Ligand binding assays on microarrays in closed multiwell plates

• US 7,799,558 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maven Biotechnologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Maven Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Dultz, Shane C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US11/752,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• 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 2219/00509 Microcolumns
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00662 Two-dimensional arrays within two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00704 integrated with the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 with covers or lids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays

Abstract

Multiwell plates commonly used for immunoassay are increased in capacity and adapted for ease and speed of testing by forming a plurality of solid posts in each well of a plate. The posts and plate material and the dimensions of the posts are chosen to allow the immobilization of ligand patterns on an exterior wall of a post in a well and to permit a collimated beam of light directed to the post in a direction to achieve total internal reflection from a wall to generate an evanescent field in the plane of the ligands immobilized on the exterior wall of the post. The reflected light carries an image of localized intensity variations due to binding events between the ligand patterns and analytes in a sample introduced into a well. A cover plate seals the wells and provides for through holes for introducing sample material to the wells.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transparent planar plate having at least one well therein, the well including a plurality of transparent upstanding posts therein,

wherein each of the plurality of posts has a planar sidewall and is of a material and has cross-sectional dimensions and a height to permit a beam of light directed into the post to produce total internal reflection in a manner to produce an evanescent field at the sidewall.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the posts are coated with a ligand.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of posts is organized in a set of arrays, each array of a set being coated with a different ligand.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of posts is organized in subsets and each of the subsets is coated with a different ligand.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each of the posts has a rectangular cross section with four planar walls.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wells, each of the wells comprising a plurality of solid transparent upstanding posts organized in a plurality of arrays wherein the posts of each array is coated with a different ligand.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transparent planar plate having at least one well therein, the well including a plurality of transparent upstanding posts therein, wherein the posts are coated with a ligand; and

a second transparent plate juxtaposed with the first plate in a manner to seal the well wherein the second plate includes a hole aligned with the well.

8. The apparatus as in claim 6, further comprising a source of a beam of light and means for directing the beam into a post of the plurality of posts in a manner to generate an evanescent field at a sidewall of the post.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising means for capturing the image of light reflected from the sidewall.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transparent planar plate having a plurality of wells, each of the wells comprising a plurality of transparent upstanding posts organized in a plurality of arrays wherein the posts of each array is coated with a different ligand,

wherein each of the posts in each of the wells has a planar sidewall and is of a material and has cross sectional dimensions and a height to permit a beam of light directed into a post to produce total internal reflection in a manner to produce an evanescent field at the sidewall of the post.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising a second transparent plate juxtaposed with the first plate in a manner to seal the wells wherein the second plate includes a plurality of through holes, each hole being aligned with one of the wells to permit the introduction of a sample into a well.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a first transparent plate having at least one well therein, the well including at least one upstanding post, wherein the at least one upstanding post is coated with a ligand; and

a second plate juxtaposed with the first plate in a manner to seal the well, wherein the second plate includes a through hole for introducing a sample into the well.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the post has at least one planar sidewall and is of a material and geometry to permit a beam of light to be diverted into the post in a manner to generate an evanescent field at the planar sidewall.