High-density ion transport measurement biochip devices and methods

• US 9,146,221 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AVIVA Biosciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: AVIVA Biosciences Corporation
• Inventors: Guia, Antonio, Walker, George, Xu, Jia, Wu, Lei, Huang, Mingxian, Yuan, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wecker, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US13/802,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20130266490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• 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 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5088 confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires B01L3/50857 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 5/026 using open-gradient differential dielectric separation, i.e. using electrodes of special shapes for non-uniform field creation, e.g. Fluid Integrated Circuit [FIC]
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/00 Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/452 by activating reactive gas streams before their introduction into the reaction chamber, e.g. by ionisation or addition of reactive species
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/021 with elastic packing F16J15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1031 by measuring electrical or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/705 : Assays involving receptors, cell surface antigens or cell surface determinants
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 : using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48728 : Investigating individual cells, e.g. by patch clamp, voltage clamp investigating individual particles in general G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 : provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3142 : Ion plating

Abstract

The present invention includes biochips for the measurement of cellular ion channels and methods of use and manufacture. The biochips of the present invention have enhanced sealing capabilities provided in part by chemically modifying the surface of the biochip surface or substrate or by exposure to an ionized gas. The present invention also includes novel cartridges for biochips.

Claims

1. An ion channel chip comprising:

(a) a planar polymer plastic substrate treated with an ionized gas;

(b) at least one aperture positioned substantially perpendicular to said planar polymer plastic substrate; and

(c) a gasket positioned about said aperture defining the perimeter of a chamber, wherein said treatment forms at least one functional group or moiety positioned sufficiently close to said aperture such that a cell simultaneously contacts said at least one functional group or moiety and said aperture, and wherein said ion channel chip is stored in an environment having decreased carbon dioxide relative to the ambient environment, such that an enhanced electrical sealing property of the ion channel chip is preserved.

2. The ion channel chip of claim 1, wherein the environment is selected from the group consisting of water, an aqueous solution, a salt solution, a buffered salt solution, acetone, a vacuum, a drying agent, a desiccant, nitrogen and an inert gas.

3. The ion channel chip of claim 2, wherein the environment comprises a desiccant selected from the group consisting of a silica gel, CaCl₂ and NaOH.

4. The ion channel chip of claim 2, wherein the environment is water or an aqueous solution.

5. The ion channel chip of claim 2, wherein the environment is an aqueous solution.

6. The ion channel chip of claim 5, wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is greater than 4.

7. The ion channel chip of claim 5, wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is greater than 6.

8. The ion channel chip of claim 5, wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is greater than 7.

9. The ion channel chip of claim 5, wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is about 8.

10. The ion channel chip of claim 1, wherein said ionized gas is a plasma gas.

11. The ion channel chip of claim 1, wherein said ionized gas is a silicon-based vapor.

12. A storage system for an ion channel chip comprising:

(a) a fluid tight container capable of accepting an ion channel chip;

(b) an ion channel chip according to claim 1; and

(c) a fluid.

13. The storage system of claim 12, wherein the fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, an aqueous solution, a salt solution, a buffered salt solution and acetone.

14. The storage system of claim 13, wherein the fluid is water or an aqueous solution.

15. The storage system of claim 12, wherein the fluid tight container comprises a top structure and a bottom structure comprising a series of chip engaging structures, wherein each engaging structure is capable of engaging the ion channel chip, and wherein said bottom structure reversibly engages said top structure.

16. A method for storing a treated ion channel chip according to claim 1, which method comprises storing said treated ion channel chip in an environment having decreased carbon dioxide relative to the ambient environment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ion channel chip is stored in a fluid tight container capable of accepting an ion channel chip.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fluid tight container comprises a fluid selected from the group consisting of water, an aqueous solution, a salt solution, a buffered salt solution and acetone.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fluid is water or an aqueous solution.

20. A method of transporting a treated ion channel chip according to claim 1, which method comprises transporting said treated ion channel chip in an environment having decreased carbon dioxide relative to the ambient environment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the ion channel chip is stored in a fluid tight container capable of accepting an ion channel chip.

22. The ion channel chip of claim 1, wherein said functional group or moiety provides a negative charge.

23. The ion channel chip of claim 22, wherein the surface density of said functional group or moiety is more than about 1%, more than about 10%, or more than about 30%.

24. The ion channel chip of claim 1, wherein said functional group or moiety comprises a SiO⁻

group.

25. The ion channel chip of claim 24, wherein the surface density of the SiO⁻

group is more than about 1%, more than about 10%, or more than about 30%.