Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahiro Suzuki

Yoshihisa Kawamura

Yoshiaki Nishiya

Katsunori Ikeda

Masahiro Kusumoto

A method for purifying nucleic acids or proteins comprising a plurality of piston pumps; and a plurality of nozzles capable of having a plurality of disposable tips which are automatically attachable/detachable. The apparatus includes a mechanism for mixing a liquid mixture of each sample and a reagent in a plurality of sections of a container by sucking up a plurality of the mixtures into tips, followed by discharging the mixtures in the sections simultaneously. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for dispensing a desired amount of a reagent to be used subsequently into the same number of sections of a different container as samples, while the mixing is in progress.

Apparatus for purifying nucleic acids and proteins

The present invention provides an apparatus for purifying nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA or proteins such as enzymes and antibodies from microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria or animal and plant tissues, the apparatus being capable of fast processing of a plurality of samples. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus for purifying nucleic acids or proteins using magnetically attractable particles, the apparatus comprising a plurality of piston pumps; a plurality of nozzles capable of having a plurality of disposable tips which are automatically attachable/detachable; and a mechanism which is capable of dispensing a desired amount of a reagent to be used subsequently in the next step into the same number of sections as that of the samples with high accuracy and at a high rate, while a mixture of a sample and a reagent are being mixed (stirred) by the pumps and nozzles, the apparatus being capable of rapidly processing a plurality of samples, wherein a series of steps from mixing (stirring) of the magnetically attractable particles and concentration of the sample to purification is automated with reduced wastes.

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Tsuruga, Japan

Masahiro Suzuki