METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING MICROBEADS IN ORDER TO INTERROGATE THE SAME

• US 20100072278A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Illumina Incorporated
• Inventors: LEMOINE, RICHARD L., PUTNAM, MARTIN A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,470,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00459 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00463 Directed sorting
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00466 in a slurry
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0047 Pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00545 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00547 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00576 fluorophore
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00648 by the use of solid beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00657 One-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00702 Processes involving means for analysing and characterising the products
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0636 Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0457 passive flow or gravitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 : the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00574 : Means for distributing beads
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00782 : reprogrammmable code
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 : Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0272 : Substrate bearing the hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/53 : Coded object not directly interpretable, e.g. encrypted object, barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2230/10 : Microhologram not registered to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/20 : Shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/24 : Having particular size, e.g. microscopic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

An optical reader for reading encoded microparticles. Each microparticle has an elongated body with an optically detectable code that extends along a longitudinal axis of the corresponding elongated body. The reader includes a plate that has a plurality of channels. The channels are configured to receive and align the microparticles so that the codes of the microparticles are in a common fixed orientation relative to each other. The reader also includes an illumination source for illuminating the microparticles on the plate. The codes in the microparticles reflect a portion of incident light and permit a portion of the incident light to pass through the microparticles thereby providing an output signal indicative of the code. The reader also includes a detection device that is configured to capture the output signal provided by the microparticles.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An optical reader for reading encoded microparticles, each microparticle having an elongated body with an optically detectable code extending along a longitudinal axis of the corresponding elongated body, the reader comprising:

a plate having a plurality of channels, the channels configured to receive and align the microparticles so that the codes of the microparticles are in a common fixed orientation relative to each other;

an illumination source for illuminating the microparticles on the plate, the codes in the microparticles reflecting a portion of incident light and permitting a portion of the incident light to pass through the microparticles thereby providing an output signal indicative of the code; and

a detection device configured to capture the output signal provided by the microparticles.

20. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the channels have one of a square shape, a rectangular shape, a V-shape, and a semi-circular shape.

21. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the plate is an optically transparent medium.

22. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the channels are open-sided such that microparticles are free to move across a side of the plate until aligning with and coming to rest in the channels.

23. The reader in accordance with claim 19 further comprising an agitation device configured to agitate the plate to encourage alignment of the microparticles within the channels.

24. The reader in accordance with claim 23 wherein the agitation device utilizes one of a sonic transducer, a mechanical wipe, a shaking device, and a rocking device.

25. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the illumination source comprises light for illuminating the codes and light for exciting fluorescence on the microparticles.

26. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the detection device is configured to read a digital code formed from a series of bits arranged proximate to one another along the longitudinal axis of the microparticle.

27. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the detection device is configured to read codes from light reflected by the microparticles in a predetermined optical output pattern.

28. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the detection device is configured to capture an image.

29. The reader in accordance with claim 28 wherein the image comprises at least a first series of illuminated stripes indicating a digital pattern associated with a corresponding one of the microparticles.

30. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the detection device constitutes a CCD camera that detects at least one of (i) light reflected from the microparticles and (ii) light passing through the microparticles.

31. The reader in accordance with claim 19 wherein the detection device includes an optical scanner that scans the channels to read the codes.

32. The reader in accordance with claim 31 wherein the plate and the optical scanner move relative to one another during a scan in a direction that is along the longitudinal axes of the elongated bodies when the microparticles are in the common fixed orientation.

33. The reader in accordance with claim 31 wherein the plate moves during a scan.

34. The reader in accordance with claim 19 further comprising a computing device configured to identify a probe or an analyte attached to a corresponding microparticle based upon the code of the corresponding microparticle.

35. The reader in accordance with claim 34 further comprising a display communicatively coupled to the computing device, the computing device providing information to be displayed to an operator through the display.

36. The reader in accordance with claim 19 further comprising a fluidic system configured to load the microparticles onto the plate and remove the microparticles from the plate.

37. The reader in accordance with claim 36 wherein the fluidic system includes liquid and is substantially free of air.

38. The reader in accordance with claim 36 wherein the fluidic system includes liquid and directs fluid flow across the plate, the channels being open-sided such that microparticles are free to move across a side of the plate until aligning with and coming to rest in the channels.