Integrated sample processing system

Abstract

An integrated sample purification system includes a housing, a sample container rack, a filter holder, and a cylindrical magnet. The sample container rack and the filter device holder are disposed in the housing. The sample container rack is configured to hold one or more sample containers, the filter device holder is configured to hold one or more filter devices. The cylindrical magnet is adjacent to and external to the sample container rack, and is rotated about a central, longitudinal axis of the magnet by an electric motor disposed in the housing to lyse cells. Molecules of interest in the lysed cells are purified using filters that bind specifically to the molecules of interest. The system is readily amenable to automation and rapid purification and analysis of molecules of interest, such as nucleic acids and proteins.

1 . A sample purification system, comprising:
 a housing; wherein an electric motor is disposed in the housing;   a sample container rack disposed in the housing, wherein the sample container rack is configured to hold one or more sample containers;   a filter device holder disposed in the housing, wherein the filter device holder is configured to hold one or more filter devices comprising filters for binding molecules of interest; and   a cylindrical magnet adjacent to the sample container rack and external to the sample container rack, the magnet rotates about a central, longitudinal axis of the magnet by the electric motor disposed in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The sample purification system of  claim 1 , further comprising a sample container disposed in the sample rack, wherein the sample container comprises a sample suspension, a magnetic stirrer and a plurality of beads. 
     
     
         3 . The sample purification system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more reagent racks disposed in the housing, the reagent racks comprising a plurality of reagents stored in separate, sealed containers within each rack. 
     
     
         4 . The sample purification system of  claim 1 , further comprising an automated pipetting system. 
     
     
         5 . The sample purification system of  claim 4 , further comprising one or more robotic arms configured to automatically dispense reagents into the one or more sample containers and dispose of sample materials and reagents in a predetermined manner. 
     
     
         6 . The sample purification system of  claim 5 , wherein the system further comprises a plurality of the sample containers, a plurality of the filter tips and one or more reagent racks. 
     
     
         7 . The sample purification system of  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical magnet has magnetic poles symmetrically disposed along and around the longitudinal axis of the magnet. 
     
     
         8 . The sample purification system of  claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical magnet. has opposing magnetic poles disposed at opposite longitudinal ends of the magnet. 
     
     
         9 . The sample purification system of  claim 2 , wherein the beads are silica beads having diameters within the range of 10-1000 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The sample purification system of  claim 2 , wherein the magnetic stirrer comprises an alloy core coated with a polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The sample purification system of  claim 10 , wherein said alloy core comprises neodymium iron boron or samarium cobalt and wherein the polymer is PTFE or parylene. 
     
     
         12 . A method for purifying molecules of interest from a sample with the sample purification system of  claim 1 , comprising: placing a sample tube containing a liquid sample suspension, a magnetic stirrer and cell lysis heads on the sample rack; homogenizing the sample suspension by rotating the cylindrical magnet at a speed sufficient to lyse cells in the sample suspension in the presence of the magnetic stirrer and cell lysis heads; flowing the homogenized sample suspension through a filter device comprising a filter matrix under conditions that the molecules of interest bind to the filter matrix, wherein the filter device is mounted on the filter device holder; washing the filter matrix; and eluting bound molecules of interest from the filter matrix. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sample tube is pre-packed with one or more items selected from the group consisting of magnetic stirrers, cell lysis heads, reagents that facilitate cell lysis and reagents that preserve the integrity of the molecules of interest. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the molecules of interest are nucleic acids. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the liquid sample suspension comprises sputum. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of amplifying the eluted nucleic acids with primers specific for  Mycobacterium  tuberculosis and determining whether the nucleic acids comprise  Mycobacterium  tuberculosis DNA. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A sample purification system, comprising:
 a housing, wherein an electric motor is disposed in the housing;   a sample container rack disposed in the housing, wherein the sample container rack is configured to hold one or more sample containers:   a cylindrical magnet adjacent to the side of the sample container rack and external to the sample container rack, the magnet rotates along a central, longitudinal axis of the magnet by the electric motor disposed in the housing, wherein the cylindrical magnet is located above the bottom of the sample container rack.   
     
     
         22 . A method for purifying molecules of interest from a sample with the sample purification system of  claim 21 , comprising: placing a sample tube containing a liquid sample suspension, a magnetic stirrer and cell lysis beads on the sample rack; homogenizing the sample suspension by rotating the cylindrical magnet at a speed sufficient to lyse cells in the sample suspension in the presence of the magnetic stirrer and cell lysis heads; flowing the homogenized sample suspension through a filter device comprising a filter matrix under conditions that the molecules of interest hind to the filter matrix; washing the filter matrix; and eluting bound molecules of interest from the filter matrix. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the sample tube is pre-packed with one or more items selected from the group consisting of magnetic stirrers, cell lysis beads, reagents that facilitate cell lysis and reagents that preserve the integrity of the molecules of interest. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the molecules of interest are nucleic acids.