Assay with rapid temperature change

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025303421-A1
Application number	US-202519236110-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2025
Priority date	Aug 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 2, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides devices, systems, and methods for rapid and easy-to-use in sample thermal cycling or temperature changes for the facilitation of reactions such as but not limited to PCR.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A device for changing temperature of a layer of a sample, comprising: a first plate, a second plate, spacers, and a radiation absorbing layer, wherein:
each plate comprises a surface that comprises a sample-contacting area for contacting the sample; and the spaces are located on one or both of the first and second plates, and the spacers have a height for regulating the spacing between sample-contacting areas of the first and second plates.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a clamp, wherein the clamp is capable of compressing the first plate and the second plate and securely fastening their sample-contacting areas together so that the layer is sandwiched between the sample-contacting areas.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plate has a thickness of 100 um (micron) or less; the first plate and the second plate are movable relative to each other to form different configurations, including a closed configuration; the spacers have a uniform height that is equal to or less than 200 um; wherein in the closed configuration, the first and second plates are configured to compress at least a part of the sample into a layer between the sample-contacting areas of the first and second plates, wherein the thickness of the layer is regulated by the spacers.

4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second plates and the clamp are configured to allow a temperature of the sample to change at a rate of 10° C./s or higher.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a clamp capable of compressing the first plate and the second plate together.

6 . A system for rapidly changing temperature of a thin fluidic sample layer, comprising:
the device of claim 1 , a radiation source, wherein the radiation source is configured to radiate electromagnetic waves that the radiation absorbing layer absorbs significantly; and a controller is configured to control the radiation source and change the temperature of the layer.

7 . A method for rapidly changing temperature of a thin fluidic sample layer, comprising:
providing a device of claim 1 or the system of claim 6 ; depositing a fluid sample on the sample-contacting area of one or both of the first and second plates; Bring the first and second plates together to compress at least a part of the sample into a layer of a thickness less than 200um; and changing the temperature of the layer by changing the presence, intensity, wavelength, frequency, and/or angle of the electromagnetic waves from the radiation source.

8 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the clamp is configured to comprise a heat insulator layer to reduce the heat conduction between the clamp and the plates, wherein the heat insulator layer comprises a material of a thermal conductivity of 2 W/m-K.

9 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising clamping the first and second plates to prevent or reduce at least a part of the sample flow from one location of the first and second plates to the other location of the first and second plates.

10 . The device of claim 3 , wherein, in the closed configuration of the plates, the clamp is configured to have thermal conduction contact with a part of the surface of the plates.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the clamp has a thermal conduction contact with only the peripheral surface area of the plates.

Assignees

• Essenlix Corp

Inventors

• Chou Stephen Y
• Ding Wei
• Zhang Yufan
• Qi Ji

Classifications

• C12Q1/686 Primary

  Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] · CPC title

• B01L2300/06

  Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components · CPC title

• B01L2300/1811

  using electromagnetic induction heating · CPC title

• B01L2300/12

  Specific details about materials · CPC title

• B01L2300/0809

  rectangular shaped · CPC title