Nanoliter array loading

• US 8,545,772 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Steve, Linton, John, Hess, Robert, Yoder, Karl, Brennan, Colin, Kanigan, Tanya
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kingan, Timothy G
• Application Number:
  US13/336,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20120164748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/503
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/021 Adjust spacings in an array of wells, pipettes or holders, format transfer between arrays of different size or geometry
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0636 Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0241 Drop counters; Drop formers making arrays for combinatorial libraries B01J19/0046; automation of dispensing for analysis G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0244 using pins
• 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 3/50857 using arrays or bundles of open capillaries for holding samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/563 Joints or fittings in general F16L; Separable fluid transfer means to transfer fluids between at least two containers, e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1624 Destructible or deformable element controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/206 : Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2525 : Stabilizing or preserving

Abstract

An interface is provided for storing microfluidic samples in a nanoliter sample chip. A fluid access structure provides a fluid access region to a selected subset of sample wells from an array of sample wells. A fluid introduction mechanism introduces a sample fluid to the fluid access region so that the sample wells in the selected subset are populated with the sample fluid without the unselected sample wells being populated with the sample fluid.

Claims

1. A method of storing microfluidic samples, the method comprising:

providing a chip having an array of sample wells for storing microfluidic samples; and

providing a fluid access structure to a selected subset of sample wells from the array of sample wells, the fluid access structure comprising one or more openings defining a fluid access region;

wherein the selected subset is less in number than the number of sample wells in the array;

providing a fluid introduction mechanism and introducing a sample fluid to the fluid access region by dragging-the sample fluid across a selected subset of sample wells with the fluid introduction mechanism so that the sample wells in the selected subset are populated with the sample fluid without the unselected sample wells being populated with the sample fluid, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism overlays at least two sample wells of the subset of the sample wells.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the dragging comprises positioning a fluid access structure next to a planar surface of the chip, the fluid access structure being adapted to enable introducing the sample fluid to the selected subset of sample wells.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the dragging comprises dragging a droplet with a pipette.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the dragging comprises dragging a droplet with a capillary tube, cannula or pin.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism comprises two or more of the channels, each channel overlaying at least two sample wells.

6. A system for storing microfluidic samples, the system comprising:

a chip having an array of sample wells for storing microfluidic samples,

a fluid access structure comprising one or more openings defining a fluid access region to a selected subset of sample wells from the array of sample wells, wherein the selected subset is less in number than the number of sample wells in the array; and

a fluid introduction mechanism for dragging a sample fluid across a selected subset of sample wells, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism overlays at least two sample wells of the subset of the sample wells.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism comprises a pipette.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism is adapted for positioning next to a planar surface of the array.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein the sample fluid further contains a reagent, and wherein the reagent is a dye for staining the sample fluid populated into the subset of wells.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism comprises a capillary tube, cannula or pin.

11. A system according to claim 6, wherein the fluid introduction mechanism comprises two or more of the channels, each channel overlaying at least two sample wells.