Method of agitating solution

• US 20070178603A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Nobumasa, Hitoshi, Nagino, Kunihisa, Nakamura, Fumio, Takii, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,298,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/174
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/251 using balls as loose mixing element
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/252 using bubbles as loose mixing element
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/40 Mixers using gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00544 using fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

The method of stirring a solution according to the present invention is a method of stirring a solution comprising contacting a selective binding substance immobilized on the surface of a carrier with a solution containing an analyte substance reactive with the selective binding substance, and mixing the fine particles or air bubbles into the solution containing an analyte substance, and moving the fine particles or air bubbles without allowing contact thereof with the selective binding substance-immobilized surface. The present invention provides a stirring method that accelerates the reaction of a carrier-immobilized selective binding substance with an analyte substance and detects a trace amount of analyte at high signal intensity and high S/N ratio. The present invention enables diagnosis and examination in the clinical setting by using a selective binding substance-immobilized carrier such as DNA chip.

Claims

1. A method of stirring a solution comprising contacting a selective binding substance immobilized on the surface of a carrier with a solution containing an analyte substance reactive with the selective binding substance, and mixing the fine particles or air bubbles into the solution containing an analyte substance, and moving the fine particles or air bubbles without allowing contact thereof with the selective binding substance-immobilized surface.

2. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1, wherein a carrier in such a structure that the fine particles or air bubbles do not become in contact with the selective binding substance-immobilized surface carrier is used.

3. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1, wherein a container for solution in such a structure that the fine particles or air bubble do not become in contact with the selective binding substance-immobilized surface is used.

4. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has convex-concave surface and the selective binding substance is immobilized on the top face of the convexes.

6. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the solution is stirred by movement of the fine particles.

7. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein a container for solution is used.

8. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 7, wherein the solution is stirred by movement of the fine particles and the minimum width of the fine particles is greater than the minimum distance between the selective binding substance-immobilized surface and the container for solution.

9. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the solution is stirred by movement of the fine particles, the carrier has convex-concave surface, the selective binding substance is immobilized on the top face of the convexes of the carrier, and the fine particles move in concave area.

10. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the support has a flat area and an convex-concave area, the selective binding substance is immobilized on the top face of the convexes of a carrier, the height of the top face of the convexes is almost the same, and the difference in height between the flat area and the top face of the convexes is 50 μ

m or less.

11. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 6, wherein the fine particles are forced to move by gravity, magnetic force, vibration of carrier, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 9, wherein the maximum width of the fine particles is 10 μ

m or more and less than the difference in height between the top face of convexes and the concave area.

13. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the selective binding substance is a nucleic acid.

14. The method of stirring a solution according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the selective binding substance reacts with the analyte substance.

5. A method of stirring a solution comprising contacting a selective binding substance immobilized on the top face of convexes of a carrier with a solution containing an analyte substance reactive with the selective binding substance, mixing fine particles or air bubbles into the solution containing the analyte substance, and moving the fine particles or air bubbles.