Reaction vessel systems and methods and systems for using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648018-B2
Application number	US-201715460188-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems that include reaction vessels and reaction vessel caps. In certain aspects, the reaction vessels include a reaction chamber and a groove disposed around a top opening of a reaction chamber. The system also includes a RV cap that includes a cap body, a RV plug, and a lower wall that includes an outer radial groove disposed above an outward projecting ridge of the lower wall. When the cap is inserted into the RV, the RV plug of the RV cap is sealingly inserted into the reaction chamber of the RV, a ridge of the RV mates with the outer radial groove of the RV cap, and an outward projecting ridge of the RV cap mates with the radial groove of the RV. Also provided are methods and sample analysis systems, which may employ the RV/RV cap systems of the present disclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reaction vessel system, comprising:
a reaction vessel (RV) comprising:
a reaction chamber comprising a wall, a top opening, and a closed bottom;
a groove disposed around the perimeter of the top opening of the reaction chamber, the groove comprising:
an outer groove wall disposed radially outward relative to the top opening, and
an inward-projecting ridge, wherein the groove is disposed below the inward-projecting ridge on the outer groove wall;

a RV cap comprising:
a cap body comprising a pipettor barrel interface comprising an open top and a closed bottom;
a RV plug projecting downward from a central region of the bottom of the cap body, the RV plug sized for insertion into and sealing of the reaction chamber of the RV;
a lower wall projecting downward from the perimeter of the bottom of the cap body, the lower wall disposed radially outward relative to the bottom of the cap body and comprising an outward projecting ridge, wherein the lower wall is disposed above the outward projecting ridge of the lower wall,

wherein, when the RV cap is inserted into the RV:
the RV plug of the RV cap is inserted into the reaction chamber of the RV;
the inward-projecting ridge on the outer groove wall of the RV is inserted into the outer radial groove of the RV cap; and
the outward projecting ridge of the RV cap is inserted into the radial groove of the RV.

2. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the RV cap is configured to seal the reaction chamber of the RV.

3. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the top opening of the RV is circular.

4. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber is conical.

5. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber has a round bottom.

6. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a step that forms an upper region and a lower region of the reaction chamber, wherein the shape of the upper region is complementary to the shape of the RV plug.

7. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to be sized to contain a reaction mixture having a volume of from 5 microliters to 1 milliliter.

8. The reaction vessel system of claim 7 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to be sized to contain a reaction mixture having a volume of from 5 microliters to 500 microliters.

9. The reaction vessel system of claim 8 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to be sized to contain a reaction mixture having a volume of from 5 microliters to 100 microliters.

10. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the reaction vessel is flat.

11. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the pipettor barrel interface comprises a step that forms an upper region and a lower region of the interface, wherein the reaction vessel system further comprises a pipettor barrel, and wherein the shape of the upper and lower regions is complementary to the shape of the pipettor barrel.

12. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the RV plug comprises an internal cavity.

13. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the RV plug has a lower convex surface.

14. The reaction vessel system of claim 13 , wherein when the RV cap is inserted into the RV and a reaction mixture is present in the reaction chamber:
the lower convex surface of the RV plug is configured to reduce the void volume within the reaction chamber and displace the air that makes up the void volume to a circumferential space defined by the lower convex surface of the RV plug and the upper surface of the reaction mixture within the reaction chamber.

15. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the RV cap is not integrated with the RV.

16. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , wherein the RV cap is mated to the RV.

17. The reaction vessel system of claim 1 , comprising a pipettor barrel mated with the pipettor barrel interface of the RV cap.

18. A sample analysis system, comprising:
the reaction vessel system of claim 1 ;
a robotic pipettor; and
a plurality of pipette tips, each of the plurality of pipette tips comprising a pipettor barrel interface sized and shaped to mate with a barrel of the pipettor,
wherein the pipettor barrel interface of the RV cap resembles the pipettor barrel interface of each of the plurality of pipette tips.

19. The sample analysis system of claim 18 , wherein the robotic pipettor comprises from 1 to 10 pipettor barrels.

20. The sample analysis system of claim 18 , wherein the system is an automated nucleic acid sample preparation and analysis system and comprises a thermocycler.

21. A reaction vessel system, comprising:
a reaction vessel (RV) comprising:
a reaction chamber comprising a wall, a top opening, and a closed bottom;
a groove disposed around the perimeter of the top opening of the reaction chamber, the groove comprising:
an outer groove wall disposed radially outward relative to the top opening, and
an inward-projecting ridge, wherein the groove is disposed below the inward-projecting ridge on the outer groove wall;

a RV cap comprising:
a cap body comprising a pipettor barrel interface comprising an open top and a closed bottom;
a lower wall projecting downward from the perimeter of the bottom of the cap body, the lower wall disposed radially outward relative to the bottom of the cap body and comprising an outward projecting ridge, wherein the lower wall is disposed above the outward projecting ridge of the lower wall; and

a RV plug projecting downward from the cap body, the RV plug having a lower convex surface and sized for insertion into and sealing of the reaction chamber of the RV;
wherein, when the RV cap is inserted into the RV and a reaction mixture is present in the reaction chamber:
the lower convex surface of the RV plug is configured to reduces the void volume within the reaction chamber and displaces the air that makes up the void volume to a circumferential space defined by the lower convex surface of the RV plug and an upper surface of the reaction mixture within the reaction chamber.

22. The reaction vessel system of claim 21 , wherein when the RV cap is configured to be inserted into the RV when a reaction mixture is present in the reaction chamber, the lower convex surface of the RV plug is configured to contacts the upper surface of the reaction mixture.

23. The reaction vessel system of claim 21 ,
wherein when the RV cap is inserted into the RV, the inward-projecting ridge on the outer groove wall of the RV is inserted into the outer radial groove of the RV cap; and
the outward projecting ridge of the RV cap is inserted into the radial groove of the RV.

24. The reaction vessel system of claim 21 , wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a step that forms an upper region and a lower region of the reaction chamber, wherein the shape of the upper region is complementary to the shape of the RV plug.

25. The reaction vessel system of claim 21 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to be sized to contain a reaction mixture having a volume of from 5 microliters to 100 microliters.

26. The reaction vessel system of claim 21 , wherein the RV cap is not integrated with the RV.

Assignees

• Abbott Molecular Inc

Inventors

• Nana Sonal Sadaria
• Grippo Paul M
• Yeaton Eric D
• Bryant Jason E
• Talmer Mark
• Patel Kavankumar B
• Addison Ii Wesley W

Classifications

• B01L2200/0689

  Sealing · CPC title

• C12Q1/6806 Primary

  Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay (C12Q1/6804 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C12Q1/6851

  Quantitative amplification · CPC title

• B01L2300/042

  Caps; Plugs · CPC title

• B01L3/508

  Rigid containers without fluid transport within · CPC title