Claims
- 1. A sample carrier comprising:
a sample node operative to carry a discrete sample; and an identifier co-located with said sample node and operative to provide information associated with said discrete sample.
- 2. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said sample node is operative to carry a biological sample.
- 3. The sample carrier of claim 2 wherein said biological sample comprises a protein.
- 4. The sample carrier of claim 2 wherein said biological sample comprises a polynucleotide.
- 5. The sample carrier of claim 4 wherein said polynucleotide is RNA.
- 6. The sample carrier of claim 4 wherein said polynucleotide is DNA.
- 7. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said sample node is operative to carry a non-biological sample.
- 8. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said identifier comprises identifying indicia.
- 9. The sample carrier of claim 8 wherein said indicia are decipherable by an optical sensor.
- 10. The sample carrier of claim 9 wherein said indicia include a bar code.
- 11. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said identifier comprises a transceiver operative to transmit a signal identifying said discrete sample.
- 12. The sample carrier of claim 11 wherein said transceiver is further operative to receive a signal from a remote device.
- 13. The sample carrier of claim 12 wherein said transceiver receives operational power from energy in said signal.
- 14. The sample carrier of claim 12 wherein said signal comprises light.
- 15. The sample carrier of claim 14 wherein said signal comprises fluorescent light.
- 16. The sample carrier of claim 14 wherein said signal comprises coherent light.
- 17. The sample carrier of claim 12 wherein said signal comprises electromagnetic energy.
- 18. The sample carrier of claim 17 wherein said signal comprises radio frequency electromagnetic energy.
- 19. The sample carrier of claim 17 wherein said transceiver is internal to said sample node.
- 20. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said sample node is solid.
- 21. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said sample node is porous.
- 22. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said sample node comprises a sample support medium.
- 23. The sample carrier of claim 22 wherein said sample support medium comprises cellulose.
- 24. The sample carrier of claim 22 wherein said sample support medium comprises a polymer.
- 25. The sample carrier of claim 24 wherein said polymer is polystyrene.
- 26. The sample carrier of claim 24 wherein said polymer is chitosan.
- 27. The sample carrier of claim 22 wherein said sample support medium is derivatized.
- 28. The sample carrier of claim 27 wherein said sample support medium is positively charged.
- 29. The sample carrier of claim 27 wherein said sample support medium is negatively charged.
- 30. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said identifier is internal to said sample node.
- 31. The sample carrier of claim 1 wherein said identifier is permanently co-located with said sample node.
- 32. A sample carrier comprising:
a plurality of sample nodes supported in a predetermined spatial relationship; each of said plurality of sample nodes operative to carry a discrete sample; and a plurality of identifiers; each respective one of said plurality of identifiers co-located with a respective one of said plurality of sample nodes and operative to provide information associated with said discrete sample.
- 33. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is supported in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to a respective specimen container.
- 34. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is supported in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to a respective well of a multi-well plate.
- 35. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is operative to carry a biological sample.
- 36. The sample carrier of claim 35 wherein said biological sample comprises a protein.
- 37. The sample carrier of claim 35 wherein said biological sample comprises a polynucleotide.
- 38. The sample carrier of claim 37 wherein said polynucleotide is RNA.
- 39. The sample carrier of claim 37 wherein said polynucleotide is DNA.
- 40. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is operative to carry a non-biological sample.
- 41. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of identifiers comprises identifying indicia.
- 42. The sample carrier of claim 41 wherein said indicia are decipherable by an optical sensor.
- 43. The sample carrier of claim 42 wherein said indicia include a bar code.
- 44. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each respective one of said plurality of identifiers comprises a respective transceiver operative to transmit a signal identifying said discrete sample.
- 45. The sample carrier of claim 44 wherein said respective transceiver is further operative to receive a signal from a remote device.
- 46. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said respective transceiver receives operational power from energy in said signal.
- 47. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said signal comprises light.
- 48. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said signal comprises fluorescent light.
- 49. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said signal comprises coherent light.
- 50. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said signal comprises electromagnetic energy.
- 51. The sample carrier of claim 45 wherein said signal comprises radio frequency electromagnetic energy.
- 52. The sample carrier of claim 51 wherein said respective transceiver is internal to said respective one of said plurality of sample nodes.
- 53. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is solid.
- 54. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes is porous.
- 55. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes comprises a sample support medium.
- 56. The sample carrier of claim 55 wherein said sample support medium comprises cellulose.
- 57. The sample carrier of claim 55 wherein said sample support medium comprises a polymer.
- 58. The sample carrier of claim 57 wherein said polymer is polystyrene.
- 59. The sample carrier of claim 57 wherein said polymer is chitosan.
- 60. The sample carrier of claim 57 wherein said sample support medium is derivatized.
- 61. The sample carrier of claim 60 wherein said sample support medium is positively charged.
- 62. The sample carrier of claim 60 wherein said sample support medium is negatively charged.
- 63. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each respective one of said plurality of identifiers is internal to said respective one of said plurality of sample nodes.
- 64. The sample carrier of claim 32 wherein each respective one of said plurality of identifiers is permanently co-located with said respective one of said plurality of sample nodes.
- 65. A method of transferring a specimen to a sample carrier; said method comprising:
providing a sample carrier comprising a sample node operative to carry a discrete sample and an identifier co-located with said sample node and operative to provide information associated with said discrete sample; and contacting said sample node and said specimen.
- 66. The method of claim 65 wherein said specimen is a solid.
- 67. The method of claim 65 wherein said specimen is gaseous.
- 68. The method of claim 65 wherein said specimen is a liquid.
- 69. The method of claim 65 wherein said sample no de comprises a preservative.
- 70. The method of claim 65 further comprising washing said sample node subsequent to said contacting.
- 71. The method of claim 65 further comprising allowing said sample node to desiccate subsequent to said contacting.
- 72. The method of claim 65 wherein said identifier comprises a bar code identifying said specimen.
- 73. The method of claim 65 wherein said identifier comprises a transceiver operative to transmit a signal identifying said specimen.
- 74. The method of claim 65 wherein said identifier is permanently co-located with said sample node.
- 75. A method of transferring specimens to a sample carrier; said method comprising:
providing a sample carrier comprising a plurality of sample nodes supported in a predetermined spatial relationship relative to a respective specimen container and a plurality of identifiers, each respective one of said plurality of identifiers co-located with a respective one of said plurality of sample nodes and operative to provide information associated with said discrete sample; and contacting selected ones of said plurality of sample nodes and a respective specimen.
- 76. The method of claim 75 wherein said contacting comprises bringing said plurality of sample nodes into contact with a specimen in said respective specimen container.
- 77. The method of claim 75 wherein said respective specimen is a solid.
- 78. The method of claim 75 wherein said respective specimen is gaseous.
- 79. The method of claim 75 wherein said respective specimen is a liquid.
- 80. The method of claim 75 wherein each of said plurality of sample nodes comprises a preservative.
- 81. The method of claim 75 further comprising washing selected ones of said plurality of sample nodes subsequent to said contacting.
- 82. The method of claim 75 further comprising allowing said plurality of sample nodes to desiccate subsequent to said contacting.
- 83. The method of claim 75 wherein each of said plurality of identifiers comprises a bar code identifying said respective specimen.
- 84. The method of claim 75 wherein each of said plurality of identifiers comprises a transceiver configured to transmit a signal identifying said respective specimen.
- 85. The method of claim 75 wherein each of said plurality of identifiers is permanently co-located with said respective one of said plurality of sample nodes.
- 86. A sample carrier comprising:
a sample node; an identifier co-located with said sample node; and a specimen carried by said sample node; wherein said identifier is operative to provide information associated with said specimen.
- 87. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said specimen is biological.
- 88. The sample carrier of claim 87 wherein said specimen comprises a protein.
- 89. The sample carrier of claim 87 wherein said specimen comprises a polynucleotide.
- 90. The sample carrier of claim 89 wherein said polynucleotide is RNA.
- 91. The sample carrier of claim 89 wherein said polynucleotide is DNA.
- 92. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said specimen is non-biological.
- 93. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said sample node is solid.
- 94. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein sample node is porous.
- 95. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said sample node comprises cellulose.
- 96. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said sample node comprises a polymer.
- 97. The sample carrier of claim 96 wherein said polymer is polystyrene.
- 98. The sample carrier of claim 96 wherein said polymer is chitosan.
- 99. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said sample node is derivatized.
- 100. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said sample node is treated with a chemical compound.
- 101. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said identifier comprises identifying indicia.
- 102. The sample carrier of claim 101 wherein said indicia include a bar code.
- 103. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said identifier comprises a transceiver operative to transmit a signal identifying said specimen.
- 104. The sample carrier of claim 103 wherein said transceiver is internal to said sample node.
- 105. The sample carrier of claim 86 wherein said identifier is permanently co-located with said sample node.
- 106. A sample carrier comprising:
a sample node operative to carry a discrete sample; and an identifier permanently co-located with said sample node and operative to provide information associated with said discrete sample.
- 107. The sample carrier of claim 106 wherein said sample comprises a protein.
- 108. The sample carrier of claim 106 wherein said sample comprises a polynucleotide.
- 109. The sample carrier of claim 106 wherein said identifier comprises identifying indicia.
- 110. The sample carrier of claim 106 wherein said identifier comprises a transceiver operative to transmit a signal identifying said discrete sample.
- 111. The sample carrier of claim 110 wherein said transceiver is internal to said sample node.
- 112. The sample carrier of claim 106 wherein said sample node comprises a sample support medium.
- 113. The sample carrier of claim 112 wherein said sample support medium comprises cellulose.
- 114. The sample carrier of claim 112 wherein said sample support medium comprises a polymer.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/007,355, filed Nov. 7, 2001, entitled “SAMPLE CARRIER.” Additionally, the present application is related to non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/005,529, filed Nov. 7, 2001, entitled “APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF ARCHIVAL AND RETRIEVAL OF SAMPLES,” non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/005,415, filed Nov. 7, 2001, entitled “ARCHIVE AND ANALYSIS SYSTEM AND METHOD,” and non-provisional application Ser. No. ______, filed May 17, 2002, entitled “SAMPLE CARRIER RECEIVER.” The disclosures of all the foregoing applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10007355 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Child |
10150771 |
May 2002 |
US |