The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 23, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 13, 1998
Patrick H. Cleveland, San Diego, CA (US);
John R. Markle, San Diego, CA (US);
V & P Scientific, Inc., San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention provides a simple method, device and several machines for simultaneously stirring thousands of vessels or wells of microplates in a robust manner and with economy. This method uses the simple principle of magnetic stirrers aligning themselves to a vertical driving magnetic field placed beneath them and moving laterally or by moving the vessels over a stationary magnetic field or by spinning the drive magnets, or by using a modulating/reversing electromagnetic field to produce the moving effect. Each vessel contains a magnetic disc, bar, dowel or other shape (stirrers) which in it's magnetic attraction to the vertical driving magnetic field will cause it to move and align it's magnetic field as the opposite poles of the drive magnet and the stirrer attract each other. The attraction of the stirrers to the vertical driving magnetic field causes the stirrers to stand on end and tumble as the stir devices try to align to the opposite moving magnetic pole. The stirrers tumble because the walls of the vessels or friction with the vessel bottom prevents their lateral movement.