Sampling device

• US 8,741,660 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stokes Bio Ltd. (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stokes Bio Ltd. (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, Mark, Dalton, Tara, Sayers, Michael, Chawke, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): HIXSON, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US12/732,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 436/52, 436/53, 436/180, 436/43, 436/174, 436/179, 422/81, 422/82, 422/500, 422/501, 422/509, 422/510, 422/521, 422/68.1, 422/50, 422/502, 73/615.9, 73/645.6, 738/63, 738/64, 738/640.1, 738/642.1, 738/642.2
• US Class Current: 436/179
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0293 for liquids
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25625 Dilution

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to devices, systems, and methods for acquiring and/or dispensing a sample without introducing a gas into a microfluidic system, such as a liquid bridge system. An exemplary embodiment provides a sampling device including an outer sheath; a plurality of tubes within the sheath, in which at least one of the tubes acquires a sample, and at least one of the tubes expels a fluid that is immiscible with the sample, in which the at least one tube that acquires the sample is extendable beyond a distal end of the sheath and retractable to within the sheath; and a valve connected to a distal portion of the sheath, in which the valve opens when the tube extends beyond the distal end and closes when the tube retracts to within the sheath.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring a sample comprising;

opening a valve located at the distal end of a sampling member;

priming a sampling member by flowing an immiscible fluid out of the sample member until sampling member is inserted into the overlay of immiscible fluid;

inserting the sampling member into a layer of immiscible fluid wherein the sampling member is enveloped in the immiscible fluid and wherein the layer of immiscible fluid overlays a sample;

moving the sampling member into the sample;

reversing the flow of the immiscible fluid;

acquiring the sample from the vessel, wherein the sample is acquired without the introduction of a gas into the sampling member;

and closing the valve.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein there is a counter-flow of the immiscible fluid from the exterior of the sampling member to an interior of the sampling member.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the immiscible fluid flows down an exterior of the sampling member, and is taken up an interior of the sampling member.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising flowing the sample to a liquid bridge.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing PCR on the sample.