Device for holding horizontal array of liquid aliquots

• US 4,798,706 A
• Filed: 03/31/1987
• Issued: 01/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fisher Scientific Co. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Scientific Co. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brigati, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US07/032,875
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 422/63, 422/66, 422/102, 422/104, 422/61, 435/293, 435/301, 206/0.83, 206/0.84, 350/536
• US Class Current: 422/552
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0822 Slides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/312 for samples mounted on planar substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/1037 from an enclosure (hazardous waste, radioactive)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5302 Apparatus specially adapted for immunological test procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1095 for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid having,

(a) a horizontally-extending rigid base,

(b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member (or coating) on the horizontally-extending rigid base with a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface, and

(c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member (or coating) having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with the treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid in a recess to form a convex shape extending above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member (or coating).

Claims

1. A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid consisting essentially of:

(a) a horizontally-extending rigid base,

(b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member on the horizontally-extending rigid base, the elastomeric member having a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface, and

(c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess being sized to receive internally only microliter quantities of a treating liquid and opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with an aqueous treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid of small volume greater than the internal volume of a recess to form a convex shape extending from within a recess above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each recess extends vertically through the elastomeric member and wherein the elastomeric member around each recess is sealed to the rigid base.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein each recess is circular in horizontal cross-section.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein each recess has an elliptical horizontal cross-section with a major axis extending in a first direction.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein each recess is separated in a horizontal direction normal to the first direction from an adjacent recess by at least one millimeter.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein each recess is separated from an adjacent recess in each horizontal direction by at least one millimeter.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric member is separable from the rigid base.

8. A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid consisting essentially of:

(a) a horizontally-extending rigid base,

(b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member on the horizontally-extending rigid base, the elastomeric member having a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface,

(c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess being sized to receive internally only microliter quantities of a treating liquid and opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with an aqueous treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid of small volume greater than the internal volume of a recess to form a convex shape extending from within a recess above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member, and

(d) a holder under the horizontally-extending rigid base, the unitary horizontally-extending rigid base and horizontally-extending elastomeric member being removable from the holder.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein each recess has an elliptical horizontal cross-section with a major axis extending in a first direction.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein each recess is separated in a horizontal direction normal to the first direction from an adjacent recess by at least one milimeter.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein each recess is separated from an adjacent recess in each horizontal direction by at least one millimeter.