Disposable optical cuvette cartridge with low fluorescence material

• US 7,259,845 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PPD Biomarker Discovery Sciences LLC (CellCarta Biosciences, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PPD Biomarker Discovery Sciences LLC (CellCarta Biosciences, Inc.)
• Inventors: Todd, Christopher E., Dietz, Louis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US11/185,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/246
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• 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 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/11 Filling or emptying of cuvettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/278 Constitution of standards
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters

Abstract

A disposable cuvette cartridge for optical measurements is formed from three flexible thin layers. The middle layer is an adhesive sheet with cut out regions, typically between 30 and 50, serving as optical chambers bounded by the two outer layers. Inlet and vent holes in one of the outer sheets provide access to the optical chambers. At least one of the outer sheets is made of a material having low fluorescence, such as a cyclo-olefin copolymer. With its low background fluorescence, the cuvette cartridge is useful for high-throughput fluorescence measurements of biological samples.

Claims

1. An optical cuvette cartridge for use in optical measurements of liquid samples, the cuvette cartridge comprising:

a pair of parallel sheets of material substantially impermeable to the liquid samples, said parallel sheets spaced apart to define a plurality of separated optical chambers wherein a first and a third optical chamber of said plurality of separated optical chambers each comprise an inlet hole that is offset in a longitudinal orientation from a vent hole of a second optical chamber located adjacent to and in between said first and third optical chambers.

2. The optical cuveffe cartridge of claim 1, wherein said pair of parallel sheets are each flexible thin films.

3. The optical cuvette cartridge of claim 1, wherein said optical chambers are formed by an intermediate layer attached to at least one sheet of said pair of parallel sheets.

4. The optical cuvette cartridge of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer is a layer selected from the group consisting of an adhesive, a flexible thin film, and a flexible thin film bounded on both sides by layers of adhesive.

5. The optical cuvette cartridge of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a thickness to cause liquid to flow into said optical chambers by capillary action.

6. The optical cuvefte cartridge of claim 1, comprising between 2 and 500 optical chambers.

7. The optical cuveffe cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of parallel sheets is transparent to a wavelength of interest.

8. The optical cuvette cartridge of claim 7, wherein the wavelength of interest is greater than about 600 nm.

9. The optical cuvette cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least one sheet of the pair of parallel sheets is made of a cyclo-olefin copolymer.