Devices, systems, and methods for extracting a material from a material sample

Abstract

Devices, systems, and associated methods for selectively extracting a material from a sample are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method for selectively extracting biological material from a biological sample can include identifying a region of biological material to be extracted from a biological sample, applying an extraction tool to the region of biological material to disrupt biological material from the biological sample, and dispensing a liquid at the region of biological material. The method can also include aspirating the liquid and the disrupted biological material from the biological sample.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An extraction device for selectively extracting biological material from a slide-mounted biological sample, comprising:
 a cutting tip configured to be rotatably driven about a rotating axis and operable to disrupt biological material from a region of the biological sample;   a liquid dispensing reservoir fluidly coupled through a first fluidic pathway to a liquid dispensing port located proximal to the cutting tip and operable to dispense liquid to an interface between the sample and the cutting tip;   a liquid aspiration reservoir fluidly coupled through a second fluidic pathway to a liquid aspiration port located proximal to the cutting tip and operable to aspirate fluid and disrupted biological material from the interface between the sample and the cutting tip; and   a pump fluidly connected to the liquid dispensing reservoir, the liquid dispensing port, the liquid aspiration reservoir, and the liquid aspiration port and operable to move fluid from the liquid dispensing reservoir through the liquid dispensing port to the interface between the biological sample and the cutting tip and from the interface between the biological sample and the cutting tip through the aspiration port to the liquid aspiration reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the rotating axis is substantially perpendicular to a slide containing the slide-mounted biological sample. 
     
     
         3 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump consists of a single pump. 
     
     
         4 . The extraction device of  claim 3 , wherein the plunger is disposed substantially between the liquid dispensing reservoir and the liquid aspiration reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein pump is operable to simultaneously dispense liquid from the liquid dispensing reservoir through the liquid dispensing port and aspirate liquid through the aspiration port to the liquid aspiration reservoir. 
     
     
         6 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a plunger. 
     
     
         7 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting tip is sized to disrupt an area of biological material from about 10 um in size to about 1 mm in size. 
     
     
         8 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting tip is sized to disrupt an area of biological material of from about 250 um in size to about 1 mm in size. 
     
     
         9 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the second fluidic pathway is interior to the first fluidic pathway. 
     
     
         10 . The extraction device of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluidic pathway substantially surrounds the second fluidic pathway. 
     
     
         11 . A system for selectively extracting biological material from a biological sample, comprising:
 the extraction device of  claim 1  positioned to operationally face a support substrate and to engage a slide-mounted biological sample disposed on the support substrate;   a motor operationally coupled to the extraction device and operable to rotate the cutting tip;   a liquid holding vessel operable to provide liquid to the extraction device; and   a positional movement system coupled to the extraction device and operable to move either the cutting tip of the extraction device relative to the support substrate or the support substrate relative to the cutting tip.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a visualization system positioned to provide a visual display of a biological sample placed on the support substrate, wherein the visualization system includes a member selected from the group consisting of digital imagers, optical imagers, microscopes, inverted microscopes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the support substrate is transparent. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the visualization system is an inverted microscope positioned to provide the visual display from a side of the support substrate opposite the cutting tip. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the visualization system is operable to provide a real time visual display of the cutting tip during an extraction procedure. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a manual manipulation system functionally coupled to the positional movement system and operable to allow a user to move the cutting tip and/or the support substrate relative to one another. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising an automatic manipulation system functionally coupled to the positional movement system and operable to automatically move the cutting tip and/or the support substrate relative to one another. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a processing system functionally coupled to the automatic manipulation system, the processing system operable to:
 identify and locate a predetermined region of biological material to be extracted from a biological sample; and   move the cutting tip and/or support substrate relative to one another to extract the biological material via the automatic manipulation system.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the liquid holding vessel is configured to provide liquid to the liquid extraction device through the liquid dispensing port of the extraction device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the liquid holding vessel is configured to receive liquid and biological material from the extraction device.