Sample holder with a well having a wicking promoter

• US 9,399,215 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Petersen, Jonathan, Cauley, Thomas H. III, Bousse, Luc, Ness, Kevin D., Romine, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/863,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20130269452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/088 by specific surface properties
• 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: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502784 specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0012 Mechanical treatment, e.g. roughening, deforming, stretching
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/00 Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina

Abstract

Sample holding system, including methods and apparatus, including a holder defining a well having a wicking promoter that encourages flow of a sample to the bottom of the well. Methods of making and using the holder are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device for holding a sample, comprising:

a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the well including a side wall protrusion defined by the upper member and adapted to promote wicking of an aqueous sample into the lower portion from the upper portion, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well and with a channel junction that provides a droplet generator;

wherein the side wall protrusion is contiguous with the edge.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a top of the side wall protrusion is disposed at a same elevation as the edge.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the side wall protrusion abuts the lower member.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the side wall protrusion is spaced from the lower member to form a gap between the protrusion and the lower member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the side wall protrusion projects at least generally toward a central vertical axis of the well from the side wall region.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the holder includes a plurality of wells each having a protrusion that promotes wicking, and wherein the holder provides a plurality of emulsion production units each including at least one of the plurality of wells.

7. A device for holding a sample, comprising:

a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the floor defining a protrusion projecting upwardly in the well, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well;

wherein the lower member defines a recess under the protrusion.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the lower member is a sheet member having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the sheet member is deformed such that the top surface defines the protrusion and the bottom surface defines the recess.

9. A method of making a device for holding a sample, the method comprising:

providing an upper member defining at least one through-hole bounded by a side wall region, the side wall region extending from a top border to a bottom border and widening toward the bottom border at a position intermediate the top border and the bottom border to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the through-hole into an upper portion and a lower portion;

attaching a lower member to an underside of the upper member to create a well bounded laterally by the side wall region and having a floor formed by the lower member; and

deforming the lower member to define a protrusion adapted to promote wicking of an aqueous sample into the lower portion from the upper portion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of attaching creates a plurality of wells, and wherein the step of deforming creates a plurality of recesses in a bottom surface of the lower member, with each recess being aligned with a different well.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of deforming includes a step of heating the lower member and a step of applying pressure to the lower member, and wherein the step of heating and the step of applying pressure are performed with a same tool.

12. A device for holding a sample, comprising:

a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the floor defining a protrusion projecting upwardly into the upper portion of the well, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein a bottom surface region of the lower member under the protrusion is flat.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the channel communicates with at least one other well of the holder.