Raised surface assay plate

• US 20040142460A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TransForm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: TransForm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Gyory, J. Richard, Lemmo, Anthony V., Cima, Michael, Gonzalez-Zugasti, Javier, Monagle, Julie, Lewis, Wendy Pryce
• Granted Patent: US 7,449,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.9
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0609 Holders integrated in container to position an object
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5088 confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires B01L3/50857 takes precedence

Abstract

The assay plate includes a substrate having an substrate surface and at least one raised pad extending from the substrate surface. The raised pad includes a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for holding a sample thereon for in situ experimentation. The sample receiving surface preferably has at least one sharp edge at the junction between a sidewall coupling the sample receiving surface to the substrate surface. The sample receiving surface is preferably a circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon shape that is sized to hold a predetermined volume of the sample. A method of using the above described assay plate is also provided. Once a raised pad extending from a substrate is formed, a sample is deposited on the raised pad. Experiments are subsequently performed using the sample on the raised pad.

Claims

1. An assay plate comprising:

a substrate having a substrate surface;

at least one raised pad extending from said substrate surface and having a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for holding a sample thereon for in situ experimentation.

2. The assay plate of claim 1, wherein:

a) said sample receiving surface has at least one sharp edge;

b) said raised pad comprises at least one sidewall coupling said sample receiving surface to said substrate surface;

c) said sample receiving surface shape is a circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, polygon, irregular, or any combination of the aforementioned;

d) said sample receiving surface is sized to hold a predetermined volume of sample;

e) said plate comprises an array of raised pads;

f) said sample receiving surface has a diameter of between 10 μ

m and 1 cm;

g) wherein a diameter of said sample receiving surface is larger than a height of a sidewall coupling said sample receiving surface to said substrate surface;

h) said substrate surface is substantially planar and level;

i) said raised pad and said substrate are integrally formed;

j) said raised pad is made from metal, steel, titanium, silicon, polymer, plastic, glass, quartz, ceramic, or any combination of the aforementioned;

k) said substrate is made from metal, steel, titanium, silicon, polymer, plastic, glass, quartz, ceramic, or any combination of the aforementioned;

l) an area around said raised pad is etched from said substrate;

m) wherein said raised pad and said substrate are etched, machined, injection molded or cast;

n) said assay plate further comprises at least one cavity in said substrate adjacent said raised pad;

o) said substrate surface is sloped;

p) wherein said plate further comprises at least one hole through said substrate;

q) said substrate is flexible;

or

r) a roughness of said sample receiving surface is less than 5 μ

m.

3. The assay plate of claim 2(b), wherein an angle between said sidewall and said sample receiving surface is between 45 and 135 degrees.

4. The assay plate of claim 2(b), wherein an angle between said sidewall and said sample receiving surface is approximately 90 degrees.

5. The assay plate of claim 2(e), further comprising an array of 24, 96, 384, or 1536 raised pads.

6. The assay plate of claim 5, wherein:

a) said sample receiving surface has a diameter of between 1 to 8.5 mm for an assay plate having 96 raised pads;

b) said sample receiving surface has a diameter of between 0.5 to 4.2 mm for an assay plate having 384 raised pads;

or

c) said sample receiving surface has a diameter of between 0.05 to 2 mm for an assay plate having 1536 raised pads.

7. An assay plate comprising multiple raised pads extending from an substrate surface of a substrate, where each of said raised pads has a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for receiving a sample thereon for in situ experimentation.

8. A method of using an assay plate, comprising:

providing a substrate with a raised pad extending from a surface thereof, where said raised pad has a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for receiving a sample thereon;

depositing a sample on said raised pad;

performing an experiment using said sample on said raised pad.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising drying said sample before said performing an experiment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after said drying, depositing a different sample on said raised pad and drying said different sample.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after said drying, redepositing said sample on said raised pad and redrying said sample.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said depositing comprises depositing an amount of sample on said pad sufficient to form a raised droplet without substantially spilling off said sample receiving surface.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said forming comprises etching a material to form said substrate and said raised pad.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said forming comprises injection molding or casting said raised pad and said substrate.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising overlaying said sample with a membrane or tissue.