OSMOTIC REACTION DETECTOR FOR DETECTING BIOLOGICAL AND NON-BIOLOGICAL REACTIONS

• US 20080118985A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lean, Meng H., Torres, Francisco E., Daniels, Jonathan S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,666,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/80
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/505 flexible containers not provided for above
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/04 Investigating osmotic effects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/807 Apparatus included in process claim, e.g. physical support structures

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring the presence or absence of interaction between at least a first and second material of interest by measuring osmotic pressure changes in an osmotic cell. Changes in osmotic pressure are determined by measuring the amount of compression exhibited by a compressible, semi-permeable material positioned in the cell.

Claims

1. A method for detecting interactions between at least a first and second material of interest, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an osmotic cell;

b) positioning a compressible, semi-permeable material therein;

c) introducing into said osmotic cell at least first and second materials of interest, and a carrier fluid, together forming a mixture; and

d) detecting a change in an osmotic pressure in said osmotic cell occurring as a result of a change in state in said osmotic cell of one or more of said at least first and second materials of interest, wherein said change in osmotic pressure is determined by measuring the compression of said compressible, semi-permeable material.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compressible semi-permeable material is impermeable to said materials of interest, wherein said compressible, semi-permeable material is deposited or attached to an impermeable substrate.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said compressible, semi-permeable material is impermeable to at least one of said first and second materials of interest and is permeable to said carrier fluid.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method monitors interactions in said osmotic cell at an initial concentration of said first and second materials of interest in said mixture in the range of approximately 10⁻

3 M to 5×

10<sup>−

7</sup> M.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method measures osmotic pressure changes in a range of approximately 1.2 N/m² to 2600 N/m².

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed using an array of osmotic cells, and at least two of the osmotic cells of the array utilize different first and/or second materials.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said amount of compression is measured by a change in capacitance of said compressible, semi-permeable material.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said amount of compression is measured by a change in resistance of said compressible, semi-permeable material.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said amount of compression is measured by a change in the deflection of light incident on said compressible, semi-permeable material.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the mixture is less than 10 μ

L.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the mixture is less than or equal to 1 μ

L.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the mixture is less than or equal to 100 nL.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein a volume of the mixture is less than or equal to 20 nL.

14. A method for detecting reactions, the method comprising:

measuring osmotic pressure changes in individual osmotic cells positioned in an array of osmotic cells, each cell including a compressible, semi-permeable material positioned therein;

the cells each containing a mixture including at least two materials of interest and a reference solution, wherein the method of measuring includes measuring the compression of said compressible, semi-permeable material as a result of osmotic pressure changes in said cells.