Mechanism for connecting plates of a parallel processing fluid handling system

Abstract

A fluid handling system for parallel processing of a plurality of biological samples, the system comprising at least a first plate and a second plate which are stackable together and each include a plurality of corresponding apertures for receiving the biological samples. A biasing mechanism releasably connects the first and second modules together. The biasing mechanism includes at least one electromagnetic coupling element disposed in one of the first and second modules and at least one corresponding magnetic coupling element disposed in the other of the first and second modules. The electromagnetic coupling element is normally engaged to the magnetic coupling element and is disengageable therefrom when the electromagnetic coupling element is energized, such that the first and second modules are disengaged from one another.

1 . A biasing mechanism for releasably connecting stackable plates of a parallel processing, fluid handling apparatus, the mechanism comprising: 
 a first plate and a second plate adapted to be stacked together, each plate comprising a plurality of corresponding apertures;    at least one mechanical alignment member for aligning corresponding apertures in the plates when said plates are stacked together; and    one of the first plate and the second plate comprising an electromagnetic coupling element, and the other of the first plate and the second plate comprising the electromagnetic coupling element being selectively disengageable from the magnetic coupling member when energized, whereby the first and second plates are disengaged from one another.    
     
     
         2 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical alignment member is integral with one of the first and second plates.  
     
     
         3 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the mechanical alignment member comprises at least two pins which protruded from one of the first and second plates, and matingly engage corresponding holes in the other of the first and second plates.  
     
     
         4 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures correspond to those of a multi-well microplate.  
     
     
         5 . A mechanism for releasably connecting stackable modules of an automated system used for parallel fluidic processing of samples, the modules including at least a first module and a second module adapted to be stacked together and each having a plurality of corresponding apertures therein for receiving said fluid samples, the mechanism comprising: 
 at least one electromagnetic coupling element disposed in one of the first and second modules;    a magnetic coupling element corresponding to and aligned with each of the at least one electromagnetic coupling elements and disposed in the other of the first and second modules;    an actuator operable to select one of an attractively biased configuration and a repulsively biased configuration, the electromagnetic coupling element and the magnetic coupling element being retained together when said attractively biased configuration is selected and being forced away from each other when said repulsively biased configuration is selected; and    wherein when the attractively biased configuration is selected the first and second modules are retained together and laterally adjacent ones of said apertures thereof are sealingly isolated, and when the repulsively biased configuration is selected the first and second modules are disengaged from one another.    
     
     
         6 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the actuator energizes the electromagnetic coupling element when disposed in said repulsively biased configuration.  
     
     
         7 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the electromagnetic coupling member and the magnetic coupling member are normally retained together, and the electromagnetic coupling element is disengaged from the magnetic coupling member when energized.  
     
     
         8 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 5 , wherein at last one of the first and second modules is releasably connectable to a manipulating member by one of the electromagnetic coupling element and the magnetic coupling element thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 5 , wherein when the attractively biased configuration is selected, the electromagnetic coupling element and the magnetic coupling element retain the first and second modules together with a compressive force sufficient to permit static fluid sealing between each of the plurality of apertures in said first and second modules.  
     
     
         10 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 5 , further comprising at least one mechanical alignment member for aligning corresponding apertures of the modules when stacked together.  
     
     
         11 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the mechanical alignment member is integral with one of the first and second modules.  
     
     
         12 . The mechanism as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the mechanical alignment member includes at least two pins which protruded from one of the first and second modules and matingly engage corresponding holes in the other of the first and second modules.  
     
     
         13 . A fluid handling system for parallel processing of a plurality of biological samples, the system comprising: 
 at least a first module and a second module being stackable together and each including a plurality of corresponding apertures therein for receiving said biological samples; and    a biasing mechanism releasably connecting the first and second modules together, the biasing mechanism including at least one electromagnetic coupling element disposed in one of the first and second modules and at least one corresponding magnetic coupling element disposed in the other of the first and second modules, the electromagnetic coupling element being normally engaged to the magnetic coupling element and being disengageable therefrom when the electromagnetic coupling element is energized such that the first and second modules are disengaged from one another.    
     
     
         14 . The system as defined in  claim 13 , further comprising at least one mechanical alignment member for aligning said corresponding apertures of the modules when stacked together.  
     
     
         15 . The system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical alignment member is integral with one of the first and second modules.  
     
     
         16 . The system as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the mechanical alignment member comprises at least two pins which protrude from one of the first and second modules, and matingly engage corresponding holes in the other of the first and second modules.  
     
     
         17 . The system as defined in  claim 13 , wherein when the first and second modules are engaged together by the biasing mechanism, the electromagnetic coupling element and the magnetic coupling element retain the first and second modules together with a compressive force sufficient to permit static fluid sealing between each of the plurality of apertures in said first and second modules.