Apparatus for assay, synthesis and storage, and methods of manufacture, use, and manipulation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968903-B2
Application number	US-201615131101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2000
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The invention features methods of making devices, or “platens”, having a high-density array of through-holes, as well as methods of cleaning and refurbishing the surfaces of the platens. The invention further features methods of making high-density arrays of chemical, biochemical, and biological compounds, having many advantages over conventional, lower-density arrays. The invention includes methods by which many physical, chemical or biological transformations can be implemented in serial or in parallel within each addressable through-hole of the devices. Additionally, the invention includes methods of analyzing the contents of the array, including assaying of physical properties of the samples.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of creating a chemical array, the method comprising:
a) providing a platen having a plurality of through-holes and two opposing surfaces;
b) applying a mask to one or both surfaces of the platen to block at least some of the through-holes, while leaving other through-holes open;
c) exposing a surface of the platen to a reagent so that the reagent enters at least one of the open through-holes; and
d) repeating steps b) and c) with at least one different mask and at least one different reagent to create a chemical array;
loading at least some of the through-holes with a liquid sample comprising a biological compound;
performing a polymerase chain reaction on at least some of the biological compounds.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask is made of a polymer, an elastomer, paper, glass, or a semiconductor material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask comprises mechanical valves, pin arrays, or gas jets.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying step forms a hermetic seal between the mask and the platen.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reagent is a liquid, a gas, a solid, a powder, a gel, a solution, a suspension, a cell culture, a virus preparation, or electromagnetic radiation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask is translated to expose different through-holes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mask has co-registration pins and holes such that alignment of pins and holes in the mask register with the throughholes in the platen.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein multiple masks are part of a flexible tape, and the multiple masks are registered with the through-holes of the platen by advancing the tape.

9. A device for filling an array of wells in a platen, the device comprising:
a platen comprising an array of wells, the plurality of wells configured to receive a reagent each;
a holder adapted to accept the platen;
a nozzle comprising an aperture configured to inject a sample comprising a biological compound into at least some of wells; and
a valve that controls a flow of a sample through the nozzle, wherein the holder and nozzle can move with respect to each other.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein at least some of the wells are characterized by a diameter of 10-300 micrometers.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Hess Robert
• Linton John
• Kanigan Tanya S
• Brenan Colin
• Ozbal Can

Classifications

• B01J2219/00479

  Means for mixing reactants or products in the reaction vessels · CPC title

• B01J19/0046 Primary

  Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays (synthesis methods per se C40B50/00) · CPC title

• B01L3/5025

  for parallel transport of multiple samples · CPC title

• B01J2219/00653

  the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports · CPC title

• B01J2219/00423

  using filtration, e.g. through porous frits · CPC title