High density plate filler

• US 9,052,298 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Reed, Mark T., Carrillo, Albert L., Harding, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVKOVICH, NATALIA A
• Application Number:
  US13/049,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20110220239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 422/502, 422/552, 422/553, 422/503
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/0689 Sealing
• 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 3/50851 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 3/563 Joints or fittings in general F16L; Separable fluid transfer means to transfer fluids between at least two containers, e.g. connectors
• 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 9/50 : Clamping means, tongs in general F16B2/06
• 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 21/274 : Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 : Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 : having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates

Abstract

A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate can comprise a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. A substrate can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first assay input port for receiving the assay disposed on the first surface, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, and a first plurality of microfluidic channels fluidly coupling the first assay input port with at least one of the plurality of staging capillaries. Each of the plurality of staging capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet and be sized to receive the assay.

Claims

1. A filling apparatus for filling a microplate, comprising:

a microplate comprising a plurality of openings for receiving one or more solutions, the openings disposed along a top surface and defining a plurality of groups of openings, each group of openings including a two-dimensional array of openings from the plurality of openings;

a first substrate comprising a plurality of input ports configured to receive the one or more solutions; and

an intermediate substrate disposed between the first substrate and the microplate, the intermediate substrate comprising groupings of channels disposed in a two-dimensional pattern along a plane parallel to top surface of the microplate, each grouping of channels disposed over only one of the groups of openings and below only one of the input ports;

wherein the intermediate substrate is disposed such that each group of openings is in fluid communication with only one of the input ports and such that each input port is in simultaneous fluid communication with the openings of only one of the groups of openings.

2. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microplate comprises a plurality of wells corresponding to respective openings of the plurality of openings, the wells configured to hold the one or more solutions, each opening being a part of its respective well.

3. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microplate comprises a surface tension relief post protruding from a surface of the microplate, the surface tension relief post being aligned to one of the plurality of input ports of the first substrate.

4. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the intermediate substrate from a single unit.

5. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input port of the first substrate is located at a center of a respective group of channels of the intermediate plate.

6. The filling apparatus of claim 5, wherein each group of channels is isolated and separated from the remaining groups of channels.

7. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the groups of channels is configured so that one of the groups of openings of the microplate is in fluid communication with one of the input ports of the first substrate and is not in fluid communication with the remaining input ports of the first substrate.

8. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microplate comprises a plurality of through-holes, each through-hole comprising one of the openings and an output port, the output ports corresponding to respective openings of the plurality of openings of the microplate, the plurality of output ports configured to deliver one or more solutions to a holder.

9. The filling apparatus of claim 8, wherein each output port comprises a staging capillary and each staging capillary comprises an interior surface that is hydrophilic.

10. The filling apparatus of claim 8, wherein each channel comprises surface that is hydrophilic.

11. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the groups of channels is configured so that one of the groups of openings of the microplate is in fluid communication with one of the input ports of the first substrate and is not in fluid communication with the remaining input ports of the first substrate.

12. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microplate comprises a surface tension relief post protruding from a surface of the microplate, the surface tension relief post being aligned to one of the plurality of input ports of the first substrate.

13. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the intermediate substrate from a single unit.

14. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein each input port is aligned with a center of the grouping of channels for which it provides fluid communication.

15. The filling apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluidic channels are formed along an underside of the first substrate.