Sample substrate having a divided sample chamber and method of loading thereof

• US 20040171170A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applera Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sandell, Donald R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,332,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/180
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3017 Mixing chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/304 the mixing being performed in a mixing chamber where the products are brought into contact
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/713 comprising breaking packages or parts thereof, e.g. piercing or opening sealing elements between compartments or cartridges containers or packages per se B65D
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7135 Opening the seal between the compartments by application of heat
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7137 Piercing, perforating or melting membranes or closures which seal the compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0672 Integrated piercing tool
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0874 Three dimensional network
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0638 membrane valves, flap valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/00 Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A sample substrate configured for samples of biological material is provided. The sample substrate has a dual chambered sample well separated by a wall that may be punctured or otherwise breached to allow mixing of material contained in the two initially separate chambers. The chambers are connected by channels to fluid reservoirs, wherein the channels can be staked to prevent further fluid flow into and out of the chambers. Methods of loading a sample substrate are also provided.

Claims

1. A sample substrate for biological samples, comprising:

a first chamber portion configured to contain a biological sample at least partially defined by a first member;

a second chamber portion configured to contain a biological sample at least partially defined by a second member; and

a wall positioned between the first and second chamber portions,

wherein in a first position the wall prevents fluid communication between the first and second chamber portions, and in a second position the wall is breached to permit fluid communication between the first and second chamber portions.

2. The sample substrate of claim 1, wherein the first member, the second member, and the wall are each made out of one of polypropylene, LEXAN, and MYLAR.

3. The sample substrate of claim 1, wherein the first chamber portion, the second chamber portion, and the wall further comprise a hydrophilic coating covering at least a portion respectively thereof.

4. The sample substrate of claim 1, further comprising a breaching element positioned in the first chamber portion, the breaching element configured to breach the wall.

5. The sample substrate of claim 4, wherein the breaching element comprises at least one pointed projection.

6. The sample substrate of claim 4, wherein the breaching element is integrally attached to the first chamber portion.

7. The sample substrate of claim 1, wherein in the first position a wall of the first chamber portion is convex and a wall of the second chamber portion is concave.

8. The sample substrate of claim 7, wherein in the second position the wall of the first chamber portion is concave and the wall of the second chamber portion is convex.

9. A sample substrate for biological samples, comprising:

a sample chamber, portions of the sample chamber being defined by a first member, a second member, and a wall;

wherein in a first position the sample chamber is configured to hold a first fluid from a first channel, and in a second position the sample chamber is configured to be larger than the sample chamber in the first position and to additionally hold a second fluid from a second channel.

10. The sample substrate of claim 9, wherein in the first position the first member defining a portion of the sample chamber is concave and the second member defining a portion of the sample chamber is convex.

11. The sample substrate of claim 10, wherein in the second position the first member defining a portion of the sample chamber is convex and the second member defining a portion of the sample chamber is convex.

12. The sample substrate of claim 9, wherein the first member, the second member, and the wall are each made out of one of polypropylene, LEXAN, and MYLAR.

13. The sample substrate of claim 9, wherein the first member, the second member, and the wall further comprise a hydrophilic coating covering at least a portion respectively thereof.

14. A microcard comprising:

a first network of channels in fluid communication with a plurality of chambers; and

a second network of channels in fluid communication with the plurality of chambers,

wherein the first network and the second network are positioned in a first and second substantially parallel planes, and

wherein each of the plurality of chambers connects the first network in a first direction towards the first plane, and each of the plurality of chambers connects with the second network in a second direction toward the second plane.

15. The microcard of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first network and the second network comprises a plurality of nodes communicating across the first plane and the second plane.

16. The microcard of claim 14, wherein the plurality of chambers are connected in series.

17. The microcard of claim 14, wherein the plurality of chambers are connected in parallel.

18. A method of filling a sample substrate with a biological sample, comprising:

filling at least a portion of a sample chamber with a first fluid through a first channel;

filling at least a portion of a sample chamber with a second fluid through a second channel; and

initiating at least one of the sample chamber portions so that the first and second fluids are in fluid communication with each other.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

staking the first channel; and

staking the second channel.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating comprises breaching a wall configured to prevent fluid communication between the first fluid and the second fluid in the sample chamber.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising clearing portions of the breached wall from the center of the breached sample chamber.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising applying a force to at least one of the sample chamber portions to effect the breaching of the wall.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein applying the force comprises applying a vacuum to the at least one of the sample chamber portions.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein applying the force comprises applying a heating element to the at least one of the sample chamber portions.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating comprises degrading at least a portion of a wall configured to prevent fluid communication between the first fluid and the second fluid in the sample chamber.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein degrading comprises focusing a light configured to degrade the wall on at least a portion of the wall between the first fluid and the second fluid in the sample chamber.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein initiating comprises expanding the sample chamber.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein expanding comprises applying a force to the sample chamber to effect the expanding of the sample chamber.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein applying the force comprises applying a vacuum to the sample chamber.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein applying the force comprises applying a heating element to the sample chamber.