Reversibly sealable microstructure sorting devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures upstanding from a floor of said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover covering said receptacle and reversibly sealingly engaging ends of said one or more structures, thereby to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, and thereby selectively to afford access to said receptacle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for sorting microstructures, such as macromolecules, viruses, cells, and minute particles, in a fluid using microlithographic sorting array that is reversibly sealed by a cover. A silicone elastomer cover is used in one embodiment. In another, silicon microstructures are used to case elastomeric replicas of obstacle arrays, the tops of which reversibly seal against a flat surface. The reversible seal allows access to fractionated microstructures within the structure for further analysis.
147 Citations
60 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures upstanding from a floor of said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover covering said receptacle and reversibly sealingly engaging ends of said one or more structures, thereby to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, and thereby selectively to afford access to said receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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2. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures upstanding from a floor of said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover covering said receptacle and so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)
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14. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures upstanding from a floor of said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removeable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, with said cover reversibly sealingly engaging ends of said one or more structures, thereby to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, and thereby selectively to afford access to said receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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15. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures upstanding from a floor of said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removeable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, said cover so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being removable from said receptacle and hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
a. depositing a quantity of a liquid elastomer on a rigid member;
b. spinning said rigid member with said quantity of liquid elastomer thereon, thereby to produce from said quantity of said liquid elastomer a thin layer of said liquid elastomer; and
c. curing said thin layer of said liquid elastomer, thereby to produce a thin layer of cured elastomer.
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24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said positioning of said cover comprises disposing said rigid member with said thin layer of cured elastomer over said receptacle and said ends of said one or more structures.
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25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said forming of said cover further comprises:
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a. cutting a portion of said thin layer of cured elastomer into a predetermined shape; and
b. removing said predetermined shape of said thin layer of said cured elastomer from said rigid member.
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26. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said cover is comprised of an elastomer, and said forming of said cover comprises:
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a. depositing on a thin flexible sheet a bolus of liquid elastomer;
b. resting said thin flexible sheet with said bolus of said liquid elastomer thereon on a first rigid surface with said bolus of said elastomer on the side of said thin flexible sheet opposite from said first rigid surface;
c. compressing said bolus on said thin flexible sheet between said first rigid surface and a second rigid surface, thereby to form said bolus into a thin layer of said liquid elastomer material; and
d. curing said thin layer of said liquid elastomer, thereby to produce a thin layer of cured elastomer.
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27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein said forming of said cover further comprises:
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a. removing said first rigid surface from adjacent said thin flexible sheet after curing said thin layer; and
b. peeling said flexible sheet from said thin layer of said cured elastomer.
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28. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein a surface of said silicone elastomer is treated to render said surface of said silicone elastomer hydrophilic.
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29. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising treating a surface of said receptacle to render said surface of said receptacle hydrophilic.
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30. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said receptacle and said one or more structures are integrally formed of a single material.
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39. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures positioned within said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover covering said receptacle and so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being comprised of elastomer and being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures positioned within said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover comprising an elastomeric layer carried on a rigid member, said removable cover covering said receptacle and reversibly sealingly engaging ends of said one or more structures, thereby to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, and thereby selectively to afford access to said receptacle.
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44. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, said cover so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being removable from said receptacle and being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures;
wherein said cover is comprised of an elastomer, and said forming of said cover comprises;
c(1). depositing a quantity of a liquid elastomer on a rigid member;
c(2). spinning said rigid member with said quantity of liquid elastomer thereon, thereby to produce from said quantity of said liquid elastomer a thin layer of said liquid elastomer; and
c(3). curing said thin layer of said liquid elastomer, thereby to produce a thin layer of cured elastomer. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
a. cutting a portion of said thin layer of cured elastomer into a predetermined shape; and
b. removing said predetermined shape of said thin layer of said cured elastomer from said rigid member.
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48. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, said cover so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being removable from said receptacle and being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures;
wherein said cover is comprised of an elastomer, and said forming of said cover comprises;
c(1). depositing on a thin flexible sheet a bolus of liquid elastomer;
c(2). resting said thin flexible sheet with said bolus of said liquid elastomer thereon on a first rigid surface with said bolus of said elastomer on the side of said thin flexible sheet opposite from said first rigid surface;
c(3). compressing said bolus on said thin flexible sheet between said first rigid surface and a second rigid surface, thereby to form said bolus into a thin layer of said liquid elastomer material; and
c(4). curing said thin layer of said liquid elastomer, thereby to produce a thin layer of cured elastomer. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
a. removing said first rigid surface from adjacent said thin flexible sheet after curing said thin layer; and
b. peeling said flexible sheet from said thin layer of said cured elastomer.
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51. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, said cover so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being removable from said receptacle and being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures;
wherein said cover is comprised of an elastomer and a surface of said elastomer is treated to render said surface hydrophilic. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the method comprising:
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a. forming a receptacle;
b. providing within said receptacle one or more structures configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium;
c. forming a removable cover; and
d. positioning said cover over said receptacle, said cover so engaging ends of said one or more structures as to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, said cover being removable from said receptacle and being hermetically sealed to said receptacle and to said ends of said one or more structures;
wherein said receptacle is comprised of an elastomer and said method further comprises treating a surface of said receptacle to render said surface hydrophilic.
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54. An apparatus for sorting microstructures, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a microlithographically produced sorting structure; and
b. a cover sealingly positioned against an open side of said sorting structure and nondestructively removable therefrom, said cover being comprised of an elastomer.
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55. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures positioned within said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a removable cover covering said receptacle and reversibly sealingly engaging ends of said one or more structures, thereby to preclude flow of the microstructures between said cover and said ends of said one or more structures, and thereby selectively to afford access to said receptacle, said cover being comprised of an elastomer.
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56. An apparatus for sorting microstructures in a fluid medium, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a receptacle;
b. one or more structures within said receptacle and configured to sort the microstructures as the microstructures flow through said receptacle in said fluid medium; and
c. a cover comprised of an elastomer, said cover covering said receptacle and being sealingly engaged with ends of said one or more structures. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification