Raised surface assay plate

• US 7,449,307 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TransForm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: TransForm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Gyory, J. Richard, Lemmo, Anthony V., Cima, Michael, Gonzalez-Zugasti, Javier, Monagle, Julie, Lewis, Wendy Pryce
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner; William H
• Application Number:
  US10/694,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20040142460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 435/288.4, 435/288.5, 435/297.5, 435/30, 435/40.52, 604/304, 604/307, 424/9.2, 73/644.7
• US Class Current: 435/40.52
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0609 Holders integrated in container to position an object
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5088 confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires B01L3/50857 takes precedence

Abstract

The assay plate includes a substrate having an substrate surface and at least one raised pad extending from the substrate surface. The raised pad includes a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for holding a sample thereon for in situ experimentation. The sample receiving surface preferably has at least one sharp edge at the junction between a sidewall coupling the sample receiving surface to the substrate surface. The sample receiving surface is preferably a circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon shape that is sized to hold a predetermined volume of the sample. A method of using the above described assay plate is also provided. Once a raised pad extending from a substrate is formed, a sample is deposited on the raised pad. Experiments are subsequently performed using the sample on the raised pad.

Claims

1. A method of using an assay plate on an animal, comprising:

providing a flexible substrate having a flexible substrate surface and a rigid raised pad extending laterally from said flexible substrate surface, wherein said raised pad has a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for receiving a sample thereon, a sharp edge at a junction between a sidewall coupling said sample receiving surface to said substrate surface, and no wall extending beyond and surrounding said sample receiving surface;

depositing a sample on said sample receiving surface;

attaching said flexible substrate onto an animal in order for said sample to contact skin of said animal; and

performing an experiment on said animal in response to an effect caused by said sample.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising drying said sample before said performing an experiment.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after said drying, depositing a different sample on said raised pad and drying said different sample.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after said drying, redepositing said sample on said raised pad and redrying said sample.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing comprises depositing an amount of sample on said pad sufficient to form a raised droplet without substantially spilling off said sample receiving surface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising etching a material to form said substrate and said raised pad.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising injection molding or casting said raised pad and said substrate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying said sample with a membrane or tissue that is not said skin of said animal.

9. A method of determining optimal medical device compositions or formulations, comprising:

preparing an array of samples supported by a planar sample receiving surface of an assay plate comprising a first lower member comprising a substrate having a substrate surface;

a plurality of raised pads extending from said substrate surface, each raised pad having a substantially planar sample receiving surface configured for holding a sample thereon for in situ experimentation; and

a second upper member comprising a reservoir plate having an array of openings, that when secured, are aligned with said planar sample receiving surface forming to form wells or reservoirs, each sample comprising an active component and at least one additional component, wherein each sample differs from at least one other sample with respect to at least one of;

(i) the identity of the active component,

(ii) the identity of the additional components,

(iii) the ratio of the active component to the additional component, or

(iv) the physical state of the active component;

securing a reservoir plate to the planar sample receiving surface, the reservoir plate having an array of holes that when secured are aligned with said planar sample receiving surface forming wells or reservoirs;

filling the array of reservoirs with a reservoir medium; and

determining rate of release of the active component from each sample in said array of samples into the reservoir medium to determine an optimal medical device formulation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said reservoir plate is secured on top of said assay plate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the size or diameter of the holes or openings of the reservoir plate are smaller than the size or diameter of the raised pads.