Roughly cylindrical sample containers having multiple reservoirs therein and being adapted for acoustic ejections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396019-B2
Application number	US-202117200151-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 15, 2014
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

Provided herein is generally tubular container, preferably including a plurality of reservoirs defined therein. The container can be adapted for acoustic ejection of a fluid disposed within at least one of the reservoirs of the plurality of reservoirs. Alternatively, the container can be adapted for extraction of a fluid disposed within at least one of the reservoirs of the plurality of reservoirs using a non-acoustic liquid handling method.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for extracting fluid from a plurality of reservoirs of a container, the method comprising:
positioning an acoustic ejector relative to a first reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs such that a first acoustic beam of the acoustic ejector is directed toward the first reservoir;
ejecting a first droplet from the first reservoir;
re-positioning the acoustic ejector relative to a second reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs such that a second acoustic beam of the acoustic ejector is directed toward the second reservoir; and
ejecting a second droplet from the second reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir comprises a compound at a first concentration and wherein the second reservoir comprises the compound at a second concentration, and wherein the method further comprises constructing a dose-response curve using at least the first droplet and the second droplet.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir comprises a first compound, wherein the second reservoir comprises a second compound; and wherein the first compound is different than the second compound.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a motion system configured to:
move the acoustic ejector to position the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir such that the first acoustic beam is directed toward the first reservoir; and
move the acoustic ejector to re-position the acoustic ejector relative to the second reservoir such that the second acoustic beam is directed toward the second reservoir.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising a controller, wherein a first location of the first reservoir is received by the controller and sent to the motion system prior to the motion system moving the acoustic ejector to position the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir; and wherein a second location of the second reservoir is received by the controller and sent to the motion system prior to the motion system moving the acoustic ejector to re-position the acoustic ejector relative to the second reservoir.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to identify a first center of the first reservoir using at least one first acoustic echo from a first bottom of the first reservoir in order to move the acoustic ejector to position the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir; and wherein the controller is configured to identify a second center of the second reservoir using at least one second acoustic echo from a second bottom of the second reservoir in order to move the acoustic ejector to re-position the acoustic ejector relative to the second reservoir.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a motion system configured to:
move the container to position the first reservoir relative to the acoustic ejector such that the first acoustic beam is directed toward the first reservoir; and
move the container to re-position the second reservoir relative to the acoustic ejector such that the second acoustic beam is directed toward the second reservoir.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a controller, wherein a first location of the first reservoir is received by the controller and sent to the motion system prior to the motion system moving the container to position the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir; and wherein a second location of the second reservoir is received by the controller and sent to the motion system prior to the motion system moving the container to re-position the acoustic ejector relative to the second reservoir.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to identify a first center of the first reservoir using at least one first acoustic echo from a first bottom of the first reservoir in order to move the container to position the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir; and wherein the controller is configured to identify a second center of the second reservoir using at least one second acoustic echo from a second bottom of the second reservoir in order to move the container to re-position the acoustic ejector relative to the second reservoir.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a motion system, wherein the container is stacked with at least one other container, and wherein the motion system is configured to de-stack the container from the at least one other container prior to positioning the acoustic ejector relative to the first reservoir.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each reservoir comprises a lid, and wherein the motion system is configured to:
de-lid the first reservoir prior to ejecting the first droplet from the first reservoir; and
de-lid the second reservoir prior to ejecting the second droplet from the second reservoir.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is a generally tubular container and wherein the container comprises more than two reservoirs.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs is cylindrical.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein each reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs comprises a different concentration of a compound.

15. A method for extracting fluid from a plurality of reservoirs of a container, the method comprising: ejecting a first droplet from a first reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs; ejecting a second droplet from a second reservoir of the plurality of reservoirs; and constructing a dose-response curve using at least the first droplet and the second droplet.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first droplet comprises a first concentration of the compound, wherein the second droplet comprises a second concentration of the compound, and wherein the first concentration is different than the second concentration.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first reservoir comprises a first compound, wherein a third reservoir comprises a second compound, and wherein the first compound is different than the second compound.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the container is a generally tubular container.

Assignees

• Labcyte Inc

Inventors

• Ellson Richard N

Classifications

• B01L3/50857 Primary

  using arrays or bundles of open capillaries for holding samples · CPC title

• B01L3/0244

  using pins · CPC title

• B01J2219/00313

  the reactor vessels being formed by arrays of wells in blocks · CPC title

• B01L2400/0436

  acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW] · CPC title

• B01L3/0268

  using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries · CPC title