Well plate cover with embedded electronic sensors for monitoring cell metabolism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11175281-B2
Application number	US-201816108040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A testing system includes a well cover portion, a sensor portion extending from the well cover portion, a sensing surface disposed on the sensor portion, a conducting wire extending through the sensor portion and contacting the sensing surface, a transducer connected to the conducting wire, and a reference electrode extending through the well cover portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A testing system comprising:
a well cover portion;
a sensor portion extending from the well cover portion;
a sensing surface disposed on the sensor portion;
a conducting wire extending through the sensor portion and contacting the sensing surface;
a transducer connected to the conducting wire; and
a reference electrode extending through the well cover portion.

2. The testing system of claim 1 , further comprising an automation circuit connected to the transducer and the reference electrode.

3. The testing system of claim 2 , wherein the automation circuit further comprises:
a memory storing a calibration curve; and
a processor configured to determine a value of a property of interest given a sensing signal current detected by the transducer and the calibration curve.

4. The testing system of claim 1 , further comprising a well plate having a well, wherein the sensor portion extends into a well of the well plate and contacts a sample in the well.

5. The testing system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is one of a bipolar junction transistor and a field-effect transistor.

6. The testing system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is one of a plurality of transducers, wherein each of the plurality of transducers is connected to a respective sensing surface by a respective conducting wire.

7. The testing system of claim 6 , wherein at least two of the sensing surfaces are configured to detect a different property of interest of a sample in the well.

8. The testing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor portion comprises a plurality of needles connected to the conducting wire.

9. The testing system of claim 8 , wherein the sensing surface of each of the plurality of needles is titanium nitride.

10. The testing system of claim 1 , further comprising a film disposed on the sensor portion and connected to the reference electrode.

11. The testing system of claim 10 , wherein the film is formed of one of silver chloride or silver.

12. The testing system of claim 10 , wherein the reference electrode is disposed in the sensor portion.

13. The testing system of claim 1 , wherein the reference electrode extends from the well cover portion is disposed apart from the sensor portion.

14. A testing system comprising:
a well cover portion;
a conducting wire extending through the well cover portion;
a sensing surface electrically connected to the conducting wire;
a transducer connected to the conducting wire; and
a reference electrode extending through the well cover portion.

15. The testing system of claim 14 , further comprising a conduction metal disposed between the conducting wire and the sensing surface.

16. The testing system of claim 15 , wherein the sensing surface extends from the conduction metal and comprises at least one needle.

17. The testing system of claim 14 , further comprising an automation circuit connected to the transducer and the reference electrode.

18. The testing system of claim 17 , wherein the automation circuit further comprises:
a memory storing a calibration curve; and
a processor configured to determine a value of a property of interest given a voltage detected by the transducer and the calibration curve.

19. The testing system of claim 1 , further comprising a well plate having a well, wherein the sensing surface extends into a well of the well plate and contacts a sample in the well.

20. The testing system of claim 8 , wherein the sensing surface is titanium nitride.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Zafar Sufi
• Sosa Norma E

Classifications

• B01L2300/046

  Function or devices integrated in the closure · CPC title

• B01L3/50853 Primary

  with covers or lids (closures for test tubes B01L3/50825) · CPC title

• G01N33/48735

  Investigating suspensions of cells, e.g. measuring microbe concentration (by chemical means C12Q1/04; colony counters C12M1/34; concentration of particle suspensions in general G01N15/06) · CPC title

• B01L2300/0829

  Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates · CPC title

• G01N33/5038 Primary

  involving detection of metabolites per se · CPC title