Light-controlled electrokinetic assembly of particles near surfaces

• US 6,514,771 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BioArray Solutions Limited (Werfen SA)
• Original Assignee: BioArray Solutions Limited (Werfen SA)
• Inventors: Seul, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Christopher L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, PENSEE T
• Application Number:
  US09/690,043
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 436/534, 436/518, 436/524, 436/526, 436/528, 436/531, 436/535, 436/63, 436/164, 436/165, 436/166, 436/169, 436/172, 436/175, 436/501, 422/50, 422/54, 422/55, 422/56-58, 422/68.1, 422/69, 422/82-1-, 422/82.05, 422/82.06, 422/82.09, 422/131, 422/129, 422/138, 422/186.04, 422/186.05, 422/186.13, 435/6, 435/90, 435/91.2, 435/91.5, 435/173.1, 435/174, 435/176, 435/177, 435/283.1, 435/285, 435/287, 435/288.7, 435/289, 435/290, 435/808, 435/810, 435/814, 204/403, 204/414, 204/415, 204/416, 204/417, 204/400
• US Class Current: 436/518
• 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 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00648 by the use of solid beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00653 the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00713 Electrochemical synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0652 Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0663 Stretching or orienting elongated molecules or particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• 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 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0454 radiation pressure, optical tweezers
• 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 3/50273 : characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 : specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 : Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6837 : using probe arrays or probe chips C12Q1/6874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/155 : Particles of a defined size, e.g. nanoparticles
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/501 : being an array of oligonucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/607 : being a sensor, e.g. electrode
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/00 : Libraries per se, e.g. arrays, mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/04 : Libraries containing only organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1468 : with spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/149 : specially adapted for sorting particles, e.g. by their size or optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1497 : Particle shape
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/447 : using electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54313 : the carrier being characterised by its particulate form
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54386 : Analytical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6845 : Methods of identifying protein-protein interactions in protein mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 : characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 : arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0075 : characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 3/04 : Acceleration by electromagnetic wave pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/808 : Optical sensing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/81 : Packaged device or kit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/814 : Enzyme separation or purification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/806 : Electrical property or magnetic property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/808 : Automated or kit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 : Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25125 : Digestion or removing interfering materials

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the manipulation of colloidal particulates and biomolecules at the interface between an insulating electrode such as silicon oxide and an electrolyte solution. Light-controlled electrokinetic assembly of particles near surfaces relies on the combination of three functional elements: the AC electric field-induced assembly of planar aggregates; the patterning of the electrolyte/silicon oxide/silicon interface to exert spatial control over the assembly process; and the real-time control of the assembly process via external illumination. The present invention provides a set of fundamental operations enabling interactive control over the creation and placement of planar arrays of several types of particles and biomolecules and the manipulation of array shape and size. The present invention enables sample preparation and handling for diagnostic assays and biochemical analysis in an array format, and the functional integration of these operations. In addition, the present invention provides a procedure for the creation of material surfaces with desired properties and for the fabrication of surface-mounted optical components.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically assembling an array of particles at an interface between an electrode and an electrolyte solution, the method comprising the following steps:

providing an electrode, an electrolyte solution and an interface therebetween;

providing a plurality of particles located in said electrolyte solution;

illuminating said electrode with a predetermined light pattern; and

generating an electric field at said interface to cause the assembly of an array of particles in accordance with the predetermined light pattern of said electrode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining said particles in accordance with said assembly by either maintaining said electric field and said predetermined light pattern, chemically linking said particles, or confining said particles.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of removing said electric field to thereby cause the disassembly of said array of particles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined light pattern is adjusted to reconfigure said particle array in accordance with said predetermined light pattern.

5. An array of particles formed by the method of dynamically assembling the array of particles at an interface between an electrode and an electrolyte solution, the method comprising the following steps:

providing an electrode, an electrolyte solution and an interface therebetween;

providing a plurality of particles located in said electrolyte solution;

illuminating said electrode with a predetermined light pattern; and

generating an electric field at said interface to cause the assembly of an array of particles in accordance with the predetermined light pattern of said electrode.

6. The array of claim 5, wherein said particle array is compositionally random and said particles are chemically encoded to include chemically or physically distinguishable characteristics.

7. An apparatus for assembling an array of particles comprising

an electrode, an electrolyte solution and an interface therebetween;

and

a plurality of particles suspended in said electrolyte solution, wherein the apparatus is configured such that, when an electric field is generated at the interface and the electrode is illuminated with a pre-determined light pattern, the illumination in combination with the generation of an interfacial electric field results in a formation of a planar array of particles in a designated area of the electrode, said designated area being defined by the pattern of illumination.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrode comprises a light-sensitive electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an additional electrode, wherein the light-sensitive electrode and the additional electrode each comprise a planar electrode, the electrodes being parallel to one another and separated by a gap, the plurality of particles and the electrolyte solution being located in said gap.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the interfacial electric field is generated by applying an AC voltage between the additional and the light-sensitive electrode.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the additional electrode comprises an optically transparent electrode that allows detection of the particles in the array by means of optical microscopy in conjunction with a recording device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the recording device comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD).

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light-sensitive electrode and the additional electrode are contained in an electrochemical cell that is fluidically connected to the exterior of said cell to allow fluid entry and exit into and out of the cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrode comprises a silicon electrode.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the designated area corresponds to an area of low interfacial impedance.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrode has been modified to produce spatial modulations in electrochemical properties of the electrode that affect the local distribution of the interfacial electric field, such that when the electric field is generated at the interface, the designated area of the particle array formation is defined by the pattern of illumination in combination with the spatial modulation in the electrode properties.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the spatial modulations in the properties of the electrode are provided by patterning the electrode by spatially modulated oxide growth, surface chemical patterning or surface profiling.

18. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a light-source for illuminating the electrode and an electric field generator for generating the interfacial electric field.

19. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the particles are arranged in a planar array.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the array is immobilized by chemical or physical means.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the particles comprise beads having biomolecules attached thereto, wherein the beads comprise different bead types distinguishable by said biomolecules and further distinguishable by a unique chemical or physical characteristic that identifies each bead type.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the beads of each type are encoded with a chemical label that uniquely identifies said bead type.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the biomolecules are selected from the group consisting of peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, ligands, receptors, antibodies and antigens.