Apparatus for synthesis of multiple organic compounds with pinch valve block

• US 20010019705A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 09/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harold Norris Iii Weller, John William Jr. Allen, Waldemar Ruediger, Wenjeng Li
• Original Assignee: Harold Norris Iii Weller, John William Jr. Allen, Waldemar Ruediger, Wenjeng Li
• Inventors: Allen, John William Jr., Weller, Harold Norris III, Li, Wenjeng, Ruediger, Waldemar
• Granted Patent: US 6,432,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/130
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00295 the reactor vessels having pervious side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0031 the racks or blocks being mounted in stacked arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00335 Septa
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/004 Pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00403 in multiple arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00567 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0072 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/008 Feed or outlet control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/185 using a liquid as fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 : pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 : for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 : Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes

Abstract

The simultaneous synthesis of diverse organic compounds is performed in stackable modules which are moveable among nesting sites located on work station platforms. The reactor module includes a block adapted to receive an array of tube-like reactor vessels. The vessels are sized to optionally accept porus polyethelyene mircocannisters with radio frequency transmitter tags. Each vessel has a bottom port connected to an outlet tube. A valve block located below the reactor vessels simultaneously controls discharge through the outlet tubes. The valve block includes plates with aligned, relatively moveable sets of rib surfaces which act through Teflon encapsulated silicone O-ring cord sections to simultaneously close rows of outlet tubes. By first utilizing reactor vessels in one set of 48 positions, out of the possible 52 reactor vessel positions in the reactor block, and then utilizing reactor vessels in the other set of 48 positions and shifting the relative position of the collection plate, a single reactor can be employed to discharge into all of the wells of a standard 96 well microtiter collection plate. The apparatus can be used to perform the entire synthesis or only the final cleavage step of a radio frequency tagged synthesis.

Claims

1. Apparatus useful for the synthesis of multiple organic compounds, adapted to receive an array of individual reactor vessels, each vessel having a port connected to an outlet tube, valve means for the simultaneous regulation of discharge through said outlet tubes, said valve means comprising first and second aligned, relatively moveable surfaces between which said outlet tubes extend and resilient means interposed between one of said surfaces and said outlet tubes, such that relative movement of said surfaces causes force to be applied through said resilient means to close said outlet tubes.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said surfaces comprise plates.

4. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said resilient means comprises Teflon encapsulated silicone O-ring cord.

5. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein one of said surfaces is shaped to correspond to the exterior shape of said resilient means.

6. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein one of said surfaces has an arcuate shape.

7. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said valve means is located below the reactor vessels.

9. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising collection means, said collection means comprising an array of collection wells.

10. The apparatus of

claim 9

wherein said collection means has 2X number of collection wells and said apparatus is adapted to receive X number of reactor vessels in Y number of possible positions, where Y is a number larger than X.

11. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said reactor vessels comprise porus polyethylene microcannisters with radio frequency transmitter tags.

12. The apparatus of

claim 1

further comprising multilevel component alignment means.

3. The apparatus of claim I wherein said surfaces comprise ribs on plates.

8. The apparatus of

claim 3

wherein one of said plates comprises an opening through which said resilient means can be inserted between said ribs.

13. Valve means for the simultaneous regulation of discharge through outlet tubes connected to the ports of reactor vessels received in apparatus for the manipulation of multiple organic compounds, the valve means comprising first and second aligned, relatively moveable surfaces between which the outlet tubes extend and resilient means interposed between one of said surfaces and the outlet tubes, such that relative movement of said surfaces causes force to be applied through said resilient means to close the outlet tubes.

14. The means of

claim 13

wherein said surfaces comprise plates.

15. The means of

claim 13

wherein said surfaces comprises ribs on plates.

16. The means of

claim 13

wherein said resilient means comprises Teflon encapsulated silicone O-ring cord.

17. The means of

claim 13

wherein one of said surfaces is shaped to correspond to the exterior shape of said resilient means.

18. The means of

claim 13

wherein one of said surfaces has an arcuate shape.

19. Apparatus useful for the synthesis of multiple organic compounds, the apparatus comprising means for receiving an array of X number of individual reactor vessels in at least Y number of different positions, wherein Y is a number greater than X, each of said vessels having a port connected to an outlet tube through which fluids discharge, collection means comprising an array of 2X number of collection wells, and means for mounting said collection means below said reactor vessel receiving means in one of two positions relative to said reaction vessel receiving means, such that by selecting different sets of the Y number of positions in which the X number of reactor vessels are received, and changing the collection means position, all 2X number of collection wells in said collection means can receive discharge from said outlet tubes.

20. The apparatus of

claim 19

wherein said collection means comprises a standard 96 well microtiter plate.

21. The apparatus of

claim 19

wherein X equals 48.

22. The apparatus of

claim 19

wherein Y equal 52.

23. The apparatus of

claim 19

wherein said collection means mounting means comprises a locator plate and a vacuum adapter with a collection means receiving opening.

24. The apparatus of

claim 23

further comprising means for aligning said adapter in one of two positions relative to said locator plate.

25. The apparatus of

claim 19

wherein each of said reactor vessels comprises a porus polyethlyene microcannister with a radio frequency transmitter tag.

26. The apparatus of

claim 19

further comprising valve means interposed between said reactor vessels and said collection means for simultaneously regulating the discharge of fluids through said outlet tubes.

27. Apparatus useful for the synthesis of multiple organic compounds, the apparatus comprising a plurality of tube-like reactor vessels, means for receiving an array of said reactor vessels and a plurality of porous polyethelyne microcannisters with radio frequency transmitter tags, each of said reactor vessels being adapted to receive one of said microcannisters.

28. The apparatus of

claim 27

wherein said vessel receiving means comprises means for receiving X number of reactor vessels in Y number of positions, where Y is a number greater than X.

29. The apparatus of

claim 28

further comprising collection means comprising 2X number of collection wells.

30. The apparatus of

claim 27

wherein each of said vessels has a port connected to an outlet tube and further comprising valve means for simultaneously regulating the discharge of fluids through said outlet tubes.

31. The apparatus of

claim 30

wherein said valve means comprises first and second aligned, relatively moveable surfaces between which said outlet tubes extend and resilient means interposed between one of said surfaces and said outlet tubes, such that relative movement of said surfaces causes force to be applied through said resilient means to close said outlet tubes.

32. The apparatus of

claim 31

wherein one of said surfaces has a shape corresponding to the exterior shape of said resilient means.

33. Apparatus useful for the synthesis of multiple organic compounds comprising a plurality of functional components stackable in different configurations to form the apparatus and multilevel means cooperating with said components to align same, said alignment means being adapted to be mounted on one of said components and having a first level adapted to support a second component and a second level adapted to support a third component, said levels being defined by different sections of said alignment means.

34. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said components include a valve block and wherein said alignment means are mounted on said valve block.

35. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said second component comprises a temperature control block.

36. The apparatus of

claim 35

further comprising a pressure plate, said pressure plate mounted above said temperature control block.

37. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said third component comprises an alignment plate.

38. The apparatus of

claim 37

further comprising a pressure plate mounted above said alignment plate.

39. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said alignment means further comprises a pointed section on said second level.

40. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said alignment means comprises a standoff.

41. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said alignment means comprises four standoffs.

42. The apparatus of

claim 33

wherein said alignment means comprises a shaft with different diameter sections.