SPHERICAL ENCODED BEADS
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Abstract
The present application discloses a composition comprising a plurality of spherical beads, wherein a radiofrequency chip operating at a frequency of in the range of 2.2-2.7 GHz is embedded within each of said beads and wherein essentially each of said beads is individually identifiable on the basis of radiofrequency identification. Alternatives utilizing a ultrasonic identification chip are also disclosed. The beads are preferably made of polymeric material and can for example be used for the synthesis of e.g. solid-phase chemical libraries. Preferred materials include some that minimise interference in biochemical assays (fouling). The invention also relates to batch and continuous methods of producing such compositions, including emulsion-polymerisation methods. In a further aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for analysing radiofrequency-encoded beads. Also provided are methods for detecting and/or analysing and/or sorting beads, as well as methods for processing beads once they have been analysed and/or sorted.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1-65. -65. (canceled)
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66. An apparatus for analyzing a plurality of spherical radiofrequency-identifiable beads, said apparatus comprising
i) a vacuum container comprising at least one planar capture body capable of rotating around a central axis, wherein said capture body comprises a plurality of through-going inlets arranged substantially concentrically around the central axis of the capture body, wherein the diameter of each inlet is smaller than the average diameter of the beads to be detected, ii) a pressure-controlling device capable of controlling the pressure in the vacuum container, iii) a guiding channel enclosing said plurality of inlets; -
iv) a device for rotating the vacuum container around the axis of the capture body, and v) a detection device for determining the radiofrequency code of said bead; and wherein the planar capture body is arranged in a tilted manner at least 15°
off a horizontal arrangement and so that the detection device is positioned in or in close proximity of the upper half of the guiding channel.- View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75)
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67. An apparatus for analyzing a plurality of spherical radiofrequency-identifiable beads, said apparatus comprising
i) a vacuum container comprising at least one planar capture body capable of rotating around a central axis, wherein said capture body comprises a plurality of through-going inlets arranged substantially concentrically around the central axis of the capture body, wherein the diameter of each inlet is smaller than the average diameter of the beads to be detected, ii) a pressure-controlling device capable of controlling the pressure in the vacuum container, iii) a guiding channel enclosing said plurality of inlets; -
iv) a device for rotating the vacuum container around the axis of the capture body, and v) a detection device comprising at plurality of antennas for emitting and receiving radiofrequency electromagnetic irradiation for determining the radiofrequency code of said beads, at least some of said antennas being positioned at each of said through-going inlets of said capture body.
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68. An apparatus for analyzing a plurality of spherical radiofrequency-identifiable beads, said apparatus comprising
i) a vacuum container comprising at least one planar capture body capable of rotating around a central axis, wherein said capture body comprises a plurality of through-going inlets arranged substantially concentrically around the central axis of the capture body, wherein the diameter of each inlet is smaller than the average diameter of the beads to be detected, ii) a pressure-controlling device capable of controlling the pressure in the vacuum container, iii) a guiding channel enclosing said plurality of inlets; -
a device for rotating the vacuum container around the axis of the capture body, v) a detection device comprising at least one antenna for emitting and receiving radiofrequency electromagnetic irradiation operating at a frequency of in the range of 2.2-2.7 GHz for determining the radiofrequency code of said beads.
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69. A method for the production of a composition comprising a plurality of spherical radiofrequency-identifiable polymeric beads comprising the steps of:
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i) providing a first liquid, ii) providing a second liquid comprising monomers to be polymerised and, optionally, a surfactant, wherein said first and second liquid are immiscible, iii) providing a plurality of radiofrequency chips operating at a frequency of in the range of 2.2-2.7 GHz, optionally coated with an initiator of polymerisation, wherein said optionally coated radiofrequency chips are capable of dispersing into the second liquid, iv) mixing said first liquid, said second liquid and said plurality of radiofrequency chips, in any order, such that an emulsion is formed wherein said radiofrequency chips disperse into droplets of said second liquid, v) optionally introducing an initiator if not provided in step iii), and vi) allowing the formation of spherical polymeric beads having an embedded radiofrequency chip.
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70. A method for the production of a composition comprising a plurality of spherical radiofrequency-identifiable polymeric beads comprising the steps of:
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i) providing a first stream of a first liquid material, ii) introducing into said first stream of liquid material, a second stream of monomers for the formation of a polymer, said stream further comprising a plurality of radiofrequency chips operating at a frequency of in the range of 2.2-2.7 GHz, and, optionally a surfactant, wherein the first liquid material and the monomers of the second stream are immiscible, iii) regulating said second stream such that spherical droplets having embedded a radiofrequency chip are formed, and iv) allowing the formation of spherical polymeric beads having embedded a radiofrequency chip from said droplets, said method further comprising, during one of the above steps, addition of an initiator of polymerisation, wherein addition of the initiator or activation of the initiator is timed in such a way that polymerisation is initiated simultaneously with, or after, the formation of droplets.
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71. A composition comprising a plurality of spherical beads, wherein a radiofrequency chip operating at a frequency of in the range of 2.2-2.7 GHz is embedded within each of said beads and wherein essentially each of said beads is individually identifiable on the basis of radiofrequency identification.
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76. A method for recording individual reaction steps involved in the step-wise synthesis of a chemical compound on a radiofrequency-detectable bead, said method comprising the steps of
i) immobilizing a radiofrequency chip in each of a plurality of beads, ii) isolating, preferably by automated selection, at least a subset of the beads provided in step a), iii) recording and storing a radiofrequency identification number for each bead, iv) step-wise synthesizing chemical compounds on functional groups present on the beads, wherein the identity of each bead is recorded and stored for each reaction step, and obtaining for each bead a record of the individual reaction steps.
Specification