Scalable bio-element analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657290-B2
Application number	US-201313791967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A method is provided for detecting one or more analytes in a sample. The method relies, in part, on the ability of functionalized particles added to the sample to partially or completely inhibit the transmission of electromagnetic radiation into and out of the sample through a detection surface in a reaction vessel containing the sample. In a microarray format, the invention can be used to screen millions, billions or more biological elements, such as an organism, cell, protein, nucleic acid, lipid, saccharide, metabolite, or small molecules. Methods, apparatuses and kits are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of extracting a liquid sample solution comprising a biological element from a single microcavity in a microcavity array, wherein each microcavity is associated with an opaque electromagnetic radiation absorbent material that is different than the sample solution, the method comprising,
rapidly expanding at least a portion of the liquid sample solution by heating the material with electromagnetic radiation focused at the material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material at least partially coats or covers the microcavity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least part of the sample solution is expelled on to a hygroscopic capture surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation material is solid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation absorbent material has an absorption efficiency of at least 10%.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises an adhesive layer that is bonded to a side of the array.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising covering an end of the microcavity to prevent expulsion of the sample solution from the end.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises microparticles.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the particles are responsive to a force applied to the microarray.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the particles are accumulated at a surface of the microcavity by application of the force.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the particles are functionalized with binding reagents.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises a focus spot having a diameter size approximately equal to or smaller than the diameter or the microcavity.

13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hygroscopic capture surface comprises an optical surface having a layer of hygroscopic material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the layer does not deform the optical surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the hygroscopic layer comprises glycerol.

16. A method of extracting a liquid sample solution comprising a biological element from a single microcavity in a microcavity array, wherein each microcavity is associated with an opaque electromagnetic radiation absorbent material, the method comprising,
focusing electromagnetic radiation at the material to generate an expansion of the material that expels at least part of the sample solution from the microcavity.

17. The method of claims 16 , wherein the material comprises a high expansion material covering the microcavity.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material at least partially coats or covers the microcavity.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising covering an end of the microcavity to prevent expulsion of the sample solution from the end.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material comprises microparticles.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material is solid.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Dimov Ivan K
• Baer Thomas M

Classifications

• G01N21/6428

  Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53) · CPC title

• G01N35/1095 Primary

  for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers (for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00) · CPC title

• B82Y15/00

  Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors · CPC title

• G01N33/588

  with semiconductor nanocrystal label, e.g. quantum dots · CPC title

• G01N33/582

  with fluorescent label · CPC title