VALVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A ROTATING MULTIPLEX FLUORESCENCE DETECTION DEVICE

• US 20090189089A1
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Diasorin Italia SPA
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Bedingham, William, Robole, Barry W., Ludowise, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/459.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0084 Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/003 Valves for single use only
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/004 using radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0325 Cells for testing reactions, e.g. containing reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00267 Meltable plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00415 Other radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0474 Details of actuating means for conveyors or pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0332 with temperature control control of temperature G05D23/00; cryostats F17C3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/07 Centrifugal type cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 : Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 : Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0407 : with multiple optical units, e.g. one per sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0415 : Carrusel, sequential
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 : Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 : LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0833 : Fibre array at detector, resolving
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 : whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1097 : characterised by the valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/111666 : Utilizing a centrifuge or compartmented rotor

Abstract

Techniques are described for the detection of multiple target species in real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction). For example, a system comprises a data acquisition device and a detection device coupled to the data acquisition device. The detection device includes a rotating disk having a plurality of process chambers having a plurality of species that emit fluorescent light at different wavelengths. The device further includes a plurality of removable optical modules that are optically configured to excite the species and capture fluorescent light emitted by the species at different wavelengths. A fiber optic bundle coupled to the plurality of removable optical modules conveys the fluorescent light from the optical modules to a single detector. In addition, the device may control the flow of fluid in the disk by locating and selectively opening valves separating chambers by heating the valves with a laser.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

rotating a disk having a holding chamber separated from a process chamber by a valve;

emitting electromagnetic energy at a first level to determine a position of the disk; and

emitting electromagnetic energy at a second level to open the valve to permit fluid to flow from the holding chamber to the process chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the electromagnetic energy with a sensor and outputting a signal; and

determining the position of the valve on the disk with a control unit upon receiving the signal from the sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the disk includes a slot to pass the electromagnetic energy from the energy source to the sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor detects electromagnetic energy from the energy source when the slot in the disk is aligned between the energy source and the sensor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the slot in the disk is the shape of a rectangle, circle, oval, ellipse or an irregular shape.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting the edges of the slot for determining the precise location of the valve on the disk.

7. The method of claim 2, where in the disk comprises a plurality of valves and the control unit creates a map of the locations of the valves upon receiving the signal from the sensor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting one or more of the valves for opening based on one or more reactions specified by a user, and targeting the electromagnetic energy to the selected valves on the disk based upon the map.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising producing a pulse of electromagnetic energy to heat and open one or more valves to allow fluid communication between the holding chamber and the process chamber.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning the energy source to a precise location on the disk with a gantry.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising aligning the plurality of optical modules to one or more process chambers with the gantry.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is produced by a laser.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the laser produces low-energy near-infrared light for determining the position of the disk and high-energy near-infrared light for opening the valve.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the process chamber holds a sample and a plurality of fluorescent dyes.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exciting the disk with a plurality of light beams to produce a plurality of emitted fluorescent light beams; and

capturing the fluorescent light beams with a plurality of different optical modules, wherein the optical modules are optically configured for the different wavelengths.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic energy is emitted by an energy source included in one of the plurality of removable modules.

17. A method comprising:

rotating a disk having a holding chamber separated from a process chamber by a valve;

detecting the position of a structure of the disk with a first system; and

detecting the position of one or more features within the structure of the disk with a second system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the structure is a slot formed by the disk, a tab or a reflective material.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising emitting electromagnetic energy from an energy source of the first system and sensing the electromagnetic energy with a sensor of the first system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the electromagnetic energy is infrared light.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising emitting electromagnetic energy from an energy source of the second system and sensing the electromagnetic energy with a sensor of the second system.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the electromagnetic energy is laser or near-infrared light.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising heating the valve with the electromagnetic energy from the energy source of the second system to enable fluid communication between the holding chamber and the process chamber.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first system detects the position of the disk while the second system heats the valve.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the first system and the second system cooperatively map the position of the disk.

26. A method comprising:

rotating a disk having a holding chamber separated from a process chamber by a valve;

emitting electromagnetic energy while rotating the disk to determine a radial position of a structure of the disk;

emitting electromagnetic energy while rotating the disk to determine an angular position of the structure of the disk; and

using the radial position and the angular position to direct electromagnetic energy to the valve to enable fluid communication between the holding chamber and the process chamber.