Pressure Chamber Clamp Mechanism

• US 20160325284A1
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Camillo, Albert L., Fawcett, Adrian, Lu, Mike Y., Harding, Ian A.
• Application Number:
  US14/991,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20160325284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• 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 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 9/523 : 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: C12P 19/34 : Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00148 : Test cards, e.g. Biomerieux or McDonnel multiwell test cards
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 : Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0405 : manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0425 : Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 : Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• 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

In a high-density sequence detection system, an apparatus for transporting a microplate. A control system provides a thermocycler control signal to regulate a desired thermal output of a thermocycler block. A frame has a first side, a second side, and an opening that extends through the first side and the second side. A window is positioned in the opening and a circumferential seal is positioned around a periphery of the opening at the second side. The seal has a peripheral lip that seals against the microplate. A clamp is adapted to engage and displace the frame from an unclamped position to a clamped position, wherein in the unclamped position, the microplate is displaced away from the thermocycler block and in the clamped position, the clamp urges the microplate against the thermocycler block. In some embodiments the peripheral lip is positioned radially inward of the periphery of the opening.

Claims

1. An thermocycling apparatus comprising:

a thermocycler block adapted to accept a microplate, said microplate having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a plurality of wells formed in the first surface;

a first sealing member having a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, wherein the opposing bottom surface is adjacent to the first surface of the microplate, thereby forming a plurality of sealed wells and a sealed microplate; and

a pressure chamber filled with a fluid pressurized to exert a force upon the top surface of the first sealing member, thereby sealing the microplate during thermocycling;

wherein the first sealing member and the pressure chamber allow transmission of electromagnetic radiation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pressure chamber comprises:

a circumferential chamber seal engaging at least one of the thermocycler and the top surface of the first sealing member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first sealing member comprises an adhesive layer disposed on the bottom surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure of said pressurized gas is about 18 PSI while a temperature of said microplate is greater than 40 degrees Celsius.

5. A method of maintaining a sealed microplate during thermocycling, said method comprising:

providing a thermocycling apparatus comprising a pressure chamber filled with a fluid pressurized to exert a force upon a top surface of a microplate during thermocycling;

placing a sealed microplate having a plurality of wells on a thermocycler block, wherein the sealed microplate has been prepared for performing PCR;

positioning the pressure chamber over the sealed microplate; and

thermocycling the sealed microplate to permit PCR to occur, wherein the pressure chamber seals the microplate during thermocycling, and wherein the pressure chamber allows transmission of electromagnetic radiation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pressure of said pressurized gas is about 18 PSI while a temperature of said microplate is greater than 40 degrees Celsius.