Device having a self sealing fluid port

• US 20060235335A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Molecular Systems (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Sarofim, Emad, Elsenhans, Olivier, Savatic, Goran
• Application Number:
  US11/389,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/577
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1676 using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1606 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation, e.g. by ultraviolet excimer lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1616 Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1619 Mid infrared radiation [MIR], e.g. by CO or CO2 lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53461 joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/003 : Thermoplastic elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/00 : Use of polymers of vinyl-aromatic compounds or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 : Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1079 : with means for piercing stoppers or septums

Abstract

Manufacture of a device having a body comprising a cavity with a fluid port made from an elastomeric material adhering to the body is disclosed. The device can be used advantageously in reliable analyses in automated procedures.

Claims

1. A device having a body comprising a cavity and a fluid port made of a thermoplastic elastomer adhering to the body.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is a container for holding, delivering or receiving a fluid.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cavity comprises a channel, a chamber or a system of channels and chambers.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid port has force fit versus the body.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a micro fluidic device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cavity has fluidic or micro fluidic functions as static mixing, or optical functions as transparency for detecting light, or sections for chemically or physically treating the fluid.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said fluid port is located in said device to be accessible to a rigid fluid actuator from outside of the device.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said fluid port comprises a channel which is orthogonal to the direction of access of said fluid actuator.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said cavity is confined by the body and a sealing wall covering the cavity.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said sealing wall is a thin foil.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the thin foil has a heat transfer rate of more than 200 W/m²/K.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein said thin foil and/or the body has more than 2% transmission for an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength in a range from 300 to 4000 nm.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid port has a conical recess for guiding a fluid actuator.

14. The device according claim 1, further containing a material for solid phase adsorption.

16. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that said fluid port is located in said device to be accessible to a rigid fluid delivery actuator from outside of the device.

17. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that said fluid port is a septum, attached to the first, rigid material.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said second material is an elastomer, which is shaped in a 2C injection molding process.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said first material is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polymethylmethacrylate.

23. A system for manipulating a fluid comprising

an instrument having a fluid actuation module containing a rigid fluid actuator and

a device according to claim 1.

24. A system according to claim 23 further comprising at least one reagent.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein said rigid fluid actuator is a hollow needle, said hollow needle being moveable relatively to the device from at least one position wherein said fluid actuator is not fluidically connected with the cavity, to a second position, where the fluid actuator fluidically connected to the cavity, by piercing through the fluid port.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein said instrument contains further means for performing an analysis.

27. The system according to claim 23, further comprising a thermocycler.

28. The system according to claim 23, wherein said instrument further comprises a detection module.

29. A method of analysis of a sample or components thereof using one or more reagents, comprising

providing a device according to claim 1, or a system according to claim 23,

introducing a fluid into said device through said fluid port, wherein said fluid is a sample being analyzed or/and reagents, and

determining at least one property of the fluid which relates to the presence or content of a substance present in the sample.

15. A method for manufacturing a device having a body comprising a first, rigid material comprising a cavity with an opening closed by a fluid port being of a second, elastic material, comprising

a first molding step including

a) providing a first mold reflecting an shape of the rigid body,

b) injecting into the first mold the first material in liquefied form,

c) waiting until said first material has become at least partially solid,

providing the result of said first molding step in a second mold a first part of which reflects an outer form of said fluid port and a second part reflecting at least a part of the first mold,

a second molding step including

a) injecting into the first part of said second mold the second material in liquefied form,

b) waiting until the second material has become at least partially solid, and

removing the result of said molding steps from said mold after solidification of said materials.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of sealing said cavity of said body using a sealing wall.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said sealing is done by Laser welding, ultrasound welding, thermal sealing or gluing.

18. A method for manufacturing a device having a body comprising a first, rigid material comprising a cavity with an opening closed by a fluid port being of a second, elastic material, comprising

a first molding step including

a) providing a first mold reflecting an outer shape of the fluid port,

b) injecting into said first mold the second material in liquefied form,

c) waiting until said second material has become at least partially solid,

providing the result of said first molding step in a second mold a first part of which reflects at least a part of said first mold and a second part reflecting an outer shape of said body,

a second molding step including

a) injecting into the second part of said second mold the first material in liquefied form,

b) waiting until the first material has become at least partially solid, and

removing the result of said molding from said mold after solidification of said materials.