Method and apparatus for delivery of submicroliter volumes onto a substrate

• US 8,999,266 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agena Bioscience Inc. (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agena Bioscience Inc. (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Yao, Xian-Wei, Lin, Chao, Heaney, Paul, Becker, Thomas, Willis, Michael C., Hanson, Aaron A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R
• Application Number:
  US13/683,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 422501-511, 422/521, 422/564, 422/518, 738/633.2, 738/64, 738/640.1, 738/640.2, 738/642.4, 738/643.1, 506 23- 40
• US Class Current: 422/509
• 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 2219/00387 Applications using probes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00529 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00608 DNA chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00619 using hydrophilic or hydrophobic regions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00677 Ex-situ synthesis followed by deposition on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00686 Automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0657 Pipetting powder
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0244 using pins
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0248 : Prongs, quill pen type dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 : Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 : Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/10 : in the liquid or fluent state burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 : Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 : Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 : comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 : having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 : Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 : Control of the volume dispensed or introduced
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 : Multiple transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/112499 : with sample on test slide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/119163 : with aspirator of claimed structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/24 : Nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance or other spin effects or mass spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A slotted pin tool, a delivery system containing the pin tool, a substrate for use in the system and methods using the pin tool and system are provided. The slotted pin tool contains a plurality of pins having slotted ends designed to fit around each loci of material deposited on a surface, such as a microarray, without contacting any of the deposited material. Sample is delivered by contacting the pin tool with the surface; the amount delivered is proportional to the velocity of the pin tool as it contacts the surface or the velocity of the liquid when movement of the pin is halted.

Claims

1. A pin tool device for control and delivery of a range of volumes of fluid, comprising:

a pin tool comprising, a solid core pin comprising a shaft, a tip and a slot at the tip;

a pin holding block comprising side walls, an upper wall that includes one or more apertures and a bottom wall that includes one or more apertures; and

a spring comprising a top and a bottom, which spring extends from the upper wall of the pin holding block to a point on the shaft of the pin where the bottom of the spring is attached via a spring clip,

which slot is configured to hold a volume of fluid;

which pin is configured to move up and down relative to the pin holding block through an aperture in the upper wall and an aperture in the lower wall; and

which spring is configured to compress against the upper wall of the holding block when the pin moves upward through the aperture in the upper wall and the aperture in the lower wall of the holding block; and

a controller configure to deliver at least a portion of the volume of fluid in the slot that is delivered by the pin tool by changing the speed of lowering the pin tool, thereby accurately controlling and delivering a desired volume of fluid when downward movement of the pin tool is halted.

2. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the pin extends through the upper wall and the bottom wall.

3. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the pin extends through the bottom wall when the spring is in a compressed state and when the spring is in a relaxed state.

4. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the pin extends through the upper wall and the bottom wall when the spring is in a compressed state and when the spring is in a relaxed state.

5. The pin tool device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of pins and a spring around each pin.

6. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein the tip of the pin is substantially cylindrical and the slot is a lateral slot forming a cavity with a width of about 75μ

m or greater.

7. The pin tool device of claim 6, wherein the cavity of the cylindrical tip has a width up to about 500 μ

m.

8. The pin tool device of claim 6, wherein the cavity of the cylindrical tip has a height up to about 100 μ

m.

9. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein the pin is tapered.

10. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein the pin has an outer surface and an inner surface.

11. The pin tool device of claim 10, wherein the pin outer surface is more hydrophobic than the pin inner surface.

12. The pin tool device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the volume of fluid in the slot that is delivered by the pin tool is linearly related to the speed of lowering of the pin tool.