System and method with reflective fiducials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020064266-A1
Application number	US-201816482653-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Feb 27, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Fiducial markers are provided on patterned arrays of the type that may be used for molecular analysis, such as sequencing. The fiducials may have configurations that enhance their detection in image or detection data, that facilitate or improve processing, that provide encoding of useful information, and so forth. Examples of the fiducials may include features and materials that are provided on or in the support of the array and that return at least a portion of incident light by reflection. The fiducials may form gratings or other encoding configurations that assist in image processing, alignment, or other aspects of processing of the array.

First claim

1 . An array, comprising:
a support having locations that, in operation, receive biological samples differing from one another to respond differently in successive cycles of fluorescent imaging; and a fiducial feature that is formed in or on the support and that is optically reflective to, during imaging, return at least a portion of incident radiation for locating, adjusting the location of, or registering the support or the locations.

2 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature is disposed over a surface of the support.

3 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature is formed into the support.

4 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature lies outside of an area in which the locations are provided.

5 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature comprises a Bragg grating.

6 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a glass material, a semiconductor material, or combinations thereof, and wherein the fiducial feature comprises a metallic material.

7 . The array of claim 1 , wherein in performing the successive cycles of fluorescent imaging only some of the biological samples appear in successive images to the exclusion of other of the biological samples, but in which the fiducial feature appears in all images.

8 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the successive cycles of fluorescent imaging are performed utilizing light at different wavelengths.

9 . The array of claim 8 , wherein the successive cycles of fluorescent imaging are performed utilizing light at at least two different wavelengths, and wherein a fluorescent material of the fiducial feature is responsive to both of the at least two different wavelengths.

10 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the locations are disposed in a regular repeating pattern on the support.

11 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a plurality of areas of the locations, and wherein the fiducial feature is provided in each of the plurality of areas.

12 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the biological samples comprise nucleic acid sequences.

13 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature comprises a registration fiducial located among the locations of the support that receive the biological samples.

14 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature comprises an auto-centering fiducial located outside of an area on the support where the locations of the support that receive the biological samples are disposed.

15 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature comprises adjacent but non-concentric shapes.

16 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature comprises a non-closed shape.

17 . The array of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fiducial features, and wherein the plurality of fiducial features is disposed on the support in a non-rectilinear layout.

18 . The array of claim 1 , wherein the fiducial feature is structured to produce image data encoding information.

19 . A method, comprising:
disposing biological samples at a plurality of locations on a support, the biological samples differing from one another to respond differently in successive cycles of fluorescent imaging; and disposing a fiducial feature on the support, the fiducial feature being optically reflective to, during imaging, return at least a portion of incident radiation for locating, adjusting the location of, or registering the support or the plurality of locations.

20 . A method, comprising:
accessing image data encoding successive images of biological samples disposed at locations on a support, the biological samples differing from one another to respond differently in successive cycles of fluorescent imaging, the image data further encoding images of a fiducial feature on the support, the fiducial feature being optically reflective to, during imaging, return at least a portion of incident radiation for locating, adjusting the location of, or registering the support or the locations; registering, for the successive images, the locations on the support by reference to the fiducial feature; and processing the registered successive images to transform data derived from the registered successive images to sequence data.

Assignees

• Illumina Inc

Inventors

• Vieceli John S
• Nemiroski Alex
• Belitz Paul
• Langlois Robert
• Bowen M Shane
• Chan Danny Yuan
• Venkatesan Bala Murali K
• Han Hui
• Samiee Kevan
• Tanner Stephen

Classifications

• B01L9/56

  Means for indicating position of a recipient or sample in an array · CPC title

• G01N21/6452 Primary

  Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates · CPC title

• G01N21/6456 Primary

  Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging · CPC title

• B01L2200/143

  Quality control, feedback systems · CPC title

• G01N2021/6421

  Measuring at two or more wavelengths · CPC title