Centrifugal filling of sample processing devices

• US 6,627,159 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Dufresne, Joel R., North, Diane, Bedingham, William, Wood, Kenneth B., Harms, Michael R., Matner, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R
• Application Number:
  US09/710,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 422/102, 422/100, 422/57, 422/58, 422/99, 436/180
• US Class Current: 422/65
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/142 Preventing evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• 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 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0661 shape memory polymer valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• 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 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 9/16 the charge moving in a circular or arcuate path
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 5/00 : Supports, screens, or the like for the charge within the furnace travelling or movable supports F27D3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 : whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for distributing sample material to a plurality of process chambers in a sample processing device by rotating the device about an axis of rotation. The process chambers are located along conduits extending from a loading chamber and, together, the loading chamber, conduits, and process chambers form process arrays that are aligned along a length of the sample processing devices. The process arrays are unvented, i.e., access to the interior volume of the process arrays is available only through the loading chamber. Also disclosed are methods of centrifugally loading sample material into the process chambers, as well as an assembly including a sample processing device and a carrier.

Claims

1. A sample processing assembly comprising:

a sample processing device comprising first and second opposing ends and at least one unvented process array comprising a loading chamber located proximate the first end, a main conduit extending towards the second end, and a plurality of process chambers distributed along the main conduit, wherein the main conduit is in fluid communication with the loading chamber and the plurality of process chambers; and

a carrier attached to a first major side of the sample processing device, the carrier comprising a carrier body spaced from at least a portion of the first major side of the sample processing device, and the carrier further comprising a rail aligned with the main conduit on the sample processing device, wherein the carrier body is spaced from the sample processing device.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises a plurality of carrier openings, the plurality of carrier openings aligned with the plurality of process chambers in the sample processing device.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the sample processing device comprises first and second major sides attached with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, and wherein at least one of the main conduits is closed between the process chambers and the loading chamber by the pressure sensitive adhesive adhering to the first and second major sides together along the main conduit.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the process chambers are elongated along an axis extending between the first and second opposing ends of the sample processing device.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the process chambers is in fluid communication with the main conduit through a feeder conduit, and further wherein the feeder conduits form feeder conduit angles with the main conduit that are less than 90 degrees.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the feeder conduits enter the process chambers proximate the first end of the device.

7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the feeder conduits comprises a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the main conduit.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the loading chamber comprises a loading port and a vent port.

9. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone-based pressure sensitive adhesive.

10. A sample processing assembly comprising:

a sample processing device comprising first and second opposing ends and a plurality of unvented process arrays, wherein each unvented process array comprises a loading chamber located proximate the first end, a main conduit extending towards the second end, and a plurality of process chambers distributed along the main conduit, wherein the main conduit is in fluid communication with the loading chamber and the plurality of process chambers; and

a carrier attached to a first major side of the sample processing device, the carrier comprising a carrier body spaced from at least a portion of the first major side of the sample processing device, and the carrier further comprising a rail aligned with each of the main conduits on the sample processing device, wherein the carrier body is spaced from the sample processing device between adjacent main conduits.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the sample processing device comprises first and second major sides attached with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, and wherein at least one of the main conduits is closed between the process chambers and the loading chamber by the pressure sensitive adhesive adhering to the first and second major sides together along the main conduit.

13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the process chambers are elongated along an axis extending between the first and second opposing ends of the sample processing device.

14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein each of the process chambers is in fluid communication with the main conduit through a feeder conduit, and further wherein the feeder conduits form feeder conduit angles with the main conduit that are less than 90 degrees.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the feeder conduits enter the process chambers proximate the first end of the device.

16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the feeder conduits comprises a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the main conduit with which it is in fluid communication.

17. The assembly of claim 10, wherein each of the loading chambers comprises a loading port and a vent port.

18. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive comprises a silicone-based pressure sensitive adhesive.

11. The assembly of clam 10, wherein the carrier comprises a plurality of carrier openings, the plurality of carrier openings aligned with the plurality of process chambers in the sample processing device.