Acoustically mediated fluid transfer methods and uses thereof

• US 8,137,640 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labcyte, Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EDC Biosystems, Inc.
• Inventors: Mansour, N. Nicolas, Lee, Lawrence Jr., Forbush, Michael J., Williams, Roger O., Jutty, Tarlochan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUDLOW, JAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/964,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/501, 422/509, 422516-518, 436/180, 347/21, 347/46, 347/68, 347/95
• US Class Current: 422/501
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00362 Acoustic nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00641 the porous medium being continuous, e.g. porous oxide substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0433 vibrational forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0436 acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0615 spray being produced at the free surface of the liquid or other fluent material in a container and subjected to the vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 30/04 by measuring the ability to specifically bind a target molecule, e.g. antibody-antigen binding, receptor-ligand binding
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/02 Libraries contained in or displayed by microorganisms, e.g. bacteria or animal cells; Libraries contained in or displayed by vectors, e.g. plasmids; Libraries containing only microorganisms or vectors
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/04 Libraries containing only organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/08 : Libraries containing RNA or DNA which encodes proteins, e.g. gene libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 : Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 50/00 : Methods of creating libraries, e.g. combinatorial synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 7/00 : Pumps displacing fluids by using inertia thereof, e.g. by generating vibrations therein
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/11 : Filling or emptying of cuvettes
• 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 137/2196 : Acoustical or thermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Invention methods employ the use of acoustic waves to transfer small amounts of fluid in a non-contact manner. In invention methods, acoustic waves are propagated through a separated pool of a source fluid in such a manner that causes the ejection of a single micro-droplet from the surface of the pool. The droplet is ejected towards a target with sufficient force to provide for contact of the droplet with the target. Because the fluid is not contacted by any fluid transfer device such as a pipette, the opportunities for contamination are minimized. Invention methods may be employed to transfer fluids from an array of source sites to an array of target sites, thereby enabling the precision automation of a wide variety of procedures including screening, and synthesis procedures commonly used in biotechnology.

Claims

1. A system for acoustically propelling a portion of a volume of a first liquid from a surface of the first liquid, the system comprising

(a) an acoustic liquid deposition emitter configured to provide sufficient acoustic energy to the first liquid to propel said portion from the volume of the first liquid;

and

(b) a first well for holding the first liquid;

(c) wherein the first well is spaced a distance from the acoustic liquid deposition emitter; and

(d) wherein at least one of the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the first well is operable to move so that the distance between the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the first well is variable.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to maintain a distance between the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the surface of the first liquid as the volume of the first liquid in the first well decreases by moving at least one of the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the stage.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic liquid deposition emitter is operable to move to compensate as the level of the first liquid changes in the first well.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the well is operable to move to compensate as the level of the first liquid changes in the first well.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic liquid deposition emitter comprises a piezoelectric transducer that generates the energy and a lens that focuses the energy toward the surface of the first liquid.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a reservoir configured to hold a liquid that transmits the acoustic energy in contact with the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the first well.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a second well adjacent to the first well, and wherein the first well and the second well are movable so that the second well is positionable in sufficient proximity to the acoustic liquid deposition emitter that the energy from the acoustic liquid deposition emitter propels a portion of a volume of a second liquid from the second well.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the first well and the second well form a portion of a multiwell plate.

9. A system for acoustically propelling a portion of a volume of a first liquid from a first well, the system comprising:

(a) an acoustic liquid deposition emitter configured to provide sufficient acoustic energy to the first liquid to propel said portion from the volume of the first liquid; and

(b) a stage for holding the first well;

(c) wherein at least one of the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the stage is operable to move so that the distance between the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the first well is variable.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the system is configured to maintain a distance between the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and a surface of the first liquid as the volume of the first liquid in the first well decreases by moving at least one of the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the stage.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the acoustic liquid deposition emitter is operable to move to compensate as the level of the first liquid changes in the first well.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the stage is operable to move to compensate as the level of the first liquid changes in the first well.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the acoustic liquid deposition emitter comprises a piezoelectric transducer that generates the energy and a lens that focuses the energy toward the surface of the first liquid.

14. A system according to claim 9, further comprising a reservoir configured to hold a liquid that transmits the acoustic energy in contact with the acoustic liquid deposition emitter and the first well.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the stage is configured to hold a second well adjacent to the first well, and wherein the stage is movable so that the second well is positionable in sufficient proximity to the acoustic liquid deposition emitter that the energy from the acoustic liquid deposition emitter propels a portion of a volume of a second liquid from the second well.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the first well and the second well form a portion of a multiwell plate.