Inverted orientation for a microplate

• US 7,429,479 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harding, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lauchman; L. G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRYANT, REBECCA CAROLE
• Application Number:
  US11/766,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 356/246, 435/288.4, 435/6, 435/91.1, 435/91.2
• US Class Current: 435/288.4
• 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 microplate for conducting a PCR amplification of polynucleotide, the microplate comprising:

a main body having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a plurality of material retention regions in or on the main body, each of the plurality of material retention regions sized to receive a liquid sample to be thermocycled; and

a first sealing cover adjacent the first surface of the main body and preventing fluid communication between at least a first of the plurality of material retention regions and a second of the plurality of material retention regions when the first and second of the plurality of material retention regions contain the liquid sample, wherein the liquid sample is in contact with the first sealing cover when the main body is inverted.

2. The microplate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of material retention regions comprise a plurality of through-holes, each of the plurality of through-holes having a first opening on the first surface and a second opening on the second surface,

the first sealing cover prevents fluid communication between a first opening of a first of the plurality of through-holes and a first opening of a second of the plurality of through-holes;

and the microplate further comprises;

a second sealing cover adjacent the second surface of the main body and preventing fluid communication between a second opening of the first of the plurality of through-holes and a second opening of the second of the plurality of through-holes.

3. A method for performing PCR amplification of a liquid polynucleotide sample, the method comprising:

loading a quantity of liquid polynucleotide sample into a microplate, the microplate having a main body having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a plurality of material retention regions in or on the main body, each of the plurality of material retention regions retaining a portion of the quantity of the liquid polynucleotide sample;

covering the first surface of the main body with a sealing cover, thereby isolating the liquid polynucleotide sample retained in a first of the plurality of material retention regions from the liquid polynucleotide sample retained in a second of the plurality of material retention regions;

inverting the microplate, thereby placing the microplate in an inverted position; and

thermocycling the liquid polynucleotide sample in contact with the sealing cover while the microplate is in the inverted position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of material retention regions comprises a through-hole, each through-hole having a first opening on the first surface and a second opening on the second surface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the microplate has a foil cover adjacent the second surface of the main body and the method further comprises:

placing the foil cover of the inverted microplate in thermal communication with a thermal block for thermocycling.

6. A method for analyzing a liquid polynucleotide sample, the method comprising:

loading a quantity of liquid polynucleotide sample into a microplate, the microplate having a main body having a first surface and an opposing second surface and a plurality of material retention regions in or on the main body, each of the plurality of material retention regions retaining a portion of the quantity of the liquid polynucleotide sample;

covering the first surface of the main body with a sealing cover, thereby isolating the liquid polynucleotide sample retained in a first of the plurality of material retention regions from the liquid polynucleotide sample retained in a second of the plurality of material retention regions;

inverting the microplate, thereby placing the microplate in an inverted position, while the microplate is in the inverted position, thermocycling the liquid polynucleotide sample in contact with the sealing cover; and

measuring a fluorescent emission from at least one of the plurality of material retention regions through the sealing cover.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of material retention regions comprises a through-hole, each through-hole having a first opening on the first surface and a second opening on the second surface.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

placing the sealing cover of the inverted microplate adjacent a transparent window;

heating the transparent window; and

measuring a fluorescent emission from at least one of the plurality of through-holes through the transparent window.