HIGH DENSITY PLATE FILLER

• US 20110220239A1
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: REED, Mark T., Harding, Ian A., Carrillo, Albert L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/021 Adjust spacings in an array of wells, pipettes or holders, format transfer between arrays of different size or geometry
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0293 for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 with covers or lids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/563 Joints or fittings in general F16L; Separable fluid transfer means to transfer fluids between at least two containers, e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 : with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/50 : Clamping means, tongs in general F16B2/06
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/523 : for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/56 : Means for indicating position of a recipient or sample in an array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 : Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 : Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 : having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates

Abstract

A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate can comprise a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. A substrate can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first assay input port for receiving the assay disposed on the first surface, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, and a first plurality of microfluidic channels fluidly coupling the first assay input port with at least one of the plurality of staging capillaries. Each of the plurality of staging capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet and be sized to receive the assay.

Claims

1. A filling apparatus for filling a microplate, the microplate having a plurality of wells, each of the plurality of wells being sized to receive an assay therein, the filling apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate further having an assay input port, and a plurality of microfluidic channels;

a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, each of the plurality of staging capillaries having an inlet and an outlet, wherein at least one of the plurality of microfluidic channels is in fluid communication with the assay input port and at least two of the plurality of staging capillaries; and

wherein each of the plurality of staging capillaries is spaced relative to adjacent ones of the plurality of staging capillaries to permit filling of the microplate.

2. The filling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the assay input port comprises a plurality of upstanding walls together defining a fluid well, the fluid well terminating at a throat, the throat having a reduced-cross section relative to the fluid well.

3. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a surface tension relief post extending upward within the throat, the surface tension relief post engagable with the assay in the assay input port.

4. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one fluid overfill reservoir in fluid communication with at least a portion of the plurality of microfluidic channels, the at least one fluid overfill reservoir having a closed bottom to generally inhibit filling of the at least one fluid overfill reservoir with the assay until application of a centripetal force.

5. The filling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is rectangular in shape having a pair of sides and a pair of ends, the assay input port is disposed along at least one of the pair of ends of the substrate.

6. The filling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is rectangular in shape having a pair of sides and a pair of ends, the assay input port is disposed along at least one of the pair of sides of the substrate.

7. The filling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of staging capillaries is sized relative to the plurality of microfluidic channels and the assay input port to provide sufficient capillary force to draw a predetermined volume of the assay therein.

8. The filling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sizing of the each of the plurality of staging capillaries relative to the plurality of microfluidic channels and the assay input port further permits release of the assay from each of the plurality of staging capillaries in response to an applied centripetal force.

9. The filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of microfluidic channels is configured in an initial a pre-heatstaked condition permitting flow of the assay therethrough and subsequently in a post-heatstaked condition inhibiting flow of the assay therethrough.

10. A filling apparatus for filling a microplate, comprising:

a microplate comprising a plurality of openings for receiving one or more solutions, the openings defining a plurality of groups each including more than one of the openings;

a first substrate comprising a plurality of input ports corresponding to the plurality of groups and configured to receive the one or more solutions; and

a second substrate disposed between the first substrate and the microplate, the second substrate comprising a plurality of channels providing fluid communication between corresponding ones of the input ports and the groups of openings.

11. The filling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the microplate further comprises a plurality of wells corresponding to the plurality of openings, the wells configured to hold the one or more solutions.

12. A method of filling a microplate, comprising:

providing a filling apparatus including;

a microplate comprising a plurality of openings for receiving one or more solutions, the openings defining a plurality of groups including more than one of the openings;

a first substrate comprising a plurality of input ports corresponding to the plurality of groups and configured to receive the one or more solutions; and

a second substrate disposed between the first substrate and the microplate, the second substrate comprising a plurality of channels providing fluid communication between corresponding ones of the input ports and the groups of openings;

introducing a respective solution into corresponding ones of the input port;

flowing the respective solutions from the first substrate to the openings of the microplate via the second substrate.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising flowing the respective solutions from the first substrate into a plurality of wells corresponding to the openings of the microplate.