Sampling device

• US 9,387,472 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stokes Bio Ltd. (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stokes Bio Ltd. (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davies, Mark, Dalton, Tara, Sayers, Michael, Chawke, Brian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HIXSON, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US14/295,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20140349387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 sampling device comprising:

an outer sheath;

a plurality of tubes within the outer sheath, wherein 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, wherein a distal end of the at least one tube that acquires the sample is independently extendable relative to the at least one tube that expels the immiscible fluid to a position beyond a distal end of the outer sheath and independently retractable to a position within the outer sheath; and

a valve connected to the distal end of the outer sheath, wherein the valve opens when the distal end of the tube that acquires the sample extends beyond the distal end of the outer sheath and closes when the distal end of the tube that acquires the sample retracts to within the outer sheath.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a distal portion of the outer sheath is filled with the immiscible fluid, and is configured to continuously immerse the distal end of the tube that acquires the sample in the immiscible fluid.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tube that acquires the sample is configured to intake the immiscible fluid from the tube that expels the immiscible fluid to prime a distal portion of the outer sheath.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the tube that expels the immiscible fluid is configured to continuously expel the immiscible fluid.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the tube that acquires the sample is configured to continuously intake the immiscible fluid.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tube that acquires the sample is configured to acquire the sample without introduction of a gas.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to operate in fluid contact with a liquid bridge system.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the valve is a flap valve.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a hinge.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the valve is made from a resilient material.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the resilient material is superelastic Nitinol.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the outer sheath and the plurality of tubes are configured to extend into an immiscible fluid that overlays a sample contained in a vessel.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the tube that acquires the sample extends beyond the distal end of the outer sheath into the sample.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the outer sheath and the plurality of tubes are configured to retract from the vessel after the distal end of the tube that acquires the sample retracts within the distal end of the outer sheath.