SCREENING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING A PLURALITY OF BIOSENSORS

• US 20110142092A1
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Pastel, Gordon M. Shedd, Mark F. Krol, Thomas C. Moore
• Original Assignee: David A. Pastel, Gordon M. Shedd, Mark F. Krol, Thomas C. Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Thomas C., Krol, Mark F., Shedd, Gordon M., Pastel, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/142
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/453 by correlation of the amplitudes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00346 Heating or cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0332 with temperature control control of temperature G05D23/00; cryostats F17C3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/553 and using surface plasmons fluorescence excitation G01N21/648; enhanced Raman G01N21/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7743 the reagent-coated grating coupling light in or out of the waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates

Abstract

A screening device and a method are described herein which can automatically handle and measure (interrogate) a plurality of sensor carriers (i.e., multiwell plates, microplates) with multi-dimensionally arranged, temperature-compensated or temperature-compensatable optical sensors, while maintaining a substantially constant temperature gradient for a relatively long period of time around the optical sensors where temperature compensation has been performed on the sensor carriers.

Claims

1. A screening system capable of controlling at least one of movement and storage of a sensor carrier therein to ensure there is a substantially constant temperature gradient present across at least a portion of the sensor carrier, wherein the sensor carrier has multi-dimensionally arranged, temperature-compensated or temperature-compensatable optical sensors.

2. The screening system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature equilibration system which includes a temperature compensation body on which the sensor carrier is stored for a predetermined amount of time to ensure there is a substantially constant temperature gradient present across the at least a portion of the sensor carrier.

3. The screening system of claim 2, wherein said temperature compensation body has a bottom which is configured to match a bottom of the sensor carrier and is also configured to not damage sensors within the sensor carrier.

4. The screening system of claim 2, further comprising a temperature sensor which measures an incoming temperature of the sensor carrier and then the measured incoming temperature is used to calculate the predetermined amount of time that the sensor carrier needs to be placed on said temperature compensation body to ensure there is a substantially constant temperature gradient present across the at least a portion of the sensor carrier.

5. A screening system, comprising:

a temperature equilibration system which includes a temperature compensation body on which a sensor carrier is stored for a predetermined amount of time to ensure there is a substantially constant temperature gradient across at least a portion of the sensor carrier, wherein the sensor carrier has multi-dimensionally arranged, temperature-compensated or temperature-compensatable optical sensors; and

a measurement system which interrogates one or more sensors located within the sensor carrier when there is still the substantially constant temperature gradient present across at least a portion of the sensor carrier

6. The screening system of claim 5, wherein said temperature compensation body has a bottom which is configured to match a bottom of the sensor carrier and is also configured to not damage the sensors within the sensor carrier.

7. The screening system of claim 5, further comprising a temperature sensor which measures an incoming temperature of the sensor carrier and then the measured incoming temperature is used to calculate the predetermined amount of time that the sensor carrier needs to be placed on said temperature compensation body to ensure there is a substantially constant temperature gradient across the at least a portion of the sensor carrier.

8. A method for performing a label-free assay on a sensor carrier within a screening system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving the sensor carrier;

placing the sensor carrier onto one of a plurality of temperature compensation bodies which are located on one or more layers of a plate holder which is part of a temperature equilibration system, wherein each temperature compensation body has a bottom which is configured to match a bottom of the sensor carrier and is also configured to not damage the sensors in the sensor carrier;

moving the sensor carrier from the temperature compensation body located within the temperature equilibration system to a measurement nest on a table; and

interrogating one or more sensors in the sensor carrier while the sensor carrier is located on the measurement nest of said table.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of receiving further includes:

measuring a temperature of the sensor carrier; and

determining if a planned storage time of the sensor carrier on the one temperature compensation body is sufficient to obtain a desired temperature profile on the sensor carrier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of receiving further includes:

measuring a temperature of the sensor carrier;

measuring an internal temperature of said screening system;

measuring a humidity within said screening system; and

using the measured temperature of the sensor carrier, the measured internal temperature of said screening system and the measured humidity in said screening system to calculate whether there is a risk of water condensing on the sensor carrier.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said measurement nest on said table supports a temperature compensation body that has a bottom which is configured to match a bottom of the sensor carrier and is also configured to not damage the sensors within the sensor carrier.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of placing the sensor carrier onto the one temperature compensation body further includes a step of pushing/sucking the sensor carrier down onto the temperature compensation body.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said sensor carrier includes:

a microplate;

a bar;

a strip;

a slide;

or

a cuvette.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said sensor carrier has a bottom coated with a substance to help ensure a relatively good thermal contact with the temperature compensation body.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said sensor includes:

a resonant waveguide grating biosensor;

a reflectometric interference spectroscopy sensor;

a waveguide interferometer;

or

a surface plasmon resonance sensor.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said table is a stationary table or a moveable table.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said plate holder is a plate carousel.