Blotting material with profiled region, method of manufacturing same, and uses thereof
The present invention describes a blotting material comprising a profiled region that has a portion configured to protrude at least partially into a space created within a boundary formed by the rim of a holder for a sample grid. Also described are methods for making such profiles and components used to make said profiles. There are also provided methods for removing excess liquid from a sample grid by bringing the profiled blotting material into association with the sample grid past the sample grid holder. Systems comprises means to hold a sample grid holder, means to hold the blotting paper, and means to bring the two together are also described.
1 . A system for aligning blotting material with a sample grid holder, said system comprising:
a means for gripping the sample grid holder;
a holder configured to hold a blotting material;
a means for adjusting a position of the blotting material and/or the sample grid holder relative to each other such that a portion of the blotting material that is configured to protrude at least partially into a space created within a boundary formed by a rim of the sample grid holder is able to protrude therein when the blotting material is brought into association with the sample grid holder, wherein the blotting material comprises a profiled region that has a portion configured to protrude at least partially into the space created within the boundary formed by the rim of the sample grid holder, and wherein the blotting material comprises a first area that is greater than a second area formed by the rim of the sample grid holder;
a means for bringing the blotting material into association with said sample grid holder, and
wherein the portion of the blotting material configured to protrude into the space of the holder has a height of between approximately 25 μm to approximately 500 μm as measured from a plane of the outer surface of the holder.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a camera, optionally wherein the camera is able to take an image of the sample grid holder in position while the blotting material is not in position, and wherein the camera is configured to overlay the image of the sample grid holder on an image of the blotting paper in order to align the blotting material with the overlaid image, or vice versa.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises means for aligning said blotting material with said holder configured to hold said blotting material.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the means for aligning comprises one or more holes in the blotting material and one or more corresponding pins in said holder, optionally wherein the one or more pins are present in a backing material of said holder, or are present in a clamp used to secure the blotting material to the backing material, or a present in both the backing material and the clamp.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the blotting material configured to protrude into the space of the holder:
is equal to or less than approximately 3 mm in diameter.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the profiled region comprises a diameter of approximately 5 mm.