrier for spectroscopic applications.

15. The carrier plate according to claim 14, wherein the carrier plate comprises an inner region and an edge region, wherein the object carrier is arranged in the inner region and is connected to the edge region via a predetermined breaking point.

16. A holding appliance for the carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein: the holding appliance is configured for assembly in an electrophoresis device, the holding appliance comprises a holding region, in which the holding appliance is magnetic or magnetizable, and the holding region is configured to fix the carrier plate in the electrophoresis device.

17. The holding appliance according to claim 16, wherein the holding region comprises a holding appliance magnet and/or is produced by a coil.

18. The holding appliance according to claim 16, wherein: the holding region is a first holding region, the holding appliance comprises a second holding region, in which the holding appliance is magnetic or magnetizable, and the first holding region is arranged relative to the second holding region in a manner such that an exact transposition of the positions of the holding regions under a symmetry transformation is rendered impossible.

19. The holding appliance according to claim 18, wherein the exact transposition of the positions of the holding regions under the symmetry transformation is rendered impossible because the first holding region and the second holding region are displaced out of their symmetrical positions along a straight line which connects these holding regions.

20. An electrophoresis device, comprising a holding appliance according to claim 16.

21. An electrophoresis device according to claim 20, comprising a plurality of measuring electrodes and measurement electronics, wherein the measuring electrodes are arranged in the electrophoresis device such that the strength and direction of an electrical field which is produced by the electrophoresis device, at different positions in the electrophoresis device, can be measured and/or computed amid the use of the measurement electronics.

22. An appliance comprising the carrier plate according to claim 1 and a holding appliance, wherein: the holding appliance is configured for assembly in an electrophoresis device, the holding appliance comprises a holding region having a magnetic characteristic by the holding appliance being magnetic or magnetizable in the holding region, the holding region is configured to fix the carrier plate in the electrophoresis device; the magnetic characteristic of the holding region is matched to the magnetic characteristic of the region with the magnetic characteristic of the carrier plate such that the carrier plate can only be fixed in a desired position and desired alignment relative to the holding appliance.

23. The appliance according to claim 22, wherein the magnetic characteristic of the holding region and the magnetic characteristic of the region with the magnetic characteristic are matched to one another such that only attracting magnetic forces are produced between the carrier plate and the holding appliance when the carrier plate is situated in the desired position and desired alignment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The subject-matter of the invention is hereinafter explained in more detail by way of preferred embodiment examples that are represented in the accompanying drawing. In each case in a schematic manner are shown in:

(2) FIG. 1 the lower side of a carrier plate;

(3) FIG. 2 the upper side of the carrier plate according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a section along the axis A-A according to FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 a section along the axis B-B according to FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 the lower side of a carrier plate which includes an object carrier;

(7) FIG. 6 the lower side of a carrier plate which includes a plurality of object carriers;

(8) FIG. 7 an electrophoresis device with fixed carrier plates;

(9) FIG. 8 a cross-sectional view of a electrophoresis device with fixed carrier plates; and

(10) FIGS. 9-12 a holding appliance, concerning which holding elements are arranged eccentrically relative to the magnetic regions of the carrier plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) Basically, in the figures the same or analogous parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

(12) FIG. 1 shows the lower side 7 of a carrier plate 1. The lower side 7 is that flat side of the carrier plate, onto which no samples are deposited. As a rule, the lower side is that flat side that faces the device after a fixation of the carrier plate 1 in a device, which is to say has no or very small distances to a device-side flat side and/or to a device-side holding appliance 20.

(13) The shown carrier plate 1 includes an inner surface 2, and edge region 4 and four magnets 3, which define four regions with magnetic characteristics. The magnets are sunk from the lower side 7 into recesses 10 in the edge region 4 of the carrier plate 1. The magnets are orientated in the recesses 10 such that the directions of their magnetisations run parallel to an axis that is normal to the flat sides of the carrier plate 1.

(14) The four magnets define or are part of a positioning appliance by way of a first magnet 3.1 being magnetised along a first direction, whereas the other three magnets 3.2 are magnetised along a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction. A guide element, for example in the form of an edging 13, and/or a positioning element, for example in the form of a pin or a recess, can be further parts of the positioning appliance.

(15) A device-side positioning appliance, which is matched to this magnetisation of the four magnets, for example in the form of a holding appliance 20, includes four magnetic or magnetisable holding regions, whose magnetisation directions are configured such that they are normal to a plane, in which the carrier plate 1 is attached in the device. Of the four holding regions, a first holding region has a first magnetisation direction and the other three holding regions have a second magnetisation direction, which is opposite to the first magnetisation direction.

(16) The first magnetisation direction is herein selected such that an attracting effect between the first holding region and the first magnet 3.1 only arises when the carrier plate 1 is orientated with the lower side 7 in the direction of the device and/or of the device-side holding appliance 20.

(17) Herein, the magnetic or magnetisable holding regions are arranged, in particular spaced from one another, such that they can be brought into congruency with the four magnets.

(18) Due to the selection of the first and second direction, of the first and second magnetisation direction, and of the arrangement of magnets and the magnetic holding regions, there is precisely one alignment and orientation of the carrier plate 1, in which simultaneously in each case one of the four holding regions exerts an attracting effect on one of the magnets.

(19) FIG. 2 shows the upper side 8 of the carrier plate 1. The upper side 8 is that flat side of the carrier plate that corresponds to the sample side, which is to say that flat side, on which the samples are attached.

(20) In the shown embodiment, the recesses 10, in which the magnets 3.1/3.2 are sunk, are not continuous from one flat side to the other, which is why the magnets, depending on the nature of the edge region 4, are not visible from the upper side 8 of the carrier plate 1.

(21) The edge region 4 includes markings 5. These can be arranged in the extension of lines 9 or between those lines 9 that extend over the inner surface 2 of the carrier plate.

(22) The markings 5, possibly in combination with the lines 9, are arranged such that a multitude of positions in the inner surface 2 is unambiguously defined by the setting of two markings.

(23) On the upper side 8, the inner surface 2 can include a film (foil) that is configured to prevent an undesired flowing-away of a deposited sample, in particular of a carrier medium, in which molecules which are to be separated by way of electrophoresis are located.

(24) The edge region 4 or parts thereof can include a writable surface.

(25) FIG. 3 shows a cross section along the line A-A which is drawn in FIG. 2, which is to say a cross section through the edge region 4 of the carrier plate 1 is shown.

(26) The carrier plate 1 on the lower side 7 includes projections 11 that include the recess 10 for the magnet 3.1/3.2, as well as the edging 13.

(27) The projections 11 and the edging 13, along an axis perpendicular to the flat sides of the carrier plate 1 are dimensioned such that the edging 13 extends further along this axis than the projections, so that the edging 13 ensures a certain distance to a counter-piece should the carrier plate 1 be fixed on the mentioned counter-piece by the magnets 3.1/3.2.

(28) In particular, the counter-piece can be the device or the holding appliance 20.

(29) However, the counter-piece can also be a further carrier plate. In this case, the described directions, along which the magnets 3.1/3.2 are magnetised, ensure that the lower side of the further carrier plate faces the upper side of the carrier plate 1 (or vice-versa) and that the carrier plates are fixed on one another. The projections 11 are designed such that the lower side 7 of the further carrier plate 7 does not contact the upper side 8 and, in particular, samples of the carrier plate 1 that are located thereon.

(30) Consequently, the carrier plates 1 are very well stackable, wherein the samples are protected given stacked carrier plates 1.

(31) FIG. 4 shows a cross section along the line B-B which is drawn in FIG. 2.

(32) In the shown embodiment, the edging 13 is arranged on the lower side 7 of the carrier plate 1. The edging 13 includes an outer-lying edge 13.1 and an inner-lying edge 13.2. In the shown embodiment, both edges are configured as a guide element, which means they form a counter-bearing, for example for a gripper, and/or a counter-piece for a device-side guide and/or one or more contact points for a device-side positioning appliance.

(33) The edging 13, which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a continuous edging. This is particularly advantageous if the carrier plate 1 is configured to be a cover for a further carrier plate, wherein this cover protects the upper side 8 of the further carrier plate when the carrier plate is fixed on the further carrier plate with the help of magnets.

(34) However, a continuous edging is not a precondition, in order to fulfil one or more of the main tasks of the edging 13. In particular, the definition of a distance of the lower side 7 to a surface, on which the carrier plate 1 lies, and the function as a guide element, belong to the main tasks.

(35) In the shown embodiment, the upper side 8 of the carrier plate 1 includes a deepening 12. The inner surface 2 is arranged in this deepening 12, whereas the edge region 4 is arranged outside the deepening 12 and edges this.

(36) A flowing-away of samples, which have been attached on the inner surface 2, out of the inner surface 2 into the edge region 4 and beyond is prevented by way of the presence of the deepening 12.

(37) FIG. 5 shows a carrier plate 1, which includes an object carrier 15. What is shown is the upper side of the mentioned carrier plate 1.

(38) In the shown embodiment, the carrier plate 1 includes only one object carrier 15. This is connected to the edge region 4 of the carrier plate 1, wherein the connection is designed such that predetermined breaking points 16 are present.

(39) The predetermined breaking points 16 are configured such that the object carrier 15 is connected to the edge region 4 in an adequately rigid manner, which is to say the object carrier 15 and the edge region 4 form a unit that, in particular, is itself rigid enough for the attachment, processing and storage of the samples as well as for their application in the laboratory device. On the other hand, the predetermined breaking points 16 are configured such that a simple release of the object carrier 15 from the edge region 4 by the user is possible, for example by way of folding away or creasing the object carrier 15 relative to the edge region.

(40) Another number and arrangement of connections between the edge region 4 and the object carrier 15 is conceivable.

(41) It is also conceivable for the object carrier 15 to be directly or indirectly connected to different parts of the edge region 14, for example parts that are at right angles to one another or lie opposite one another.

(42) In the embodiment according to FIG. 5, the recess 10, in which the magnets are sunk, is continuous from one side of the edge region to the opposite side of the edge region.

(43) The magnets 3 can be magnetised in the same or in the opposite direction depending on the configuration of the magnetisation direction of the device-side magnetic holding regions.

(44) Furthermore, the object carrier 15 in the embodiment which is shown in FIG. 5 includes a fixation layer in the form of a carrier film 18 and an optional grip surface 17. As mentioned initially, such fixation layers are present in particular with carrier plates 1 and object carriers 15 which are used in electrophoresis.

(45) An indirect connection between the edge region 4 and the object carrier 15 can be realised, in particular, via a further object carrier that is likewise located in the inner surface 2 of the carrier element 1. This is shown schematically in FIG. 6, wherein the lower side 7 of the carrier element 1 is shown.

(46) A carrier plate 1, which includes an object carrier 15, can also include several object carriers 15. Herein, two object carriers can be separably connected to one another. In particular, the separable connection can be connection that is analogous to the previously described connection with predetermined breaking points 16 between an object carrier 15 and the edge region 4.

(47) In the shown embodiment, the magnets 3/3.1/3.2 are sunk into the edge region 4.

(48) In the embodiments according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower side 7 includes no projections 11. Instead, the thickness of the carrier plate 1 in the edge region 4 is selected such that the magnets 3/3.1/3.2 can be completely received between the flat sides of the carrier plate 1.

(49) It is conceivable for the edge regions 4 of the carrier plate with one or more object carriers 15 to also include an edging 13 and/or a projection 11, so that in particular the previously described functions of a guide element and/or mentioned stackability are realised.

(50) A device 30 that takes part in an electrophoresis method and into which three carrier plates are fixed is shown in FIG. 7. The shown device is a gel-electrophoresis device 30 as is described in detail in WO 2016/141495 A2.

(51) The gel-electrophoresis device 30 includes electrodes 35 including a first electrode 35.1 and a second electrode 35.2, a chamber 33 and a function cover 34.

(52) In the shown embodiment, the carrier plates 1 are fixed on the function cover 34. For this, the function cover includes a holding appliance 20.

(53) The shown holding appliance 20 is present per carrier plate 1 of four holding elements 21, the carrier plate to be fixed. The holding elements 21 are fixable on the function cover 34, wherein the positions of their fixation are matched to the positions of the magnets 3.1/3.2 of the carrier plate 1.

(54) Alternative realisations of the holding appliance 20 are conceivable. In particular, the holding appliance 20 can be of one piece and include a number of holding elements 21, which is matched to the number of magnets 3.1/3.2 of the carrier plate 1 or of the carrier plates 1.

(55) The holding appliance 20 which is shown in FIG. 7 is configured for a carrier plate 1 according to the FIGS. 1-4. For this, three of the four holding elements 21 include second device-side magnets 23.2 whose magnetisation directions are matched to the direction of the magnetisations of the three second magnets 3.2 of the carrier plate 1, whereas the fourth holding element 21 includes a first, device-side magnet 23.1 whose magnetisation direction is matched to the direction of the magnetisation of the first magnet 3.1 of the carrier plate 1. The device-side magnets 23.1/23.2 are matched to the magnets 3.1/3.2 of the carrier plate 1 such that the carrier plate can only be fixed on the function cover 34 in a defined position and alignment.

(56) The mentioned defined position and alignment in particular are characterised in that the upper side 8 is directed towards the chamber 33. Furthermore, the position and alignment are characterised in that a position on the upper side 8, the position being unambiguously identifiable by the markings 5, comes to lie at the same position in the chamber 33 in a reproducible manner.

(57) The holding appliance 20 or the holding elements 21 are dimensioned such that given a closed function cover 34, the upper side 8 comes to lie in a region, in which the field that is produced by the electrodes 35 is optimised for the electrophoresis. In the shown embodiment, the holding elements 21 therefore include spacers 22.

(58) FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross section through a gel-electrophoresis device 30 as is described in detail in WO 2016/141495 A2.

(59) In the shown embodiment, three carrier plates 1 are fixed on the function cover 34 as is shown in FIG. 7. For this, the function cover 34 includes the previously described holding appliance 20, including holding elements 21, spacers 22 and device-side magnets 23.1/23.2.

(60) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, furthermore three carrier plates 1 are fixed on the base of the chamber 33. For this, the gel-electrophoresis device 30 includes a carrier element 24 that is removable from the chamber, for example, via carrier grips, in order to install and remove the carrier plates 1. The carrier element 24 is described in detail in WO 2016/141495 A2.

(61) The carrier element 24 for its part can include a rotation lock, for example by way of the carrier element 24 including a recess or opening that is matched to a projection on the base of the chamber 33.

(62) The carrier element 24 includes a holding appliance 20. In the shown embodiment, the holding appliance 20 of the carrier element 24 has no spacer 22 since the carrier element 24 is configured such that the carrier plates 1 come to lie in the desired region of the chamber 33 when the carrier plates 1 are fixed correctly in position and alignment via the device-side magnets 23.1/23.2 and the magnet 3.1/3.2 of the carrier plates 1.

(63) The FIGS. 9-12 show three holding appliances 20, on which a carrier plate 1 is fixed in each case. Each holding appliance 20 includes four holding elements 21. The shown holding appliances 20 are integrated into the carrier element 24 or into the function cover 34. For this, in the shown embodiment the holding elements 21 are realised as magnets that are sunk into the carrier element 24 or the function cover 34 (first device-side magnet 23.1, second device-side magnet 23.2).

(64) In the embodiment according to FIGS. 9-12, not all positions of the holding elements 21 of a holding appliance 20 in/on the carrier element or function cover 34 are matched exactly to the positions of the magnetic regions (3.1 and 3.2) on the carrier plate 1 when the carrier plate 1 is situated in the desired nominal position relative to the carrier element/function cover. Instead, the position of two device-side magnets 23.2 is arranged acentrically with respect to the corresponding magnetic regions 3.2 on the carrier plate 1 when the carrier plate 1 is located in the desired position. This has the effect that the carrier plate 1 is adequately fixed via the first device-side magnet 23.1 and the second device-side magnet 23.2 whose position is matched precisely to the position of the corresponding first magnetic region 3.1 and of the corresponding second magnetic region 3.2 on the carrier plate 1, when the carrier plate 1 is also situated in the desired alignment.

(65) However, if the carrier plate 1 is not situated in the desired alignment, then a repelling force is produced between the device-side magnets (23.1 and 23.2) whose position is matched precisely to the position of the corresponding magnetic regions (3.1 and 3.2) on the carrier plate 1, and the mentioned magnetic regions (3.1 and 3.2), by which means these do not contribute to the fixation of the carrier plate 1. A torque is therefore produced upon the carrier plate 1 in combination with the attracting force which arises between the device-side second magnets 23.2 which are arranged accentrically with respect to the corresponding second magnetic regions 3.2 on the carrier plate 1. This leads to the carrier plate 1 noticeably moving out of the desired position in a visually ascertainable manner on fixation.

(66) The accentric displacement of positions of device-side magnets on the carrier element 24 or function cover 34 consequently represents a further embodiment of a positioning appliance.

(67) Expressed generally, the holding elements 21 of a holding appliance 20 can be arranged relative to one another such that their positions are only approximately transposable into themselves by way of a symmetry transformation. A positioning appliance then at the device side is characterised in that it includes at least one holding element 21, whose relative position is displaced accentrically with respect to that position that would be necessary for an exact transposition of the positions of the holding elements 21 under the symmetry transformation.

(68) In this case, the positions (but not necessarily their magnetic characteristics) of the magnetic regions (3.1 and 3.2) on the carrier plate 1 can be transposed into themselves under each symmetry transformation of the basic shape of the carrier plate 1.

(69) In the embodiment which is shown in FIGS. 9-12, the holding elements 21 of a holding appliance 20 are arranged essentially in the corners of an imagined rectangle. A rotation by 180° about an axis that is normal to the surface of the imagined rectangle and goes through the middle point of the imagined rectangle represents a symmetry transformation that transposes the positions of the holding elements (or of the device-side magnets) into themselves. In the shown embodiment, two device-side magnets 23.2 are displaced relative to one another along the diagonals of the imagined rectangle and relative to the positions that would lead to an exact transposition of the positions of the holding elements 21 under the previously described rotation.

(70) FIG. 9 shows the relative arrangement of the carrier plate 1, its first magnetic region 3.1 and its second magnetic regions 3.2, of the carrier element 24 or of the function cover 34, as well as of the first device-side magnet 23.1 and of the second device-side magnets 23.2.

(71) FIG. 10 shows a section along the axis A-A of FIG. 9.

(72) FIG. 11 is a detailed view of the region that is characterised at E in FIG. 10 and shows a second device-side magnet 23.2 that is accentrically displaced relative to the position of the corresponding magnetic region 3.2 on the carrier plate 1. An accentric displacement with respect to the position of the corresponding magnetic region 3.2 on the carrier plate 1 in this case is synonymous with an accentric displacement with respect to a position that would be necessary for an exact transposition of the positions of the magnets of the holding appliance 20 into themselves under the aforementioned symmetry transformation.

(73) FIG. 12 in each case shows a detailed view of the regions which are characterised in FIG. 9 at C and D. The relative displacement of the second device-side magnets 23.2 along the diagonal of the imaged rectangle is shown. In the shown embodiment, it is this displacement that leads to the mentioned accentric displacements.

(74) Instead of changing the position of one or more device-side magnets or coils in comparison to an exact symmetrical arrangement, magnetic regions can also be accordingly changed in their relative position on the carrier plate 1. In particular, such a carrier plate 1 can include at least two magnetic regions 3.2 and a basic shape which has at least one symmetry transformation under which the basic shape is transposed into itself and under which the positioning appliance is not only not transposed into itself because a first magnetic region 3.1 is not transposed into a first magnetic region 3.1 and/or a second magnetic region 3.2 is not transposed into a second magnetic region 3.2, but also because two second magnetic regions 3.2 are arranged on an axis of symmetry of the basic shape and are displaced relative to one another along the axis of symmetry in comparison to other magnetic regions which are arranged on an equivalent symmetry axis of the basic shape.

(75) The basic shape of the carrier plate 1, which is shown in FIGS. 9-11, is that of a rectangle, by which means a rotation by 180° about the axis that is normal to the upper side 8 of the carrier plate and goes through the middle point of the rectangle, but also mirroring along the diagonal and the median lines are symmetry transformations of the basic shape.

(76) In order to provide the effect of a noticeable and/or visually ascertainable movement of the carrier plate out of the desired position, for example two second magnetic regions 3.2 can be displaced towards one another along a diagonal of a rectangular basic shape.

(77) The two second magnetic regions 3.2 can also be displaced along the diagonal in the same direction. In this case, given an incorrect alignment of the carrier plate, a translatory instead of a rotational movement sets in when the carrier plate 1 is fixed on the holding appliance 20.