Microplate and methods for making the same

• US 20110123415A1
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LGC Genomics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Douglas Scientific LLC
• Inventors: Peterson, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 10,173,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/552
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/00 Shaping by thermoforming , i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor blow moulding of tubular preforms B29C49/00, deforming of tubular or hollow preforms B29C67/0014
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5346 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/712 Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages closures therefor B29L2031/56; ink or toner cartridges B29L2031/7678; squeeze tubes B29L2023/20; suitcases B29L2031/7418
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly

Abstract

A microplate (10) includes a carrier (12) having a plate (20) and an annular perimeter wall (30) to define a recess (34). An array of holes (26) extends through the plate (20). A tape piece (16), die cut from a flexible tape (60) includes an array of wells (54) each extending through and having an opening (56) extending into the well (54). The array of wells (54) has a number and locations corresponding to the array of holes (26). The openings (56) have sizes corresponding to the holes (26). An upper surface (50) of the tape piece (16) is abutted with and bonded to the bottom face (24) of the plate (20) with the openings (56) corresponding to the array of holes (26). The slideable receipt of an annular outer periphery (58) of the tape piece (16) insures that the array of wells (54) are aligned to correspond to the array of holes (26) as die cutting of tape piece (16) insures that the array of wells (54) are at consistent positions relative to the annular outer periphery (58).

Claims

1. A microplate comprising, in combination:

a carrier formed of a rigid material and including a plate having a top face and a bottom face spaced from the top face in a direction, with the plate including an array of holes extending from the top face through the bottom face; and

a tape piece made of an embossable, thermo-conductive, and low mass material, with the tape piece including an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from the upper surface in the direction, with the tape piece further including an array of wells each extending in the direction away from the upper surface and each having an opening extending from the upper surface into the well, with the array of wells of the tape piece having a number and locations corresponding to the array of holes of the plate, with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece having sizes corresponding to the array of holes of the plate, with the upper surface of the tape piece being bonded to the bottom face of the plate with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece corresponding to the array of holes of the plate.

2. The microplate as claimed in claim 1, with the carrier further including a recess having the bottom face formed therein, with the tape piece further including an annular outer periphery extending between and perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces, and with the annular outer periphery of the tape piece being received in the recess of the plate.

3. The microplate as claimed in claim 2, with the recess of the carrier having a size corresponding to and for slideably receiving the annular outer periphery of the tape piece, and with the annular outer periphery of the tape piece received in the recess aligning the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece with the array of holes of the plate.

4. The microplate as claimed in claim 3, with the carrier further including an annular perimeter wall extending from the plate and extending in a direction perpendicular to the top and bottom faces, with the annular perimeter wall including an annular inner face, with the recess defined by the bottom face and the annular inner face, with the annular inner face abutting the annular outer periphery of the tape piece when the upper surface of the tape piece is bonded to the bottom face of the plate of the carrier.

5. The microplate as claimed in claim 4, with the annular perimeter wall including a lower edge having a perimeter and a spacing to the top face larger than to the bottom face, with the carrier further including a lip extending along the perimeter of the lower edge in the direction away from the top face, with the lip including a horizontal section parallel to and spaced from the top and bottom faces in the direction, with the lip further including a vertical section perpendicular to and spaced from the top and bottom faces in the direction, and with the vertical section being spaced from the top and bottom faces in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction.

6. The microplate as claimed in claim 5, with the tape piece having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces in the direction and providing flexibility to allow rolling, with the plate having a thickness between the top and bottom faces in the direction and sufficient to resist flexing.

7. The microplate as claimed in claim 3, with the tape piece having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces in the direction and providing flexibility to allow rolling, with the plate having a thickness between the top and bottom faces in the direction and sufficient to resist flexing.

8. A method for making a microplate comprising:

forming a carrier of a rigid material, with the carrier including a plate with a top face and a bottom face spaced from the top face in a direction, with the plate including an array of holes extending from the top face through the bottom face;

cutting a tape piece made of an embossable, thermo-conductive, and low mass material, with the tape piece including an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from the upper surface in the direction, with the tape piece further including an array of wells each extending in the direction away from the upper surface and each having an opening extending from the upper surface into the well, with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece having sizes corresponding to the array of holes of the plate, with the array of wells of the tape piece having a number and locations corresponding to the array of holes of the plate; and

abutting and bonding the upper surface of the tape piece to the bottom face of the plate with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece corresponding to the array of holes of the plate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, with forming the carrier including forming the carrier having a recess including the bottom face formed therein, with cutting the tape piece including cutting the tape piece to have an annular outer periphery extending between and perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces, and with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate including extending the annular outer periphery of the tape piece into the recess of the carrier.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, with forming the carrier including forming the carrier having the recess with a size corresponding to and for slideably receiving the annular outer periphery of the tape piece, and abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate including aligning the annular outer periphery of the tape piece with the recess and sliding the annular outer periphery of the tape piece into the recess to align the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece with the array of holes of the plate.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, with forming the carrier including forming the carrier to include an annular perimeter wall extending from the plate and extending in a direction perpendicular to the top and bottom faces, with the annular perimeter wall including an annular inner face, with the recess defined by the bottom face and the annular inner face, and with sliding the annular outer periphery of the tape piece into the recess including abutting the annular outer periphery of the tape piece with the annular inner face of the annular perimeter wall of the carrier and moving the tape piece in the direction toward the bottom face of the plate.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, with forming the carrier including forming the carrier with the annular perimeter wall including a lower edge having a perimeter and a spacing to the top face larger than to the bottom face, with the carrier further including a lip extending along the perimeter of the lower edge in the direction away from the top face, with the lip including a horizontal section parallel to and spaced from the top and bottom faces in the direction, with the lip further including a vertical section perpendicular to and spaced from the top and bottom faces in the direction, with the vertical section being spaced from the top and bottom faces in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, with cutting the tape piece including feeding a flexible tape with a plurality of tractor feed holes formed along two parallel, spaced, longitudinal edges of the flexible tape, with the flexible tape including a plurality of arrays of wells spaced from one another along a longitudinal axis of the flexible tape perpendicular to the direction and intermediate the plurality of tractor feed holes formed along the two parallel, spaced, longitudinal edges, with cutting the tape piece from the flexible tape including die cutting the tape piece from the flexible tape by moving a cutting die in a direction perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the tape piece and against the flexible tape located upon an anvil.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, with feeding the flexible tape including feeding the flexible tape having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces in the direction and providing flexibility to allow rolling, with forming the carrier including forming the plate having a thickness between the top and bottom faces in the direction and sufficient to resist flexing.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the lower surface of the plate including bonding the upper surface of the tape piece to the bottom face of the plate by a two-sided tape, thermo-bonding or adhesive.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate including placing the plate and the tape piece between a top pressing jaw and a bottom pressing jaw spaced from the top pressing jaw in the direction, with the bottom pressing jaw including an array of apertures having a number and locations corresponding to the array of wells of the tape piece, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate further including moving the top pressing jaw relative to the bottom pressing jaw in the direction to sandwich the upper surface of the tape piece to the bottom face of the plate with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece aligned with the array of holes of the plate and with the array of wells of the tape piece corresponding to the array of apertures of the bottom pressing jaw.

17. The method as claimed in claim 8, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate including placing the plate and the tape piece between a top pressing jaw and a bottom pressing jaw spaced from the top pressing jaw in the direction, with the bottom pressing jaw including an array of apertures having a number and locations corresponding to the array of wells of the tape piece, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the plate further including moving the top pressing jaw relative to the bottom pressing jaw in the direction to sandwich the upper surface of the tape piece to the bottom face of the plate with the openings of the array of wells of the tape piece aligned with the array of holes of the plate and with the array of wells of the tape piece corresponding to the array of apertures of the bottom pressing jaw.

18. The method as claimed in claim 8, with cutting the tape piece including feeding a flexible tape with a plurality of tractor feed holes formed along two parallel, spaced, longitudinal edges of the flexible tape, with the flexible tape including a plurality of arrays of wells spaced from one another along a longitudinal axis of the flexible tape perpendicular to the direction and intermediate the plurality of tractor feed holes formed along the two parallel, spaced, longitudinal edges, with cutting the tape piece from the flexible tape including die cutting the tape piece from the flexible tape by moving a cutting die in a direction perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the tape piece and against the flexible tape located upon an anvil.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, with feeding the flexible tape including feeding the flexible tape having a thickness between the upper and lower surfaces in the direction and providing flexibility to allow rolling, and with forming the carrier including forming the plate having a thickness between the top and bottom faces in the direction and sufficient to resist flexing.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, with abutting and bonding the tape piece to the lower surface of the plate including bonding the upper surface of the tape piece to the bottom face of the plate by a two-sided tape, thermo-bonding or adhesive.