Bead trapping device

• US 20030091475A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Micralyne, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Micralyne, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kornelsen, Kevin E., Yu, Pengguang
• Application Number:
  US10/260,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20030091475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/10 Brush filters ; Rotary brush filters
• 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 2219/00414 using suction
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00461 Beads and reaction vessel together
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00463 Directed sorting
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00576 fluorophore
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00648 by the use of solid beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0403 specific forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00

Abstract

A bead trapping device for trapping beads. The device is formed from a substrate, posts extending from the substrate; the posts being patterned to form cavities between the posts, the cavities having a diameter between 0.5 μm and 200 μm; and means for loading beads onto the substrate. A method of trapping microscopic beads for analysis, the method comprising the steps of contacting a fluid containing beads with a substrate having posts extending from the substrate to form bead trapping cavities, the bead trapping cavities having a diameter between 0.5 μm and 200 μm; and loading the beads into the bead trapping cavities.

Claims

1. A bead trapping device, comprising:

a substrate;

posts extending from the substrate;

the posts being patterned to form cavities between the posts, the cavities having a diameter between 0.5 μ

m and 200 μ

m; and

means for loading beads into the cavities.

2. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the cavities have uniform size.

3. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts form an array of posts.

4. The bead trapping device of claim 3 in which the array is a rectangular array.

5. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts have caps.

6. The bead trapping device of claim 5 in which the caps are made of flexible material.

7. The bead trapping device of claim 5 in which the caps are made of rigid material.

8. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the substrate has a planar surface.

9. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the substrate is provided with a cover.

10. The bead trapping device of claim 9 in which the means for loading beads into the cavities comprises holes in the cover to permit fluid flow through the holes and across the posts.

11. The bead trapping device of claim 9 in which the means for loading beads into the cavities comprises holes in the substrate to permit fluid flow through the holes and across the posts.

12. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the means for loading beads into the cavities comprises a magnetic field source.

13. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the means for loading beads into the cavities comprises an electric field source.

14. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the means for loading beads into the cavities comprises the substrate being provided with fluid egress holes extending through the substrate and communicating with the cavities.

15. The bead trapping device of claim 14 in which the substrate is provided with a fluid egress hole for each cavity.

16. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts are tilted.

17. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts are taller than the diameter of the cavities.

18. The bead trapping device of claim 17 in which the height of the posts is twice the diameter of the cavities.

19. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts are arranged such that each cavity is defined by three posts.

20. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the posts form an irregular array.

21. The bead trapping device of claim 1 in which the loaded beads are locked in place by a cover plate.

22. A method of trapping microscopic beads for analysis, the method comprising the steps of:

contacting a fluid containing beads with a substrate having posts extending from the substrate to form bead trapping cavities, the bead trapping cavities having a diameter between 0.5 μ

m and 200 μ

m; and

loading the beads into the bead trapping cavities.

23. The method of claim 22 in which the posts have caps, and the beads are directed into the cavities past the caps, whereby the caps act to constrain the beads within the cavities.

24. The method of claim 22 in which the beads are loaded into the bead trapping cavities by flowing fluid through the bead trapping cavities to draw beads into the bead trapping cavities.

25. The method of claim 22 in which the beads are loaded into the bead trapping cavities by action of a magnetic field.

26. The method of claim 22 in which the beads are loaded into the bead trapping cavities by action of an electric field.

27. The method of claim 22 in which the posts are tilted against fluid flow for loading the bead trapping cavities.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of reversing fluid flow to unload the beads from the bead trapping cavities.

29. The method of claim 22 in which the beads are stacked in the bead trapping cavities.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of locking the beads in the bead trapping cavities.

31. The method of claim 30 in which locking the beads comprises locking the beads with a cover plate.

32. The method of claim 31 in which the cover plate is separated from the substrate with a compressible gasket.

33. The method of claim 22 in which loading the beads into the cavities comprises stretching the substrate to open the cavities to receive beads and then closing the cavities.

34. A method of analysis, comprising the steps of:

trapping microscopic beads for analysis, by contacting a fluid containing beads with a substrate having posts extending from the substrate to form bead trapping cavities, the bead trapping cavities having a diameter between 0.5 μ

m and 200 μ

m, the beads being loaded into the bead trapping cavities;

flowing a reagent across the beads to generate reactions on the surface of the beads; and

detecting outcomes of the reactions.