Apparatus for packaging a chip

• US 5,945,334 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Winkler, James L., Goss, Virginia W., Besemer, Donald M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horlick, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siew, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US08/485,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 422/57, 422/58, 427/2.13, 427/2.11, 435/91.1, 435/283.1, 435/6, 435/287.2, 436/518, 536/25.3, 536/22.1, 530/333, 530/334, 530/358.21, 437/1
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/40 Mixers using gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/45 Magnetic mixers; Mixers with magnetically driven stirrers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00371 comprising electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00432 Photolithographic masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00529 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00531 essentially square
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00536 in the shape of disks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0054 Means for coding or tagging the apparatus or the reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00547 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00662 : Two-dimensional arrays within two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00695 : Synthesis control routines, e.g. using computer programs
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00711 : Light-directed synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 : Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 : Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00731 : Saccharides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 : Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 : for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 : Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 : Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 : Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 : Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 : Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 : Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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 3/502707 : characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 : for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 21/00 : Compounds containing two or more mononucleotide units having separate phosphate or polyphosphate groups linked by saccharide radicals of nucleoside groups, e.g. nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6874 : involving nucleic acid arrays, e.g. sequencing by hybridisation
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 : Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 : Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/12 : Libraries containing saccharides or polysaccharides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 : Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 : Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/543 : with an insoluble carrier for immobilising immunochemicals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 : Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/97 : Test strip or test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/973 : Simultaneous determination of more than one analyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 : Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 : with sample on test slide

Abstract

A body 300 having a cavity 310 for mounting a chip 120 fabricated with probe sequences at known locations according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,854 and PCT WO 92/10092 or others, is provided. The cavity includes inlets 350 and 360 for introducing selected fluids into the cavity to contact the probes. Accordingly, a commercially feasible device for use in high throughput assay systems is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for packaging a chip, said apparatus comprising:

a chip having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface comprising a probe array and said second surface being an outer periphery of said first surface;

a body having a mounting surface, an upper surface, and a cavity bounded by said mounting surface and said upper surface, said second surface being attached to said cavity and said first surface being within said cavity;

a cover attached to said mounting surface for defining an upper boundary to said cavity;

a first channel fluidly coupled to said cavity, the first channel having a diffuser portion that tapers outward towards said cavity for dispersing fluid as the fluid passes into the cavity; and

a second channel fluidly coupled to said cavity, the second channel having a concentrator portion that tapers outward towards said cavity for collecting fluid as the fluid egresses the cavity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said probe array comprises an array of oligonucleotide probes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a depression for receiving a temperature control element to maintain a reaction temperature in said cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a third channel and a fourth channel, said third channel being in fluid communication with said first channel and extending in a different direction than said first channel, and said fourth channel being in fluid communication with said second channel and extending in a different direction than said second channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first channel and said second channel comprise reenterable seals for sealing fluid in said cavity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body further comprises an alignment structure, said alignment structure used for maintaining said body in a desired position when said body is mounted on detection system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said alignment structure comprises a plurality of bores.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said alignment structure comprises a plurality of pins.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concentrator and diffuser portions slant towards said cavity.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said diffuser portion defines a distribution point spaced from said cavity and said concentrator portion defines a concentration point spaced from said cavity to inhibit turbulence from forming in the cavity as fluid passes therethrough.