Atmospheric control in reaction chambers

• US 7,282,183 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Peck, Bill J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldarola; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung; Jennifer A.
• Application Number:
  US10/035,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20030118482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 422/129, 422/130, 422/131, 422/50, 422/99, 422/104
• US Class Current: 422/129
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00389 Feeding through valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00423 using filtration, e.g. through porous frits
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00477 Means for pressurising the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00675 In-situ synthesis on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00731 Saccharides
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 : Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/12 : Libraries containing saccharides or polysaccharides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 50/14 : Solid phase synthesis, i.e. wherein one or more library building blocks are bound to a solid support during library creation; Particular methods of cleavage from the solid support
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling atmospheric characteristics inside a chamber. An apparatus comprises a mechanism for diffusively introducing pressurized gas into the apparatus, an outlet element in fluid communication with the mechanism, and a chamber in fluid communication with the outlet element. The outlet element and the chamber are disposed such that gas flow therethrough is substantially uniform. The chamber comprises a gas outlet and the outlet element comprises a plurality of openings. The apparatus may be employed in the manufacture of biopolymers on the surface of a support such as an array of biopolymer features on the support.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing an array of biopolymers on a support, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a manifold comprising at least two compartments, each of said compartments being in fluid communication with a respective gas inlet,

(b) a perforated element in fluid communication with said manifold, said perforated element being substantially perpendicular to said gas inlets,

(c) a chamber in fluid communication with said perforated element, said chamber comprising an opening in a wall thereof and a gas outlet in a wall thereof that is perpendicular to said gas inlets,

(d) a device for dispensing reagents for synthesizing said array of biopolymers on a support, at least a portion of said device being within said chamber, wherein said device for dispensing reagents is a drop dispensing device for dispensing individual drops of said reagents to predetermined features on said support, and

(e) a mechanism for moving said support into and out of said chamber through said opening and for positioning said support relative to said device for dispensing reagents.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said perforated element comprises about 5 to about 200 perforations per square inch.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said perforated element is about 0.2 to about 2 inches thick and the diameter of each of said perforations is about 0.03 to about 0.25 inches.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said perforated element is 0.02 to about 0.2 inches thick and said apparatus comprises a honeycomb element in fluid communication with said perforated element.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said opening is in a wall of said chamber opposite to said perforated element.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the walls of said chamber leading to said wall comprising said opening are tapered.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mechanism of (e) is a mechanism for moving a support relative to said drop dispensing device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said gas inlets each comprise a separate T-junction such that gas enters each of said gas inlets in opposing directions, which are substantially normal to the direction in which gas exits said manifold.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manifold comprises at least four compartments.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said chamber has vertical symmetry.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the angles in the interior of said chamber are beveled.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a controller for controlling the movement of said mechanism for moving said support.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said mechanism is a robotic arm.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said opening comprises a door for ingress and egress of said support.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the dimensions of said door are sufficient to permit ingress and egress of said mechanism for moving said support.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the dimensions of said door are sufficient to permit ingress and egress of said device for dispensing reagents.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said opening is opposite to said perforated element.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising at least four gas inlets.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein each of said gas inlets comprises a valve.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said gas inlets are designed to introduce gas into said manifold at a pressure of about 60 to about 80 psi.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each compartment comprises one or more elements for diffusing said gas within said compartment.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said device for dispensing reagents is a pulse jet device.

23. An apparatus for manufacturing an array of biopolymers on a support, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a manifold comprising at least two compartments, each of said compartments being in fluid communication with a respective gas inlet, each gas inlet being in fluid communication with a gas inlet source and each gas inlet comprising opposing gas lines oriented to provide gas from two directions to each gas inlet so that gas from each direction collides and enters said gas inlet in a direction that is substantially normal to the direction in which the gas flows through the gas inlets and enters said manifold wherein fluid communication of each of said gas inlets with said gas inlet source is independent of one another,

(b) a perforated element in fluid communication with said manifold,

(c) a chamber in fluid communication with said perforated element, said chamber comprising an opening in a wall thereof,

(d) a device for dispensing reagents for synthesizing said array of biopolymers on a support, at least a portion of said device being within said chamber, and

(e) a mechanism for moving said support into and out of said chamber through said opening and for positioning said support relative to said device for dispensing reagents.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 further comprising a honeycomb element in fluid communication with said perforated element.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said opening is in a wall of said chamber opposite to said perforated element and wherein the walls of said chamber leading to said wall comprising said opening are tapered.

26. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said device for dispensing reagents is a drop dispensing device.

27. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said device for dispensing reagents is a pulse jet device.

28. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the device for dispensing reagents comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles that protrude into said chamber.

29. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said chamber has vertical symmetry.

30. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the angles in the interior of said chamber are beveled.

31. An apparatus according to claim 23 further comprising a controller for controlling the movement of said mechanism for moving said support.

32. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said opening comprises a door for ingress and egress of said support.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said opening is opposite to said perforated element.

34. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein each of said opposing gas lines of said gas inlets comprises a separate valve.

35. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein each compartment comprises one or more elements for diffusing said gas within said compartment.

36. An apparatus for manufacturing an array of biopolymers on a support, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a manifold comprising at least two compartments, each of said compartments being in fluid communication with a respective gas inlet and each of said compartments comprising raised surfaces within the compartments,

(b) a perforated element in fluid communication with said manifold, said raised surfaces of each of said compartments being tapered outwardly from said respective gas inlet to an area adjacent said perforated element,

(c) a chamber in fluid communication with said perforated element, said chamber comprising an opening in a wall thereof,

(d) a pulse jet device for dispensing reagents for synthesizing said array of biopolymers on a support, at least a portion of said device being within said chamber wherein said pulse jet device dispenses individual drops of said reagents to predetermined features on said support, and

(e) a mechanism for moving said support into and out of said chamber through said opening and for positioning said support relative to said device for dispensing reagents.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said chamber has vertical symmetry.

38. An apparatus according to claim 36 further comprising a flow-straightening element in fluid communication with said perforated element.

39. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein the pulse jet device for dispensing reagents comprises a plurality of dispensing nozzles that protrude into said chamber.

40. An apparatus according to claim 36 further comprising a controller for controlling the movement of said mechanism for moving said support.

41. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said opening is opposite to said perforated element.

42. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said manifold comprises at least four compartments.