Container for holding cells or viruses for disruption

• US 6,987,018 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cepheid (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cepheid (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Ronald, Belgrader, Phillip, McMillan, William A., Pourahmadi, Farzad, Dority, Douglas B., Taylor, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US10/208,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 435/287.2, 435/287.3, 435/287.9, 435/288.5, 435/288.6, 435/306.1, 435/286.7, 435/288.3, 422 58- 61, 422/68.1, 422/70, 422/99, 422/101, 422/102, 241/2
• US Class Current: 435/286.7
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/14 Means for pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0439 ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0622 distribution valves, valves having multiple inlets and/or outlets, e.g. metering valves, multi-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0644 rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• 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: C12M 47/06 Hydrolysis; Cell lysis; Extraction of intracellular or cell wall material lysis of microorganisms C12N1/06; extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003

Abstract

A container for holding cells or viruses for disruption comprises a chamber defined by two spaced apart, opposing major walls and side walls connecting the major walls to each other. At least one of the major walls has an external surface to which the transducer may be coupled and is sufficiently flexible to flex in response to vibratory motion of the transducer. The container also has at least one port for introducing the cells or viruses into the chamber. In some embodiments, the chamber contains beads for aiding the disruption of the cells or viruses.

Claims

1. A container for use with an ultrasonic transducer to disrupt cells or viruses, the container comprising:

a) a chamber for holding the cells or viruses, the chamber being defined by two spaced apart, opposing major walls and side walls connecting the major walls to each other, wherein at least one of the major walls;

(i) has an external surface to which the transducer may be coupled; and

(ii) is sufficiently flexible to flex in response to vibratory motion of the transducer;

b) a port for introducing the cells or viruses into the chamber;

c) a channel connecting the port to the chamber;

d) a plunger that is inserted into the channel to increase pressure in the chamber; and

e) beads in the chamber.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the plunger has a pressure stroke sufficient to increase the pressure in the chamber to at least 2 psi above the ambient pressure external to the container.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the plunger has a pressure stroke sufficient to increase the pressure in the chamber to at least 8 psi above the ambient pressure external to the container.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the at least one major wall to which the transducer may be coupled comprises a film or sheet of polymeric material.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the film or sheet has a thickness in the range 0.025 to 0.1 mm.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the major walls comprises a film or sheet of polymeric material.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein each of the major walls has a thickness in the range 0.025 to 0.1 mm.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the width of the chamber to the thickness of the chamber is at least 2:

1.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the width of the chamber to the thickness of the chamber is at least 4:

1.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the chamber is less than 5 mm.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the at least one major wall is sufficiently flexible to flex in response to vibratory movements having an amplitude in the range of 2 to 20 micrometers.