Methods and systems of determining a viscosity of liquid samples

1 . A method for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the method comprising:

positioning the sample of the protein in a first location of an acoustic liquid handler;

applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, one or more first acoustic signals until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler; and

determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of the one or more first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location,

wherein after the specified amount of the sample has been transferred, a portion of the sample disposed within the first location is fluidly separate from a portion of the sample disposed within the second location.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the one or more first acoustic signals comprises applying the one or more first acoustic signals until all or substantially all of the sample has been transferred from the first location to the second location.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified amount of the sample to be transferred is sufficient to create a displacement along one or more axes on a meniscus of a portion of the sample remaining in the first location.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring an amount of the sample transferred between each of the one or more first acoustic signals using a fluid transfer measurement technique.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the viscosity of the sample further comprises determining the viscosity of the sample based on a set of parameters of the first acoustic signals, and wherein the set of parameters includes at least two of a frequency, a power, an amplitude, a wavelength, a bandwidth, and a period.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the one or more first acoustic signals comprises varying the set of parameters until the specified amount of sample has been transferred.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein varying the set of parameters comprises iteratively increasing the frequency of the first acoustic signals.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred comprises:

applying one or more second acoustic signals to a first portion of the sample not transferred from the first location;

determining an amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred based on the applying of the one or more second acoustic signals;

determining an amount of a second portion of the sample transferred based on the determining of the amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred; and

comparing the amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred and/or the second portion of the sample transferred to the specified amount of the sample to be transferred.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample has a volume of at least 12 μL and no more than 80 μL.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the method on at least 100 additional samples within two hours.

12 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the applying comprises iteratively applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, the one or more first acoustic signals to the sample in the first location until it is determined that the specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to the second location of the acoustic liquid handler; and

wherein the determining comprises determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of iterations required to transfer the specified amount of the sample to the second location.

13 . A system for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the system comprising:

an acoustic liquid handler having a first location adapted to receive the sample of the protein, the acoustic liquid handler configured to apply one or more first acoustic signals to the sample of the protein in the first location until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler, wherein a portion of the sample disposed within the first location is fluidly separate from a portion of the sample disposed within the second location; and

a controller configured to determine the viscosity of the sample based on a number of first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the specified amount of the sample to be transferred is substantially all of the sample.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the specified amount of the sample to be transferred is a minimum amount of the sample required to create a displacement along one or more axes of a meniscus of a portion of the sample remaining in the first location.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred by:

applying one or more second acoustic signals to a first portion of the sample not transferred from the first location;

determining an amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred based on the application of the one or more second acoustic signals;

determining an amount of a second portion of the sample transferred based on the determination of the amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred; and

comparing the amount of the second portion of the sample transferred and/or the first portion of the sample not transferred to the specified amount of the sample to be transferred.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller determines the viscosity of the sample by analyzing a predetermined relationship between the number of the one or more first acoustic signals and the viscosity.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the viscosity of the sample based on a set of parameters of the first acoustic signals, and wherein the set of parameters includes at least two of a frequency, a power, an amplitude, a wavelength, a bandwidth, and a period.

19 . A method for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the method comprising:

positioning the sample of the protein in a first location of an acoustic liquid handler;

applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, one or more first acoustic signals until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler; and

determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of the one or more first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location,

wherein the positioning includes positioning the sample of the protein in a first well of the first location of the acoustic liquid handler, and wherein the applying includes applying the one or more acoustic signals until the specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first well of the first location to a second well of the second location of the acoustic liquid handler.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein applying the one or more first acoustic signals further includes applying the one or more first acoustic signals until all or substantially all of the sample has been transferred from the first location to the second location.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the specified amount of the sample to be transferred is sufficient to create a displacement along one or more axes on a meniscus of a portion of the sample remaining in the first location.

22 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising determining whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred.

23 . A method for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the method comprising:

positioning the sample of the protein in a first location of an acoustic liquid handler;

applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, one or more first acoustic signals until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler; and

determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of the one or more first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location,

wherein determining the viscosity of the sample further comprises determining the viscosity of the sample based on a set of parameters of the first acoustic signals, wherein the set of parameters includes at least two of a frequency, a power, an amplitude, a wavelength, a bandwidth, and a period, and wherein the one or more first acoustic signals each have a frequency in the range of 1 mHz to 5 mHz.

24 . A method for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the method comprising:

positioning the sample of the protein in a first location of an acoustic liquid handler;

applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, one or more first acoustic signals until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler;

determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of the one or more first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location; and

generating mass spectrometric data on the sample, wherein the one or more first acoustic signals transfer the sample or a portion of the sample thereof to a mass spectrometer.

25 . A method for determining a viscosity of a sample of a protein, the method comprising:

positioning the sample of the protein in a first location of an acoustic liquid handler;

applying, using the acoustic liquid handler, one or more first acoustic signals until a specified amount of the sample has been transferred from the first location to a second location of the acoustic liquid handler;

determining the viscosity of the sample based on a number of the one or more first acoustic signals required to transfer the specified amount of the sample from the first location to the second location; and

determining whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred,

wherein determining whether the specified amount of the sample has been transferred comprises:

applying one or more second acoustic signals to a first portion of the sample not transferred from the first location;

determining an amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred based on the application of the one or more second acoustic signals;

determining an amount of a second portion of the sample transferred based on the determining of the amount of the first portion of the sample not transferred; and

comparing the amount of the second portion of the sample transferred and/or the first portion of the sample not transferred to the specified amount of the sample to be transferred.