SAMPLE VESSEL HAVING A CAVITY FOR ACCOMMODATING A SAMPLE

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a sample vessel including a cavity for accommodating a sample, a first opening for introducing the sample and a bottom opposite the first opening as well as at least one additional opening of the cavity. According to the disclosure, the at least one additional opening opens toward the outside of the cavity on the side of the cavity opposing the bottom. The disclosure further relates to a carrier plate, an evacuation needle, as well as a method for evacuating a sample.

Claims

1. A sample vessel comprising: a sample vessel body defining a cavity for accommodating a sample; said sample vessel body further defining a first opening for introducing the sample; said sample vessel body having a bottom opposite said first opening; said sample vessel body further defining at least one additional opening of the cavity; and, wherein said at least one additional opening opens to outside of said cavity on a side of the cavity opposite said bottom.

2. The sample vessel of claim 1, wherein said sample vessel body defines a channel connected to said at least one additional opening and said channel opens into said cavity.

3. The sample vessel of claim 1, wherein said at least one additional opening lies substantially in a plane with said first opening and is connected to said first opening.

4. The sample vessel of claim 1, wherein said first opening has an inner diameter (A) of no more than 0.5 millimeters.

5. The sample vessel of claim 1, wherein said first opening has an inner diameter (A) of no more than 0.3 millimeters.

6. A carrier plate comprising a plurality of sample vessels according to claim 1.

7. An evacuation needle for selectively extracting a sample from a cavity of a sample vessel, the evacuation needle comprising: a needle body defining a tip and a main channel, wherein a secondary channel is additionally provided; and, said main channel and said secondary channel separately opening in the area of the tip of the evacuation needle.

8. The evacuation needle of claim 7, wherein said needle body defines said secondary channel.

9. The evacuation needle of claim 7, wherein the secondary channel connects a first opening of a sample vessel to a second opening of the sample vessel.

10. A method for evacuating a sample from a cavity of a sample vessel, the method comprising: directing a first flow of a medium into the cavity and directing a second flow of the medium out of the cavity, wherein the flows are generated by using at least two channels separately opening into the cavity; generating the first flow and the second flow by causing pressure differences in the at least two channels; and, adjusting at least one of the first flow and the second flow and a transporting capacity thereof so as to cause the sample to be flushed out of the cavity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a sample vessel according to the disclosure as well as of the method according to the disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an array of sample vessels according to a first embodiment of a sample vessel according to the disclosure and a capillary;

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of an array of sample vessels according to a second embodiment of a sample vessel according to the disclosure and a capillary;

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of an array of sample vessels according to a third embodiment of a sample vessel according to the disclosure and a capillary;

[0032] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the first opening and the additional opening of a sample vessel according to the disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the first opening and the additional opening of a sample vessel according to the disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the first opening and the additional opening of a sample vessel according to the disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 8 shows the selective extraction of respectively one sample from sample vessels according to the disclosure, a selected sample vessel before and after the extraction being marked per column (original images);

[0036] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of the selective extraction of respectively one sample from sample vessels according to the disclosure, a selected sample vessel before and after the extraction being marked per column; and,

[0037] FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a carrier plate including two arrays of sample vessels according to the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In FIG. 1, a sample vessel 1 according to the disclosure is illustrated in a lateral cross-sectional view. A cavity 2 of the sample vessel 1 includes a first opening 3 and an opposed bottom 4. Sideways of the first opening 3, two additional openings 5 are provided. These are respectively connected to a channel 6 separated from the cavity 2 by a wall 7 and opening into the cavity 2 in the area of the bottom 4. In the cavity 2, a sample 8, for example a biological cell, is located on the bottom 4.

[0039] On the first opening 3, a capillary 9 is positioned as a tool in which the sample 8 is to be received. In the capillary 9, a negative pressure also communicating to the cavity 2 is generated. As a result of the negative pressure in the cavity 2, a medium 10 overlaid on the sample vessel 1 is sucked into the cavity 2 through the additional opening 5 and the channel 6. As an outcome, an aspiration flow (illustrated by arrows) directed from the bottom 4 toward the first opening 3 and the capillary 9 is generated in the cavity 2. Owing to its transporting capacity, the sample 8 is transported out of the cavity 2 into the capillary 9. FIG. 1 shows an evacuation needle embodied as a capillary 9. FIG. 1 further shows the evacuation needle having a first channel 9A and a secondary channel 9B. Channel 9B and channel 6 can both be secondary/additional channels for improving the aspiration flow.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a capillary 9 allocated to a sample vessel 1 in an array 11 of sample vessels 1. The first opening 3 has a circular shape. On two opposing edges of the first opening 3, an additional opening 5 is formed, respectively. These are located on the same plane as the first opening 3 and are connected to it. The capillary 9 substantially covers the first opening 3 while part of the extension of the additional openings 5 protrudes beyond the capillary 9. A sample 8 present in the cavity 2 may be transported from the cavity 2 into the capillary 9 using the method according to the disclosure. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 also includes the channel 6 which connects the additional opening 5 with the first opening 3.

[0041] Another potential shape and arrangement of the additional opening 5 are shown in FIG. 3. The circular first opening 3 is connected to an additional opening 5 formed as described in connection with FIG. 1.

[0042] In FIG. 4, an array 11 including sample vessels 1 having a hexagonal first opening 3 is shown. The additional opening 5 is formed as a rectangular recess and connected to the first opening 3.

[0043] Examples of first openings 3 and additional openings 5 are shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. The first openings 3 may be formed as hexagons having an inner diameter A and a mutual distance B or pitch B. When a capillary 9 having a circular opening with an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter A is brought into abutment with these first openings 3 the sections of the corners of the first openings 3 not covered by the capillary 9 which are further apart from each other than the inner diameter A may function as additional openings 5.

[0044] The same applies to the quadratic first openings 3 shown in FIG. 6 having the inner diameter a and a distance B.

[0045] The first openings 3 shown in FIG. 7 are circular and have, at an angle of, for example, 45°, an additional opening 5, respectively.

[0046] The first openings 3 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 have, for example, inner diameters of 15, 30, 45, or 200 μm. The distance B is, for example, 10 μm.

[0047] The functionality of the sample vessels 1 according to the disclosure is evidenced by way of example in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. For three differently implemented first openings 3 and additional openings 5, an array 11 of sample vessels 1 is shown, respectively. Respectively one sample vessel 1 containing a sample 8 is selected and highlighted by a mark (circle). In the upper row, the states of the sample vessels 1 before the extraction of the sample 8 are shown, respectively, and in the lower row, the states of the sample vessels 1 after the extraction via the method according to the disclosure are shown, respectively. In all cases, the selected sample 8 was removed from the cavity 2 while the samples 8 in the adjacent cavities 2 remained unaffected.

[0048] For rendering an effective analysis of the plurality of sample vessels 1 possible, arrays 11 may be arranged on a carrier plate 12. FIG. 10 shows a carrier plate 12 including two arrays 11 and a capillary 9.

[0049] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0050] 1 Sample vessel

[0051] 2 Cavity

[0052] 3 First opening

[0053] 4 Bottom

[0054] 5 Additional opening

[0055] 6 Channel

[0056] 7 Wall

[0057] 8 Sample

[0058] 9 Capillary

[0059] 10 Medium

[0060] 11 Array

[0061] 12 Carrier plate

[0062] A Inner diameter

[0063] B Distance (pitch)