Apparatus and methods for purging flow cells in nucleic acid sequencing instruments

• US 9,146,248 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QIAGEN Sciences, LLC (Qiagen NV)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Bio-Systems Incorporated. (Qiagen NV)
• Inventors: Hagerott, Thomas, Golaski, Edmund W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benzion, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US13/802,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/085 Flow Injection Analysis
• 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 35/1004 Cleaning sample transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1095 for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method for operating a nucleic acid sequencing instrument with movable flow cells. The method includes providing a flow cell having a flow path with an inlet port and an outlet port and filling the flow path, from the inlet port to the outlet port, with a first liquid reagent. The method also includes providing a station block having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, mounting the flow cell on the station block with the inlet port in fluid communication with the inlet passage and the outlet port in fluid communication with the outlet passage, introducing a gaseous bubble into the inlet port, conveying a second liquid reagent from the inlet passage into the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble through the flow path and into the outlet passage and fill the flow passage with the second liquid reagent, and removing the flow cell from the station block.

Claims

1. A method for operating a nucleic acid sequencing instrument having one or more movable flow cells, the method comprising:

providing a flow cell comprising a flow path having an inlet port and an outlet port;

filling the flow path, from the inlet port to the outlet port, with a first liquid reagent;

providing a station block having an inlet passage and an outlet passage;

mounting the flow cell on the station block to place the inlet port in fluid communication with the inlet passage and the outlet port in fluid communication with the outlet passage;

introducing a gaseous bubble into the inlet port by;

evaporating a portion of a second liquid reagent located in the inlet passage to create a gas space at a top end of the inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the station block, and

capturing gas in the gas space upon mounting the flow cell to the station block to thereby form the gaseous bubble;

conveying a second liquid reagent from the inlet passage into the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble through the flow path and into the outlet passage and fill the flow passage with the second liquid reagent; and

removing the flow cell from the station block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the gaseous bubble into the inlet port further comprises conveying the second liquid reagent to the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble into the inlet port in advance of the second liquid reagent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaporating the portion of the second liquid reagent comprises heating the station block at a temperature of about 140°

to about 150°

degrees Fahrenheit for a period of about 7.5 to about 15 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the inlet passage further comprises conveying pressurized gas into the inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the station block.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the inlet passage further comprises draining a portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the station block.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the inlet passage further comprises pumping a portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the station block.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein pumping the portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the inlet passage comprises removing the portion of the second liquid reagent with a variable-displacement chamber.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein conveying the second liquid reagent from the inlet passage into the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble through the flow path and into the outlet passage and fill the flow passage with the second liquid reagent comprises operating a suction pump located downstream of the outlet passage.

9. A method for operating a nucleic acid sequencing instrument having one or more movable flow cells, the method comprising:

providing a flow cell comprising a flow path having an inlet port and an outlet port;

providing a first station block having a first inlet passage and a first outlet passage;

mounting the flow cell on the first station block to place the inlet port in fluid communication with the first inlet passage and the outlet port in fluid communication with the first outlet passage;

pumping a first liquid reagent from the first inlet passage into the inlet port to fill the flow path with the first liquid reagent;

removing the flow cell from the first station block;

providing a second station block having a second inlet passage and a second outlet passage;

mounting the flow cell on the second station block to place the inlet port in fluid communication with the second inlet passage and the outlet port in fluid communication with the second outlet passage;

introducing a gaseous bubble into the inlet port by;

evaporating a portion of a second liquid reagent located in the second inlet passage to create a gas space at a top end of the second inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the second station block, and

capturing gas in the gas space upon mounting the flow cell to the second station block to thereby form the gaseous bubble;

pumping a second liquid reagent from the second inlet passage into the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble from the inlet port to the second outlet passage and to fill the flow path with the second liquid reagent; and

removing the flow cell from the first station block.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein introducing the gaseous bubble into the inlet port further comprises pumping the second liquid reagent to the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble into the inlet port in advance of the second liquid reagent.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein evaporating the portion of the second liquid reagent comprises heating the second station block at a temperature of about 140°

to about 150°

degrees Fahrenheit for a period of about 7.5 to about 15 seconds.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the second inlet passage further comprises conveying pressurized gas into the second inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the second station block.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the second inlet passage further comprises draining a portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the second inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the second station block.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the gas space at the top of the second inlet passage further comprises pumping a portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the second inlet passage prior to mounting the flow cell on the second station block.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein pumping the portion of the second liquid reagent from the top of the second inlet passage comprises removing the portion of the second liquid reagent with a variable-displacement chamber.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein pumping the second liquid reagent from the second inlet passage into the inlet port to move the gaseous bubble through the flow path and into the outlet passage and fill the flow passage with the second liquid reagent comprises operating a suction pump located downstream of the outlet passage.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of pumping the first liquid reagent and pumping the second liquid reagent comprise operating a single suction pump that is fluidly connected to the first outlet passage and the second outlet passage.