Microtiter plate

• US 6,018,388 A
• Filed: 02/18/1999
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc., CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung), HP Inc.
• Inventors: Gauglitz, Guenter, Berndt, Manfred, Elender, Gunther, Graefe, Dieter, Nawracala, Bernd, Berthel, Guenter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hoa Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/252,311
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 356/246, 356/244, 356/440, 422/101, 422/102, 422/104, 422/942, 435/288.4, 435/305.2, 435/809, 436/165, 436/177, 436/809, 250/576
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/45 using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods

Abstract

A microtiter plate is formed of a bottom plate which is transparent for light and a cavity plate which is open at two surfaces facing one another and which has a matrix-shaped arrangement of cavities or wells. The bottom plate and cavity plate are fixedly connected with one another in a liquid-tight manner. The bottom plate has a thickness of from 0.01 mm to approximately 5 mm and has planar surfaces without structures. It has, at its first surface facing the wells, a layer system formed of at least two layers with different indexes of refraction. The bottom plate is provided at its second surface remote of the wells with a coating which sharply reduces the reflectivity of this surface. The bottom plate is recessed into the lower part of the cavity plate in such a way that it does not project over a support surface located in the cavity plate.

Claims

1. A microtiter plate for additive screening processes, comprising:

a bottom plate made of a material which is transparent for light and a cavity plate which is open at two surfaces facing one another and which has a matrix-shaped arrangement of cavities or wells;

said bottom plate and cavity plate being fixedly connected with one another in a liquid-tight manner; and

wherein the bottom plate is provided with at least one optically active layer at its surface facing the wells;

said bottom plate having a thickness of from 0.01 mm to approximately 5 mm and having planar surfaces without structures;

at its first surface facing the wells, a layer system being formed of at least two layers with different indexes of refraction; and

said bottom plate being provided at its second surface remote of the wells with a coating which sharply reduces the reflectivity of this surface.

2. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the layer system comprises a high refractive index layer with a thickness of 5 nm to 1000 nm and a low refractive index layer with a thickness of 5 nm to 1000 nm which is arranged on top of the latter and wherein the high refractive index layer is arranged on the first surface of the bottom plate facing the wells.

3. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the layer system comprises a low refractive index layer with a thickness of 5 nm to 1000 nm and a high refractive index layer with a thickness of 5 nm to 1000 nm arranged on top of the latter and wherein the low refractive index layer is arranged on the first surface of the bottom plate facing the wells.

4. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the high refractive index layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 50 nm and is made of a compound selected from the group of TiO₂ or Ta₂ O₅, and the low refractive index layer has a thickness of 200 nm to 600 nm and is made of SiO₂.

5. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the second surface remote of the wells is coated with an anti-reflection layer which has a reflectivity of less than 10% in a wavelength range of 400 nm to 800 nm at a light incidence angle of approximately 50°

and with s-polarization of the incident light.

6. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the cavity plate and the bottom plate are connected with one another through the agency of a substance.

7. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the cavity plate and the bottom plate are connected with one another by a glue or cement, and wherein the glue layer or cement layer has a thickness such that unevenness at the surfaces that are glued or cemented together is compensated.

8. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein a hydrogel, known per se, is applied to the outer layer of the first surface of the bottom plate by chemical covalent bonding or by adsorption, and wherein the hydrogel is functionalized, as is known per se, by biological and/or synthetic molecules.

9. The microtiter plate according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogel is a polysugar selected from a group consisting of dextran, agarose ands starch, or a synthetic polymer selecting from a group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide and a derivative of these polymers.