Processing device for processing a highly viscous sample

Abstract

A sample processing device includes a receiving chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet. The processing device also includes a metering portion having a metering reservoir fluidly coupled to the chamber outlet, and at least one vessel fluidly coupled to the metering reservoir by a syphon. The syphon is operable to actuate upon a preselected volume of liquid being received at the metering reservoir. The syphon includes a syphon inlet and a syphon outlet, with the syphon outlet being fluidly coupled to the vessel. The preselected volume of liquid corresponds to a volume of liquid necessary to deliver a metered volume of fluid to the vessel.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A sample processing device comprising:
 a receiving chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet;   a metering portion having a metering reservoir fluidly coupled to the chamber outlet; and   a vessel fluidly coupled to the metering reservoir by a syphon, the syphon being operable to actuate upon a preselected volume of liquid being received at the metering reservoir,   wherein the syphon comprises a syphon inlet and a syphon outlet, the syphon outlet being fluidly coupled to the vessel, and   wherein the preselected volume of liquid corresponds to a volume of liquid necessary to deliver a metered volume of fluid to the vessel.   
     
     
         16 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein the metering reservoir comprises an interchange weir. 
     
     
         17 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein the metering reservoir comprises an overflow weir. 
     
     
         18 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein the syphon inlet comprises a syphon cap. 
     
     
         19 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein: the metering reservoir comprises an interchange weir, the vessel comprises a plurality of vessels coupled to the metering reservoir by a plurality of syphons, each of the plurality of vessels being fluidly coupled to a syphon, wherein the preselected volume of liquid corresponds to a volume of liquid necessary to deliver a metered and equivalent volume of liquid to each of the plurality of vessels, and wherein the metered and equivalent volume corresponds to the height of the interchange weir and the cross-sectional area of the syphon. 
     
     
         20 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein the syphon comprises a hydrophobic coating. 
     
     
         21 . The sample processing device of  claim 15 , wherein the syphon comprises a hydrophilic coating. 
     
     
         22 . A sample processing device reader comprising:
 a first sample processing device holder having a viewing areas and a port for receiving a vessel of a sample processing device; and   a receiving portion operable to receive and retain a computing device.   
     
     
         23 . The sample processing device reader of  claim 22 , wherein the receiving portion comprises a plurality of rails and a clamping mechanism, the clamping mechanism being operable to position a photo detecting device of the computing device relative to the first sample processing device holder to obtain an image that can be used by the computing device to analyze a sample contained in the first sample processing device holder. 
     
     
         24 . The sample processing device reader of  claim 23 , further comprising one or more second sample processing device holders having a second port for receiving a second vessel of a second sample processing devices, and wherein each of the second sample processing device holders comprises a heating element. 
     
     
         25 . The sample processing device reader of  claim 24 , wherein the viewing area comprises an electromagnetic excitation source. 
     
     
         26 . A method of processing a sample, the method comprising:
 placing a sample in a receiving chamber of a sample processing device having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet;   suspending at least a portion of the sample in a liquid;   motivating the liquid from the receiving chamber to a metering reservoir fluidly coupled to the chamber outlet; and   motivating the liquid to a vessel fluidly coupled to the metering reservoir via a syphon, the syphon being operable to actuate upon a preselected volume of liquid being received by the metering reservoir,   wherein the syphon comprises a syphon inlet and a syphon outlet, the syphon outlet being fluidly coupled to the vessel, and   wherein the preselected volume of liquid corresponds to a volume of liquid necessary to deliver a metered volume of fluid to the vessel.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the vessel comprises a plurality of vessels coupled to the receiving chamber by a plurality of syphons, each vessel being fluidly coupled to a syphon, the method further comprising: motivating the liquid to the vessel comprises motivating a metered and equivalent volume of liquid to each of the plurality of vessels when a preselected volume of fluid is received in the metering reservoir, the preselected volume corresponding at least in part to the position of an interchange weir positioned within the metering reservoir. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising disposing the sample processing device in a sample processing device reader having a first sample processing device holder comprising a plurality of viewing areas and a plurality of cylindrical ports for receiving a plurality of vessels of the sample processing device, the sample processing device reader further comprising a receiving portion operable to receive and retain a computing device (or measurement device). 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising placing a computing device in the receiving portion of the sample processing device reader by securing the computing device with a clamping mechanism of the sample processing device reader. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising aligning a photo detecting device of the computing device with a focal region of the first sample processing device holder. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the sample processing device reader further includes one or more second sample processing device holders having one or more second cylindrical ports for receiving one or more second vessels of one or more second sample processing devices, wherein each of the one or more second sample processing device holders comprises a heating element, the method further comprising heating the plurality of second vessels of one or more second sample processing devices. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein each of the plurality of viewing areas comprises an illumination source, the method further comprising illuminating each of the plurality of viewing areas. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising using the computing device to obtain a measurement of the sample at each of the plurality of viewing areas.