INVERTED ORIENTATION FOR A MICROPLATE

• US 20070248976A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applera Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harding, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• 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 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/022 Transponder chips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0293 for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• 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 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 : specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50853 : with covers or lids
• 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: B01L 9/523 : for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/56 : Means for indicating position of a recipient or sample in an array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00148 : Test cards, e.g. Biomerieux or McDonnel multiwell test cards
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 : Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0405 : manipulating closing or opening means, e.g. stoppers, screw caps, lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0425 : Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 : Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 : Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/553 : and using surface plasmons fluorescence excitation G01N21/648; enhanced Raman G01N21/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 : Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 : using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 : having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates

Abstract

A method of conducting amplification comprising loading a liquid polynucleotide sample into a well of a microplate and covering the well of the microplate with a cover, such that the cover fluidly seals the liquid polynucleotide sample within the well. The method then comprises inverting the microplate such that the liquid polynucleotide sample contacts the cover; and thermocycling the microplate to promote amplification of polynucleotides in the liquid polynucleotide sample.

Claims

1. A method of conducting amplification comprising:

(a) loading a liquid polynucleotide sample into a well of a microplate;

(b) covering said well of said microplate with a cover such that said cover fluidly seals said liquid polynucleotide sample within said well;

(c) inverting said microplate such that said liquid polynucleotide sample contacts said cover; and

(d) thermocycling said microplate to promote amplification of polynucleotides in said liquid polynucleotide sample.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said liquid polynucleotide sample is operable to emit an optical signal during an amplification reaction, said thermocycling said microplate further comprises:

(i) placing said inverted microplate in contact with a thermal device;

(ii) thermocycling said microplate to effect said amplification of said polynucleotides in said liquid polynucleotide sample; and

(ii) detecting said optical signal.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said detecting said optical signal comprises:

detecting said optical signal through said cover.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein said detecting said optical signal comprises:

detecting said optical signal through at least a portion of said microplate.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

centrifuging said microplate after said inverting said microplate.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said loading a liquid polynucleotide sample into said well of said microplate comprises:

loading a liquid polynucleotide sample having a plurality of primers and probes into said well of said microplate.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

coating at least one of a primer and a probe to said well of said microplate.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

coating a buffer to said well of said microplate.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with a substantially rigid cover.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with an optically transparent cover.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

coupling said cover to said microplate using a pressure sensitive adhesive.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

coupling said cover to said microplate using a silicone adhesive having low fluorescence.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with a cover, a material of said cover being selected from the group consisting essentially of glass, silicon, quartz, nylon, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polycarbonate, polycyclic olefin, cellulose acetate, metal and combinations thereof.

14. A method of conducting polymerase chain reaction analysis comprising:

(a) loading an assay into a well of a microplate;

(b) applying a cover to said well of said microplate such that said cover fluidly seals said assay within said well;

(c) inverting said microplate such that said assay contacts said cover; and

(d) thermocycling said microplate to promote amplification of said assay.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said assay is operable to emit an optical signal during an amplification reaction, said thermocycling said microplate further comprises:

(i) placing said inverted microplate in contact with a thermal device;

(ii) thermocycling said microplate to effect said amplification of said polynucleotides in said assay; and

(ii) detecting said optical signal.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein said detecting said optical signal comprises:

detecting said optical signal through said cover.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein said detecting said optical signal comprises:

detecting said optical signal through at least a portion of said microplate.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

centrifuging said microplate after said inverting said microplate.

19. The method according to claim 14 wherein said loading a assay into said well of said microplate comprises:

loading a assay having a plurality of primers and probes into said well of said microplate.

20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

coating at least one of a primer and a probe to said well of said microplate.

21. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

coating a buffer to said well of said microplate.

22. The method according to claim 14 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with a substantially rigid cover.

23. The method according to claim 14 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with an optically transparent cover.

24. The method according to claim 14 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

coupling said cover to said microplate using a pressure sensitive adhesive.

25. The method according to claim 14 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

coupling said cover to said microplate using a silicone adhesive having low fluorescence.

26. The method according to claim 14 wherein said covering said well of said microplate with said cover comprises:

covering said well of said microplate with a cover, a material of said cover being selected from the group consisting essentially of glass, silicon, quartz, nylon, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polycarbonate, polycyclic olefin, cellulose acetate, metal and combinations thereof.

27. A microplate comprising:

a main body;

a plurality of wells disposed in said main body, said plurality of wells being sized to receive an assay; and

a cover operably coupled to said main body, said cover substantially sealing at least one of said plurality of wells when said plurality of wells contain said assay and said main body is inverted so that said assay is in contact with said sealing covering cover.

28. The microplate according to claim 27, further comprising:

at least one primer and probe disposed in at least one of said plurality of wells.

29. The microplate according to claim 28 wherein said at least one primer and probe are coated to said at least one of said plurality of wells.

30. The microplate according to claim 29, further comprising:

a buffer coated to said at least one of said plurality of wells.

31. The microplate according to claim 27 wherein said sealing cover includes a pressure sensitive adhesive.

32. The microplate according to claim 31 wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is a silicone adhesive having low fluorescence.

33. The microplate according to claim 27 wherein said main body comprises a thermally conductive plastic.

34. The microplate according to claim 27 wherein said cover is substantially rigid.

35. The microplate according to claim 27 wherein said cover is optically transparent.

36. The microplate according to claim 27 wherein said cover comprises a material selected from the group consisting essentially of glass, silicon, quartz, nylon, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polycarbonate, polycyclic olefin, cellulose acetate, metal and combinations thereof.