Nanoliter array loading

• US 9,266,108 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• 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: Kanigan, Tanya S., Smith, Steve, Linton, John, Hess, Robert, Yoder, Karl, Brenan, Colin John Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kingan, Timothy G
• Application Number:
  US14/042,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20140031262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 system for holding a plurality of biomolecular samples, comprising:

a receptacle comprising a plurality of wells disposed within a substrate;

a plurality of sample chips disposed inside respective wells of the receptacle, each chip comprising an array of sample wells and

a loader interface structure comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion configured to hold the sample chips, wherein the upper portion is disposed above the plurality of wells of the receptacle while the lower portion is disposed inside at least some of the plurality of wells of the receptacle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle comprises a microtiter plate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the chips comprises an array of through-hole sample wells.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sample wells of at least one of the chips comprise a through-hole sample well.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sample wells have a volume of 0.2 nanoliter to 100 nanoliters.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sample chips comprise 1000 or more sample wells.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid introduction mechanism configured to introduce a biomolecular sample fluid from at least some of the wells of the receptacle and into at least some of the sample wells.

8. A kit for holding a plurality of biomolecular samples, comprising:

a receptacle comprising a plurality of wells disposed within a substrate;

a plurality of sample chips, each chip comprising an array of sample wells;

the plurality of sample chips configured to fit inside respective wells of the receptacle and

a loader interface structure comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion configured to hold the sample chips, wherein during use the upper portion is disposed above the plurality of wells of the receptacle while the lower portion is disposed inside at least some of the plurality of wells of the receptacle.

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein the receptacle comprises a microtiter plate.

10. The kit of claim 8, wherein at least one of the chips comprises an array of through-hole sample wells.

11. The kit of claim 8, wherein at least some of the sample wells of at least one of the chips comprise a through-hole sample well.

12. The kit of claim 8, wherein at least some of the sample wells have a volume of 0.2 nanoliter to 100 nanoliters.

13. The kit of claim 8, wherein at least some of the sample chips comprise 1000 or more sample wells.

14. The kit of claim 8, further comprising a fluid introduction mechanism configured to introduce a biomolecular sample fluid from at least some of the wells of the receptacle and into at least some of the sample wells.

15. A method for holding a plurality of biomolecular samples, comprising:

providing a receptacle comprising a plurality of wells disposed within a substrate;

providing a loader interface structure comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion holding a plurality of sample chips; and

placing the plurality of sample chips inside respective wells of the receptacle, each chip comprising an array of through-hole sample wells

wherein placing the plurality of chips comprises locating the upper portion above the plurality of wells of the receptacle and locating the lower portion inside at least some of the plurality of wells of the receptacle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receptacle comprises a microtiter plate.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising introducing a biomolecular sample from at least some of the wells of the receptacle into at least some of the sample wells.