Cartridge washing system and methods

• US 6,715,500 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Affymetrix, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Certa, Ulrich, Tschirky, Hansjörg
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDHRY, SAEED T
• Application Number:
  US10/194,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 139/10, 139/22.1, 139/22.18, 139/24, 139/25.4, 139/32, 139/34, 139/42, 139/168.R, 139/169.R, 139/167.R, 139/166.R
• US Class Current: 134/22.18
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/00 Cleaning or rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/02 for receptacle or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"

Abstract

A washing system comprises a support for holding several cartridges. Each cartridge has a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. Wash blocks are movably coupled to the support, each having two needles for penetrating the inlet and the outlet of a respective cartridge when the wash blocks are moved towards the support. Tubing is coupled to the needles for flowing liquid through the chamber of the cartridge.

Claims

1. A method for circulating a liquid through at least one housing that includes a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the method comprising:

coupling the housing to a support;

moving a wash member having an inlet needle and an outlet needle towards the support until the inlet needle penetrates the inlet of said chamber and the outlet needle penetrates the outlet of said chamber;

supplying a liquid to the chamber via the inlet needle and removing the liquid from the chamber via the outlet needle.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the liquid supplying step comprises operating a pump to move the liquid.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

removing the housing;

placing the wash member adjacent the support until the inlet needle and an outlet needle each penetrate a channel of the support; and

circulating a liquid through the inlet needle, the channel and the outlet needle.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the step of circulating a liquid comprises circulating the liquid in the direction of the inlet needle towards the outlet needle, and circulating the liquid in the direction of the outlet needle towards the inlet needle.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of moving the wash member is followed by a step of resiliently maintaining the wash member against the housing.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the chamber includes a polymer array.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the liquid is a wash solution.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising discarding the removed liquid.