Apparatus and method for picking biological sample
Inventors
Christey, Peter • Hallock, Alexander
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10712356-B2
Publication Date
2020-07-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
A picking instrument for picking biological samples, such as microbial samples, includes a picking pin having a distal tip and three degrees-of-freedom and configured to move in x, y, and z directions. The picking instrument also includes a loading platform comprising a first area and a second area, the first area configured to accommodate and secure a microfabricated chip including a plurality of microwells. The picking pin is programmatically controlled to pick a sample contained in one or more selected microwells of the microfabricated chip and then transfer the sample to a predetermined location at the destination sample holder. Methods of operating the picking instrument, including calibrating the coordinates of the selected microwell(s) relative to a location of the picking pin, are also provided.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a method of transferring a sample from at least one selected microwell of a microfabricated chip to a predetermined location in a destination sample holder using a picking instrument with a picking pin. The picking pin has a distal tip and three degrees-of-freedom configured to move in x, y, and z directions, where the x and y directions constitute an x-y plane.
A central aspect is calibrating the position of the microfabricated chip relative to the position of the picking pin. Based on that calibration, the method determines the coordinates of the selected microwell(s) on the x-y plane relative to the position of the picking pin, moves the picking pin to a position above the selected microwell(s), dips at least a portion of the distal tip into the microwell(s) to pick up the sample, and transfers the sample to the predetermined location in the destination sample holder.
The invention further specifies calibration and coordinate determination using reference microwells and fiducial marks, image capture with analysis, and an optical aligner using light sources and detectors to determine pin position coordinates. Additional details include dipping and contact detection through z-travel and/or opposition force using a pressure sensor, and transfer into a well containing culture media using repeated advancing and retracting and/or lateral dithering.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims. They share the core workflow of calibrating chip-to-pin position, determining x-y coordinates of selected microwells, moving a 3-degree-of-freedom picking pin to a position above the microwells, dipping to pick up a sample, and transferring the sample to a predetermined location in a destination sample holder.
Chip-to-pin calibration for microwell coordinate determination
Calibrating the position of the microfabricated chip relative to the position of the picking pin; determining the coordinates of the at least one selected microwell of the microfabricated chip for picking on the x-y plane relative to the position of the picking pin based on the calibration.
Three degrees-of-freedom picking pin transfer workflow
Moving the picking pin to a position above the location of the at least one selected microwell; dipping at least a portion of the distal tip of the picking pin into the at least one selected microwell to pick up a sample contained in the at least one selected microwell; and moving the picking pin and transferring the sample to a predetermined location in the destination sample holder.
Instrument operation with computer-determined x-y coordinates using a loading platform
Providing a loading platform comprising a first area configured to accommodate and secure a microfabricated chip including a plurality of microwells and a second area configured to accommodate and secure a destination sample holder; determining the coordinates of the at least one selected microwell of the microfabricated chip on the x-y plane relative to a position of the picking pin based on calibration; moving the picking pin to a position above the selected microwell; dipping at least a portion of the distal tip into the selected microwell to pick up a sample; and transferring the sample to a predetermined location in the destination sample holder.
Second-chip loading without further calibration
Removing a first microfabricated chip and loading a second microfabricated chip; determining the coordinates of at least one selected microwell on the x-y plane relative to the position of the picking pin without performing further calibration; moving the picking pin to a position above the location of the at least one selected microwell of the second microfabricated chip; and dipping the distal tip to pick up samples.
Across both independent claims, the inventive coverage is centered on calibrating the microfabricated chip position relative to a 3-degree-of-freedom picking pin to determine x-y microwell coordinates, using the picking pin to dip and pick up a sample from selected microwells, and transferring the sample to predetermined locations in a destination sample holder, with a workflow for replacing a chip and determining microwell coordinates without further calibration.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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