Rapid thermal cycling device

• US 7,614,444 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kevin R. Oldenburg
• Inventors: Oldenburg, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric; Ljiljana (Lil) V
• Application Number:
  US10/842,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20050000804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 165/269
• US Class Current: 165/269
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0631 Purification arrangements, e.g. solid phase extraction [SPE]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• 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

Abstract

A lid for a well plate is provided. A pin penetrates the lid and projects downwardly into a well of the well plate. An electrical charge is applied to the pin and an electrical charge of opposite polarity is applied to an electrically conductive portion of a corresponding well, generating a small flow of electrical current and corresponding electrical fields within the well. Charged materials, such as DNA, selectably are attracted to the pin and segregated from the liquid sample.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electrical charge segregation of a liquid sample, the apparatus comprising:

a. a well plate;

b. a well defined by said well plate, said well plate adapted to contain the sample;

c. a first electrode, said first electrode having a first electrode surface, said first electrode surface being adapted to contact the liquid sample within said well, said first electrode surface being adapted to exhibit a first electrical charge to the liquid sample in response to a first electrical potential applied to said first electrode;

c. a second electrode, said second electrode having a second electrode surface, said second electrode surface being adapted to contact the liquid sample within said well, said second electrode surface being adapted to exhibit a second electrical charge to the liquid sample in response to a second electrical potential applied to said second electrode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a lid having an upper side and a lower side, said lower side of said lid being adapted to engage said well plate;

b. a pin, said pin having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of said pin being adapted to depend from said lower side of said lid into said well, said pin having a pin surface, said pin surface defining said first electrode surface .

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said pin penetrates said lid, said upper end of said pin extending through said upper side of said lid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a power supply, said power supply being electrically connected to said first electrode and said second electrode, said power supply being adapted to apply said first electrical potential to said first electrode, said power supply being adapted to apply said second potential to said second electrode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said first electrical potential is of an opposite polarity to said second electrical potential.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said well has an interior surface, said interior surface of said well defining said second electrode surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said well plate defines said second electrode, said well plate having an electrical conductance, said electrical conductance of said well plate being pre-selected to allow said well plate effectively to transmit said second electrical potential to said interior surface of said well and to exhibit said second electrical charge to said liquid sample.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said well plate comprising:

a resin, a metal or a carbon.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a coating, said coating defining said second electrode surface, said coating having an electrical conductance, said electrical conductance of said coating being pre-selected to allow said coating effectively to transmit said second electrical potential and to exhibit said second electrical charge to said liquid sample.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a substrate, said substrate underlying said coating, said coating and said substrate in combination defining said second electrode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said coating and said substrate in combination define said well plate.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, said coating comprising:

a resin, a metal or a carbon.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a. a conductor, said conductor having an electrical conductance, said electrical conductance of said conductor being pre-selected to allow said conductor effectively to transmit said second electrical potential and to exhibit said second electrical charge to said liquid sample, said conductor defining said second electrode surface;

b. a substrate adapted to incorporate said conductor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, said adaptation of said substrate to incorporate said conductor comprising:

said substrate being molded or otherwise formed around said conductor, or said substrate comprising said conductor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, said conductor comprising:

a wire, wire film, rod or resin.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pin is a first pin, the apparatus further comprising:

a second pin, said second pin having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of said second pin penetrating said upper side of said lid, said lower end of said second pin extending through said lid into said well, said second pin having a second pin surface, said second pin surface defining said second electrode surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pin is of an overmolded construction.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a first lid, said first lid having an upper side and a lower side;

b. a first pin, said first pin having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end of said first pin being adapted to depend from said lower side of said first lid into said well and to contact the liquid sample, said upper end of said first pin being adapted to penetrate said upper side of said first lid, said first pin defining said first electrode;

c. a second lid, said second lid having an upper side and a lower side, said lower side of said second lid engaging said well plate, said upper side of said second lid engaging said lower side of said first lid;

b. a second pin, said second pin depending from said second lid into said well, said second pin adapted to contact said liquid sample, said second pin defining said second electrode.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

said pin being adapted to selectably transmit heat from said upper end of said pin to said lower end of said pin and to transmit said heat from said lower end of said pin to the liquid sample, said pin being further adapted to selectably transmit heat from the liquid sample to said lower end of said pin and from said lower end of said pin to said upper end of said pin, thereby selectably adding heat to or removing heat from the liquid sample.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means to selectably heat or cool said upper end of said pin.

21. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first pin is adapted to sonicate the liquid sample, further comprising:

a sonic horn adapted to transfer sonic energy to said upper end of said pin.

22. An apparatus for electrical charge segregation of a liquid sample contained within a well of a well plate, the apparatus comprising:

a. a lid having an upper side and a lower side, said lower side of said lid being adapted to engage the well plate;

b. a pin having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of said pin penetrating said upper side of said lid, said lower end of said pin extending through said lid and adapted to extend into the well;

c. said pin defining an anode, said anode having an anode surface, said anode surface being adapted to contact the liquid sample within the well of the well plate, said anode surface being adapted to exhibit a first user-selectable electrical charge to the liquid sample in response to a first electrical potential applied to said anode;

b. a cathode, said cathode having a cathode surface, said cathode surface adapted to contact the liquid sample within the well of the well plate, said cathode surface being adapted to exhibit a second user-selectable electrical charge to the liquid sample in response to a second electrical potential applied to said cathode;

c. a power supply adapted to provide said first electrical potential to said anode and said second electrical potential to said cathode.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

said anode being adapted to be removed from the well and to be placed in a second well of a second well plate, whereby an anion electrically bound to said anode may be released into a second liquid sample of said second well plate.