Method and apparatus for high-throughput biological-activity screening of cells and/or compounds
First Claim
1. A method of conducting tests and assays of high throughput and high biological value on a sample containing chemical/biological material consisting of unknown entities characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
- (a)—
introducing the sample including said unknown entities into a first chamber of a testing device comprising at least one array of first selectively addressable and energizable electrodes and at least one second electrode positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes;
(b)—
introducing chemical/biological material into a first chamber of said testing device, consisting of known entities identifiable internally of said testing device and having a presumed affinity with the unknown entities;
(c)—
selectively creating closed movable dielectrophoretic potential first and second cages within said first chamber generated by said first electrodes and second electrode and trapping at least a part of said unknown entities within the first moving cages and at least a part of said known entities within the second moving cages;
(d)—
moving at least one of said second movable cages containing the known entities toward said first movable cages containing said unknown entities and causing at least one unknown entity to interact with at least one known entity of at least a first type by bringing about the fusion of at least one first movable cage and one second movable cage containing the relative entities;
(e)—
verifying the creation or otherwise of a stable bond between said at least one unknown entity and said at least one known entity of the first type for determining whether an affinity exists between the two and consequently identifying said at least one unknown entity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
First entities consisting in cells or microorganisms (BIO) and second entities consisting in compounds or compound units, carried typically by microbeads (BEAD), are trapped selectively within closed movable potential cages (S1) by means of dielectrophoretic force generated by mutually opposed electrodes (M1, M2). The cages are set in relative motion so as to bring about the interaction of selected first and second entities, causing the cages containing them to fuse, whereupon results are obtained preferably by reinstating the original cages and/or observing previously empty adjacent cages. The procedure takes place in a device (DE) with two separate chambers (F, FL) connected one to the other by way of a narrow passage (D) and finished with respective selectively controllable inlets and outlets (I1, I2; O1, O2) through which a liquid or semi-liquid buffer (L) can be pumped in or out.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of conducting tests and assays of high throughput and high biological value on a sample containing chemical/biological material consisting of unknown entities characterized in that it comprises the steps of:
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(a)—
introducing the sample including said unknown entities into a first chamber of a testing device comprising at least one array of first selectively addressable and energizable electrodes and at least one second electrode positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes;(b)—
introducing chemical/biological material into a first chamber of said testing device, consisting of known entities identifiable internally of said testing device and having a presumed affinity with the unknown entities;(c)—
selectively creating closed movable dielectrophoretic potential first and second cages within said first chamber generated by said first electrodes and second electrode and trapping at least a part of said unknown entities within the first moving cages and at least a part of said known entities within the second moving cages;(d)—
moving at least one of said second movable cages containing the known entities toward said first movable cages containing said unknown entities and causing at least one unknown entity to interact with at least one known entity of at least a first type by bringing about the fusion of at least one first movable cage and one second movable cage containing the relative entities;(e)—
verifying the creation or otherwise of a stable bond between said at least one unknown entity and said at least one known entity of the first type for determining whether an affinity exists between the two and consequently identifying said at least one unknown entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of conducting tests and assays of high throughput and high biological value between a plurality of first entities selected from a group consisting of cells and microorganisms, and a plurality of second entities consisting of compounds or compound units to be tested for their biological activity in respect of said first entities;
- characterized in that it comprises the steps of;
(a)—
introducing said first and said second entities into a first chamber of a testing device comprising at least one array of first selectively addressable and energizable electrodes and at least one second electrode positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes;(b)—
selectively creating closed movable potential cages internally of the first chamber by means of dielectrophoretic force generated by said first electrodes and second electrode and trapping at least a part of the entities within the movable cages;(c)—
moving at least one of movable cages containing the said first entities toward movable cages containing the said second entities and causing at least one first entity to interact with at least one second entity of at least a first type by bringing about the fusion of at least one pair of movable cages containing the relative entities;(d)—
verifying the biological activity of the second entity on the first entity by analyzing the resulting interaction utilizing sensors capable of detecting any evidence in the first entity of at least one of a selected group of effects, namely cytostatic, cytotoxic, mitotic, and expression of a marker. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- characterized in that it comprises the steps of;
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34. A multifunctional testing device (DL) composed of a first module (C) comprising an array (M1) of first electrodes (LIJ) singly and selectively addressable and energizable at least in part, arranged on an insulating support (A1);
- a second module comprising at least one second electrode (M2) positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes (LIJ) and an upper supporting structure (A2);
also a spacer element (A3) disposed between the first and the second module and delimiting a liquid or semi-liquid environment (L) during operation, characterized in that the spacer element (A3) is embodied in such a manner as to establish at least one first chamber (F) and at least one second chamber (FL) internally of the device, interconnected hydraulically by at least one narrow passage (D) and delimiting the liquid or semi-liquid environment (L), which is thus divided by the at least one narrow passage (D) into at least two partial environments uninfluenced hydraulically one by the another and coinciding with the at least two chambers (F and FL). - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- a second module comprising at least one second electrode (M2) positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes (LIJ) and an upper supporting structure (A2);
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40. A method of transporting first entities consisting in compounds or compound units into second entities, comprising the steps of:
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(a)—
introducing the first and second entities into a chamber of a testing device comprising at least one array of first selectively addressable and energizable electrodes and at least one second electrode positioned opposite and facing the first electrodes;(b)—
selectively creating closed movable potential cages internally of said chamber by means of dielectrophoretic force generated by said electrodes and trapping at least a part of said first entities within first movable cages and of said second entities within second movable cages;(c)—
identifying and selecting the cages containing first entities;(d)—
moving at least one of said movable cages containing the first entities toward said movable cages containing the second entities;(e)—
causing at least one movable cage containing a first entity to fuse with a movable cage containing a second entity, characterized in that said first and second entities and said step of fusing at least one movable cage containing a first entity with a movable cage containing a second entity are such that the first entities are caused to penetrate into the second entities when brought into physical contact with said second entities. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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Specification