Magnetic mixing apparatus

1. A method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample, comprising:

loading the fluid sample into a sample loading well of a mixing assembly;

applying pneumatic pressure to the sample loading well to advance the sample into a mixing chamber of the mixing assembly;

energizing a drive motor of a driving magnet system to rotate a drive magnet of the driving magnet system;

rotating a driven magnet system that is magnetically coupled to the drive magnet of the driving magnetic system while the mixing chamber is within a gap between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system;

rotating a stir bar located within the mixing chamber, wherein the stir bar is magnetically coupled between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system;

producing a lysed sample within the mixing chamber by continuing the rotating a stir bar step to mix the fluid sample within the mixing chamber;

stopping the rotating a stir bar step by de-energizing the drive motor of the driving magnet system; and

advancing the lysed sample through a filter channel of the mixing chamber into a sample exit channel of the mixing assembly.

2. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 further comprising: closing a sample inlet channel in communication with the sample loading well, closing a chamber loading channel in communication with the mixing chamber and closing a sample exit channel in communication with the mixing chamber during the producing a lysed sample step.

3. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 2 further comprising:

applying pneumatic pressure to the sample loading well during the producing a lysed sample step.

4. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 , wherein a lysis buffer is within the mixing chamber during the rotating a stir bar step.

5. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of beads are within the mixing chamber during the rotating a stir bar step.

6. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 further comprising a step of: introducing a lysis buffer into the mixing chamber before or after performing the loading the fluid sample into a sample loading well step.

7. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 6 , wherein the lysis buffer comprises one or more chemical lysing agents.

8. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 7 the one or more chemical lysing agents selected from the group consisting of hypotonic solutions, solutions containing an organic solvent, a chelating agent, a surfactant, a chaotropic agent and combinations thereof.

9. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 , wherein the gap between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system is between 10 mm to 30 mm.

10. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 , wherein a largest dimension of a mixing chamber is 1 mm to 200 mm.

11. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 , wherein a mixing chamber volume is 0.1 mL to 100 mL.

12. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 11 , wherein a stir bar volume is 50 uL to 10 mL.

13. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 1 further comprising detecting decoupling of the stir bar to the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system and performing the stopping the rotating a stir bar step in response to the detecting decoupling of the stir bar.

14. The method of lysing a cell contained within a fluid sample according to claim 13 , wherein the detecting decoupling of the stir bar is performed using a microphone or an accelerometer.

15. A method of mixing a fluid sample containing a cell within a mixing chamber of a mixing assembly, comprising:

loading the fluid sample containing the cell into a sample inlet of a sample loading well in communication with the mixing chamber;

applying pneumatic pressure to the sample loading well to advance the fluid sample from the sample loading well into the mixing chamber;

rotating a driving magnetic system that is magnetically coupled to a driven magnetic system while the mixing chamber is within a gap between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system;

mixing the fluid sample within the mixing chamber by rotating a stir bar located within the mixing chamber, wherein the stir bar is magnetically coupled between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system;

stopping the rotating a driving magnetic system step; and

applying pneumatic pressure to advance the fluid from the mixing chamber through a filter channel to a sample exit channel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising: loading a lysis buffer into the mixing chamber before the loading the fluid sample step.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising: mixing the fluid sample with a lysis buffer in the mixing chamber during the mixing the fluid sample step.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the gap between the driving magnetic system and the driven magnetic system is between 10 mm to 30 mm.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein a largest dimension of a mixing chamber volume is 1 mm to 200 mm.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein a mixing chamber volume comprises 0.1 mL to 100 mL.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein a stir bar volume comprises 50 uL to 10 mL.