Scanning apparatus and method useful for detection of chemical and biological analytes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10858701-B2
Application number	US-201815998727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2018
Priority date	Aug 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus can include a vessel, a reference surface, a preload, a scan actuator, and a transmitter. The reference surface can form a structural loop with a detector. The preload can be configured to urge the vessel to contact an area on the reference surface. The scan actuator can be configured to slide the vessel along the reference surface in a scan dimension. The transmitter can be configured to direct signal from the vessel to a detector and/or direct energy from an energy source to the vessel, when the vessel is urged by the preload to contact the reference surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detection apparatus, comprising:
(a) a vessel comprising a rack, a lumen and a wall, wherein the wall comprises an internal surface and an external surface;
(b) a detector;
(c) a rigid body comprising a reference surface, the rigid body fixing the position of the reference surface relative to the position of the detector;
(d) a preload that urges the external surface of the vessel to be in direct contact with the reference surface;
(e) a scan actuator comprising a pinion that engages the rack to slide the vessel along the reference surface in a scan dimension without changing the position of the reference surface relative to the position of the detector; and
(f) a transmitter that directs, to the detector, a signal from the internal surface or the lumen, when the external surface of the vessel is urged by the preload to contact the reference surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preload applies a pushing force on the vessel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preload has a contact area with the vessel that is no larger than the area of contact between the reference surface and the vessel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preload comprises a compressible material configured to contact the vessel or at least one ball bearing configured to contact the vessel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scan dimension is in an xy plane of a Cartesian coordinate system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a z actuator configured to change the relative position of the transmitter and the reference surface in the z dimension of the Cartesian coordinate system.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the scan dimension is linear along the x dimension of the xy plane.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a y actuator configured to change the relative translational position of the vessel and the reference surface along they dimension.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the external surface has length l in scan dimension x, wherein the area of contact on the reference surface has a maximum length in the scan dimension x that is shorter than length l.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the scan dimension is an arcuate path in the xy plane.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the transmitter comprises an array of lenses, wherein each lens in the array is configured to observe a discrete area in the xy plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the vessel comprises an array of sites, and wherein each lens in the array of lenses is configured to observe a single site in the array of sites.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein one or more analytes are attached to one or more sites in the array of sites.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the array comprises at least 1,000 of the sites per cm 2 and wherein the detector is configured to distinguish the sites.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises one or more perforations, and wherein the pinion comprises a gear that interacts with the one or more perforations.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises radiation, and wherein the transmitter comprises an optical objective.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the rigid body comprises an opening for the optical objective and the reference surface surrounds the opening.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the preload has a contact area with the vessel that is opposite the reference surface that surrounds the opening.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a radiation source, the rigid body fixing the position of the reference surface relative to the position of the radiation source.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein energy from the radiation source is directed through the transmitter to the internal surface or the lumen when the external surface of the vessel is urged by the preload to contact the reference surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the radiation source is configured to direct energy through the transmitter and then to the lumen when the external surface of the vessel is urged by the preload to contact the reference surface.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a flow cell having an inlet and outlet in fluid communication with the lumen, and wherein the internal surface of the wall comprises an array of nucleic acid sites.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the preload comprises a compressible material configured to contact the vessel.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to direct, to the detector, a signal from the internal surface, when the external surface of the vessel is urged by the preload to contact the reference surface.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein a plurality of analytes is attached to the internal surface.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the analytes comprise nucleic acids.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the analytes comprise ternary complexes, each of the ternary complexes comprising a polymerase, primed nucleic acid and cognate nucleotide.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the analytes comprise cells.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a cartridge that contains a flow cell and the cartridge comprises the rack.

Assignees

• Omniome Inc

Inventors

• Buermann Dale
• Erickstad Michael John
• Mcginley Rebecca
• Nemiroski Alex
• Rapoport Harry Scott
• Oliphant Arnold

Classifications

• G01N21/90 Primary

  in a container or its contents (G01N21/91 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/13

  Moving of cuvettes or solid samples to or from the investigating station {(handling materials for automatic analysis G01N35/00)} · CPC title

• B01L9/00

  Supporting devices; Holding devices · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• G01N2021/6439

  with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks · CPC title