Sample holder with a well having a wicking promoter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9399215-B2
Application number	US-201313863231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2013
Priority date	Apr 13, 2012
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

Sample holding system, including methods and apparatus, including a holder defining a well having a wicking promoter that encourages flow of a sample to the bottom of the well. Methods of making and using the holder are also disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device for holding a sample, comprising:
a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the well including a side wall protrusion defined by the upper member and adapted to promote wicking of an aqueous sample into the lower portion from the upper portion, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well and with a channel junction that provides a droplet generator;
wherein the side wall protrusion is contiguous with the edge.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a top of the side wall protrusion is disposed at a same elevation as the edge.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the side wall protrusion abuts the lower member.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the side wall protrusion is spaced from the lower member to form a gap between the protrusion and the lower member.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the side wall protrusion projects at least generally toward a central vertical axis of the well from the side wall region.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a plurality of wells each having a protrusion that promotes wicking, and wherein the holder provides a plurality of emulsion production units each including at least one of the plurality of wells.

7. A device for holding a sample, comprising:
a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the floor defining a protrusion projecting upwardly in the well, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well;
wherein the lower member defines a recess under the protrusion.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the lower member is a sheet member having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the sheet member is deformed such that the top surface defines the protrusion and the bottom surface defines the recess.

9. A method of making a device for holding a sample, the method comprising:
providing an upper member defining at least one through-hole bounded by a side wall region, the side wall region extending from a top border to a bottom border and widening toward the bottom border at a position intermediate the top border and the bottom border to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the through-hole into an upper portion and a lower portion;
attaching a lower member to an underside of the upper member to create a well bounded laterally by the side wall region and having a floor formed by the lower member; and
deforming the lower member to define a protrusion adapted to promote wicking of an aqueous sample into the lower portion from the upper portion.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of attaching creates a plurality of wells, and wherein the step of deforming creates a plurality of recesses in a bottom surface of the lower member, with each recess being aligned with a different well.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of deforming includes a step of heating the lower member and a step of applying pressure to the lower member, and wherein the step of heating and the step of applying pressure are performed with a same tool.

12. A device for holding a sample, comprising:
a holder including an upper member attached to a lower member to form a well having a side wall region and a floor, the side wall region extending from a top border to the floor and widening toward the floor at a position intermediate the top border and the floor to create a distinct edge that conceptually divides the well into an upper portion and a lower portion, the floor defining a protrusion projecting upwardly into the upper portion of the well, the holder defining a channel communicating with the lower portion of the well.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein a bottom surface region of the lower member under the protrusion is flat.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the channel communicates with at least one other well of the holder.

Assignees

• Bio Rad Laboratories Inc

Inventors

• Cauley Iii Thomas H
• Bousse Luc
• Petersen Jonathan
• Ness Kevin D
• Romine Steven

Classifications

• G01N1/00

  Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation · CPC title

• Y10T156/10

  Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor · CPC title

• B01L2300/161

  Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic · CPC title

• Y10T156/1002

  with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina · CPC title

• B01L2200/0673

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