Fluidics station with a mounting system and method of using
First Claim
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1. A fluidics station comprising:
- a base frame that is adapted to provide a framework for the fluidics station;
a mounting system coupled to the base frame, the mounting system being adapted to receive a cartridge, and wherein the mounting system is movable between a loading position and a closed position;
at least two injection needles coupled to the base frame; and
at least one fluid source in communication with at least one of the injection needles;
wherein the cartridge is insertable into the mounting system when in the loading position, and wherein the injection needles are adapted to be inserted into the cartridge when in the closed position.
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Abstract
The present invention generally provides novel apparatuses for rapidly and efficiently carrying out repeated hybridizations of a target nucleic acid to an array of nucleic acid probes. The apparatus generally includes a fluid delivery system, a fluid mixing system, a temperature control system and a process control system integrated into a single device.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A fluidics station comprising:
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a base frame that is adapted to provide a framework for the fluidics station; a mounting system coupled to the base frame, the mounting system being adapted to receive a cartridge, and wherein the mounting system is movable between a loading position and a closed position; at least two injection needles coupled to the base frame; and at least one fluid source in communication with at least one of the injection needles; wherein the cartridge is insertable into the mounting system when in the loading position, and wherein the injection needles are adapted to be inserted into the cartridge when in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22)
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7. A method for introducing a fluid into a cartridge, the method comprising:
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providing a frame, at least two injection needles coupled to the frame, and a mounting system that is coupled to the frame, wherein the mounting system is movable between a loading position and a closed position; placing at least one fluid source in communication with at least one of the injection needles; inserting a cartridge into the mounting system while in the loading position; moving the loading system to the closed position to insert the injection needles into the cartridge; and transferring fluid from the fluid source into the cartridge through one of the injection needles. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23)
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16. A fluidics station comprising:
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a base frame that is adapted to provide a frame work for the fluidics station; a mounting system coupled to the base frame, the mounting system being adapted to receive a cartridge, and wherein the mounting system is movable between a loading position and a closed position; a coupling system which is adapted to couple the cartridge to a fluid source, wherein the coupling system comprises a pair of injection needles and tubing connected to the needles; and a temperature controlling element coupled to the base frame, the temperature controlling element being adapted to physically contact at least a portion of the cartridge when the mounting system is in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24)
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25. An apparatus for processing a fluid sample, comprising:
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a cartridge having a chamber, said chamber having disposed therein an array of probes, said array of probes including a plurality of different nucleic acid sequences coupled to a solid support in different known locations; a fluid delivery system for delivering said sample to said chamber; and a cartridge mounting system comprising a mounting plate and a frame movably coupled to the plate to allow the frame to be moved between an open position and a closed position, the frame including a slot which is adapted to receive the cartridge in a known orientation when the frame is in the open position, wherein the fluid delivery system is adapted to be coupled to the chamber when the frame is in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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31. An apparatus for processing fluids, comprising:
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a fluid delivery system adapted to deliver fluids into an array cartridge, said array cartridge including a chamber having a probe array incorporated therein; a mounting system which is adapted to removably hold said chamber within said array cartridge in fluid communication with said fluid delivery system, said mounting system having an open position for receiving the cartridge and a closed position wherein the cartridge is positioned to be coupled with the fluid delivery system; a temperature control system for monitoring and controlling a temperature of said fluids within said chamber, wherein the temperature control system comprises a temperature controlled block which is placed adjacent an external surface of the array cartridge when the cartridge is in the mounting system and the mounting system moved to the closed position; an injection system to couple the fluid delivery system to the array cartridge when the mounting system is moved to the closed position; and a process control system for monitoring and controlling said fluid delivery system and said temperature control system. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 52, 53, 54)
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40. A method for hybridizing a target nucleic acid to an array of nucleic acid probes, comprising:
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providing a hybridization station having a fluid delivery system having a pump and a valving system to deliver fluids from a plurality of vessels into an array cartridge, said array cartridge including a hybridization chamber having said array of nucleic acid probes incorporated therein, a mounting system for holding said hybridization chamber within said array cartridge in fluid communication with said fluid delivery system, a temperature control system for monitoring and controlling a temperature of said fluids within said hybridization chamber, and a process control system for monitoring and controlling said fluid delivery system and said temperature control system; inserting said array cartridge into said mounting system and moving the mounting system to a closed position to place said array cartridge adjacent a temperature controlled block of the temperature control system; injecting needles into an inlet and an outlet in said array cartridge to couple the fluid delivery system to said array cartridge; selecting a fluid sample from said fluids and entering the selection into the process control system, the fluid sample containing said target nucleic acid; sending a signal from the process control system to operate the valving system and the pump to deliver the fluid sample from the vessel having the fluid sample into said hybridization chamber in said array cartridge; altering the temperature of the temperature controlled block to transfer heat to or remove heat from said array cartridge; and washing said hybridization chamber to substantially remove unbound target nucleic acid from said hybridization chamber. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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55. A method for hybridizing a target nucleic acid to an array of nucleic acid probes, comprising:
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providing a hybridization station having a fluid delivery system having a pump and a valving system to deliver fluids from a plurality of vessels into an array cartridge, said array cartridge including a hybridization chamber having said array of nucleic acid probes incorporated therein, a mounting system for holding said hybridization chamber within said array cartridge in fluid communication with said fluid delivery system, a temperature control system for monitoring and controlling a temperature of said fluids within said hybridization chamber, and a process control system for monitoring and controlling said fluid delivery system and said temperature control system; inserting said array cartridge into said mounting system and moving the mounting system to a closed position to place said array cartridge adjacent a temperature controlled block of the temperature control system; coupling the fluid delivery system to said array cartridge; selecting a fluid sample from said fluids and entering the selection into the process control system, the fluid sample containing said target nucleic acid; sending a signal from the process control system to operate the valving system and the pump to deliver the fluid sample from the vessel having the fluid sample into said hybridization chamber in said array cartridge; mixing said target nucleic acids with said nucleic acid probes within said hybridization chamber while controlling the temperature within the array cartridge with said temperature controlled block such that said target nucleic acid hybridizes with said nucleic acid probe; and moving a fluid through said hybridization chamber to substantially remove unhybridized target nucleic acid or other unwanted materials from said hybridization chamber.
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Specification