REAGENT TUBE

• US 20110027151A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Springer, Theodore, Handique, Kalyan
• Granted Patent: US 8,216,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/549
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5082 Test tubes per se
• 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 99/0032 using phase transition or influencing viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0044 using thermo-electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0061 actuated by an expanding gas or liquid volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations

Abstract

A reagent tube configured with a stellated shaped pattern, on its bottom interior surface, configured to facilitate complete or near-complete withdrawal of fluid from the tube, via a pipette tip. The reagent tube may be used for transporting reagents and for carrying out processing operations on biological samples with the reagents, such as preparing polynucleotides extracted from the sample for amplification.

Claims

1. A reagent tube, comprising:

a tube body having a top, a bottom, and an interior surface, wherein the top, bottom, and interior surface of the tube body define a volume configured to hold a liquid; and

a pattern of convex ridges extending radially and centered at the bottom of the interior surface of the tube, wherein the convex ridges extend vertically from the bottom interior surface of the tube body, wherein the pattern of ridges and the ridges are configured to enable pipetting of substantially all of the liquid held in the reagent tube.

2. The tube of claim 1, wherein the number of ridges is selected from 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, or 12.

3. The tube of claim 1, wherein the ridges do not meet one another at a center of the pattern.

4. The tube of claim 1, wherein each of the ridges has a width, wherein the width tapers from a widest point to an apex.

5. The tube of claim 4, wherein the widest point has a width of 50 microns.

6. The tube of claim 1, wherein each of the ridges has a height, wherein the height tapers from a highest point to an apex.

7. The tube of claim 1, wherein each of the ridges has a length, measured as the shortest distance from its widest point to its apex.

8. The tube of claim 6, wherein the length is 0.5 mm.

9. The tube of claim 1, having a volume of 0.3 ml.

10. The tube of claim 1, having a volume of between 0.1 ml to 0.65 ml

11. The reagent tube of claim 1, where the top of the reagent tube has chamfer edges to reduce expansion of the top rim of the tube during heat sealing of a foil on the top of the tube.

12. The reagent tube of claim 1, further comprising a reagent contained therein, and wherein the tube is sealed on top by a foil.

13. The reagent tube of claim 12, further comprising an identifiable code on the top.

14. The reagent tube of claim 12, wherein the reagent is in liquid or lyophilized form.

15. The tube of claim 1, wherein the pattern of ridges extending radially and centered at the bottom of the interior surface of the tube is a stellated pattern

16. The tube of claim 15, wherein each of the ridges has a width, wherein the width tapers from a widest point to an apex.

17. The tube of claim 15, wherein each of the ridges has a height, wherein the height tapers from a highest point to an apex.

18. The tube of claim 15, wherein the stellated pattern has a rotation axis of symmetry, the axis disposed perpendicular to the bottom of the tube, and wherein the ridges are disposed symmetrically about the rotation axis.

19. The tube of claim 15, wherein the stellated pattern additionally comprises a circular cutout at the center of the bottom of the tube.

20. The reagent tube of claim 15, wherein the stellated pattern is designed to enable liquid to be pipetted out of the tube, with less than 1 microliter of residual volume.

21. The tube of claim 16, wherein the widest point is closest to a center of the stellated pattern.

22. The tube of claim 17, wherein the highest point is closest to a center of the stellated pattern.

23. The tube of claim 22, wherein the highest point has a height of 25-50 microns.