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:
Sep. 30, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 10, 2000
William Bedingham, Woodbury, MN (US);
Joel R. Dufresne, St. Paul, MN (US);
Michael R. Harms, Mendota Heights, MN (US);
Richard R. Matner, White Bear Lake, MN (US);
Diane North, Inver Grove Heights, MN (US);
Kenneth B. Wood, St. Paul, MN (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and devices for distributing sample material to a plurality of process chambers in a sample processing device by rotating the device about an axis of rotation. The process chambers are located along conduits extending from a loading chamber and, together, the loading chamber, conduits, and process chambers form process arrays that are aligned along a length of the sample processing devices. The process arrays are unvented, i.e., access to the interior volume of the process arrays is available only through the loading chamber. Also disclosed are methods of centrifugally loading sample material into the process chambers, as well as an assembly including a sample processing device and a carrier.