Droplet transport system for detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393560-B2
Application number	US-201113341688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2011
Priority date	Mar 25, 2010
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Method of transporting droplets for detection. An emulsion disposed in a container and including droplets may be provided. Contact may be created between a tip and the emulsion. The tip may be connected to an examination region and may include an outer tube and an inner tube. The outer tube may form a first open end and surround an enclosed portion of the inner tube. The inner tube may extend out of the first open end to create a projecting portion forming a second open end below the first open end. Droplets of the emulsion may be loaded into the inner tube via the second open end. Loaded droplets may be moved from the inner tube to the examination region. Fluid may be dispensed onto the projecting portion of the inner tube from the first open end formed by the outer tube.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of transporting droplets for detection, comprising:
providing an emulsion disposed in a container and including droplets;
creating contact between a tip and the emulsion by moving at least one of the tip and the container relative to each other, the tip being connected to an examination region and including an outer tube and an inner tube, the outer tube forming a first open end and surrounding an enclosed portion of the inner tube, the inner tube extending out of the first open end to create a projecting portion forming a second open end below the first open end;
loading droplets of the emulsion into the inner tube via the second open end;
moving loaded droplets from the inner tube to the examination region; and
dispensing a first fluid onto the projecting portion of the inner tube from the first open end formed by the outer tube, and a second fluid from the second open end formed by the inner tube.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating contact generates contact between the emulsion and the inner tube and not between the emulsion and the outer tube.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating contact includes a step of disposing at least a lower region of the projecting portion in the container.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tip is connected to the examination region via a channel network, wherein the inner tube defines an inner channel, and wherein the step of loading droplets includes a step of applying a negative pressure to the inner channel from the channel network.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inner tube defines an inner channel, further comprising a step of dispensing cleaning fluid from the inner channel via the second open end.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating contact includes a step of moving the emulsion while the tip is held stationary.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of detecting light from the examination region as droplets flow through the examination region.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of thermally cycling the droplets.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of increasing an average distance between droplets as the droplets are moved to the examination region.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid is miscible with water.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid includes an alcohol or a ketone.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inner tube and the outer tube are coaxial to each other.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of dispensing is performed at a wash station.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of dispensing is performed after the step of loading droplets.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the droplets are disposed in a continuous phase, and wherein the first fluid is miscible with the second fluid and the continuous phase and not miscible with the droplets.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are the same as one another.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion is a first emulsion of an array of emulsions, further comprising a step of loading droplets of a second emulsion of the array of emulsions into the inner tube via the second open end after the step of dispensing.

Assignees

• Ness Kevin D
• Hindson Benjamin J
• Makarewicz Jr Anthony J
• Hiddessen Amy L
• Bio Rad Laboratories

Inventors

• Ness Kevin D
• Hindson Benjamin J
• Makarewicz Jr Anthony J
• Hiddessen Amy L

Classifications

• B01L2400/0478

  pistons · CPC title

• B01L3/021 Primary

  Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids · CPC title

• B01L2200/0673

  Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid · CPC title

• B01L2400/0622

  distribution valves, valves having multiple inlets and/or outlets, e.g. metering valves, multi-way valves · CPC title