Apparatus for and methods of processing liquids or liquid-based substances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9771553-B2
Application number	US-201214003606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2012
Priority date	Mar 8, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus for processing liquids or liquid-based substances includes a plurality of volumes at least two of which are defined at least in part by one or more phaseguides inside the volume and/or in a conduit connected thereto for controlling aliquoting of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances inside the volume. Each volume has an upstream and downstream side with respect to meniscus advancement direction via which it may be filled with or emptied of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances. The apparatus also includes at least one common upstream-side conduit connected to supply a liquid or liquid-based substance via a plurality of the inlet or extraction conduits, a plurality of the phaseguides exhibiting a predetermined level of stability and one or more of the phaseguides exhibiting a predetermined different stability compared with the stability of at least one of the other phaseguides whereby to control the preference order in which the volumes fill and/or empty. The stability is determined by the value and radius of an acute angle along a said phaseguide at the downstream side of the phaseguide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing liquids or liquid-based substances, the apparatus comprising a plurality of volumes, each comprising at least an inlet conduit and at least an outlet conduit, at least two of which volumes are defined at least in part by one or more phaseguides inside the volume and/or in the inlet or outlet conduit connected thereto for controlling aliquoting of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances inside the volume, each volume having an upstream and downstream side with respect to a meniscus movement direction defined during filling of the volume with or emptying of the volume of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances, the apparatus including at least one common upstream-side conduit connected to a plurality of the inlet conduits to supply a fluid via the plurality of inlet conduits to the plurality of the volumes, each of the phaseguides spanning a complete length, width or height of an advancing meniscus and exhibiting a predetermined level of stability and one or more of the phaseguides exhibiting a predetermined different stability compared with the stability of at least one of the other phaseguides whereby to control the preference order in which overflow of the phaseguides occurs during filling and/or emptying of at least one said volume; the said stability being determined by the value and radius of an angle subtended by a formation along a said phaseguide at the downstream side of the phaseguide;
wherein the formation is, or comprises at least one of a bend of the downstream-side of the phaseguide, a branch of the downstream-side of the phaseguide, an inlet to the downstream-side of the phaseguide or the intersection of the downstream-side of the phaseguide with a wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of volumes at least two of which are defined at least in part by one or more phaseguides inside the volume for controlling aliquoting of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances inside the volume, each volume having at least two inlets, whereby to permit addition of at least two liquids to at least one said volume containing at least one phaseguide, each volume having an upstream and downstream side with respect to a meniscus movement direction defined during filling of the volume with or emptying of the volume of one or more liquids or liquid-based substances, the apparatus including at least one common upstream-side conduit connected to at least one inlet of the plurality of volumes to supply a liquid or liquid-based substance via the inlet; the apparatus being operative to confine a first liquid or liquid-based substance in a said volume before permitting addition of a second said liquid or liquid-based substance to said volume.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein one or more of the volumes have at least one phaseguide upstream in or associated with the volume with respect to meniscus advancement.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein one or more of the volumes have at least one phaseguide downstream in or associated with the volume with respect to meniscus advancement.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein at least one said volume includes or is associated with an upstream-side phaseguide in or associated with a first said volume that is of lower stability than at least one other downstream-side phaseguide in or associated with at least one second said volume.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 , comprising a common downstream-side conduit for two or more said volumes wherein a first phaseguide at the downstream side of the volume influencing the common downstream-side conduit or a further fluid-containing feature connected thereto and lying furthest from the relatively downstream origin of the common downstream-side conduit, is of lower stability than at least one further phaseguide at the downstream side of a further volume connected to said downstream-side conduit and lying closer than the first downstream-side phaseguide to the relatively downstream origin of the common downstream-side conduit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the common downstream-side conduit includes at least one volume or further fluid-containing structure branched therefrom and having a phaseguide positioned distally from the relatively downstream origin of the common downstream conduit with respect to at least one branched volume that includes at least one upstream-side phaseguide inside the said volume or upstream from it, the distally positioned phaseguide being of lower stability than the said at least one upstream-side phaseguide, such that upon emptying of the volume said first phaseguide is flowed over thereby emptying the conduit and isolating the liquid in said at least one volume.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 additionally comprising a high-hierarchy common downstream-side conduit that is connected to and of higher hierarchy than the common downstream-side conduit and to one or more further common downstream-side conduits also of lower hierarchy, each further common downstream-side conduit of lower hierarchy being connected to a plurality of volumes; and wherein the high-hierarchy common downstream-side conduit includes a relatively low stability phaseguide that is of higher stability than a phaseguide of lower stability in a branch of lower hierarchy.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein at least one said volume is internally divided by at least two phaseguides into first, second and third parts, at least one volume part being in contact with a conduit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein at least one phaseguide includes a defined location of phaseguide instability at which overflow of the at least one phaseguide initiates in order to establish contact between two liquid-based substances.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein a downstream-side conduit is connected to the second part of the volume between the two phaseguides and two upstream conduits are connected to the first and third parts of the volume on either side of the two phaseguides, the apparatus being configured to bring two liquids into contact.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the location of phaseguide instability lies remote from the downstream conduit in communication with the second volume part.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a draft angle of a sidewall of each phaseguide to a counter substrate is less than 10°.

14. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a draft angle of a sidewall of each phaseguide to a counter substrate is less than 10°.

Assignees

• Vulto Paul
• Trietsch Sebastiaan Johannes
• Van Der Linden Heiko Jan
• Hankemeier Thomas
• Univ Leiden

Inventors

• Vulto Paul
• Trietsch Sebastiaan Johannes
• Van Der Linden Heiko Jan
• Hankemeier Thomas

Classifications

• B01L2300/0864

  comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting · CPC title

• B01L3/56

  Labware specially adapted for transferring fluids · CPC title

• B01L2200/0621

  Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied · CPC title

• B01L2200/0684

  Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles · CPC title

• B01L2400/0406

  capillary forces · CPC title