Hydrophilic coating of fluidic channels
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10722880-B2
Publication Date
2020-07-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and systems for efficient loading and retrieval of particles. In some embodiments, a fluidic channel of a flowcell comprises a ceiling, a first sidewall, and a bottom, wherein the contact angle of the ceiling is at least 10 degrees smaller than the contact angle of the first sidewall, and wherein the bottom of the fluidic channel comprises a substrate that comprises a plurality of microwells.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a device that includes a flowcell with a fluidic channel, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The fluidic channel includes a ceiling, a first sidewall, and a bottom, where the ceiling and the first sidewall form a ceiling-first sidewall edge and the bottom and the first sidewall form a bottom-first sidewall edge.
The ceiling has a central portion that is offset from the ceiling-first sidewall edge, thereby forming an offset from the ceiling-first sidewall edge. The central portion is more hydrophilic than the offset, and the bottom includes a substrate comprising a plurality of microwells.
The invention also includes a sample loading method that uses the same flowcell architecture. A gas is introduced into the fluidic channel via the inlet port, and a first sample comprising a first plurality of particles is introduced into the fluidic channel via the inlet port so that at least 25% of the plurality of microwells each contains a single particle of the first plurality of particles.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims define a flowcell device architecture based on ceiling/edge offset geometry and relative hydrophilicity, and a sample-loading method that introduces a gas and then particles to achieve at least 25% of microwells containing exactly one particle.
Hydrophilic offset ceiling central portion in a microwell flowcell
A device comprising a flowcell with a fluidic channel having a ceiling, a first sidewall, and a bottom that form ceiling-first sidewall edge and bottom-first sidewall edge; the ceiling includes a central portion offset from the ceiling-first sidewall edge to form an offset, and the central portion is more hydrophilic than the offset, with the bottom comprising a substrate comprising a plurality of microwells and the inlet and outlet ports in fluid communication with the flowcell via the fluidic channel.
Gas-assisted sample loading to achieve single-particle microwell occupancy
A method for sample loading comprising providing a device as recited, introducing a gas into the fluidic channel via the inlet port, and introducing a first sample comprising a first plurality of particles into the fluidic channel via the inlet port, whereby at least 25% of the plurality of microwells each contains a single particle of the first plurality of particles.
Across the independent claims, the core inventive concept is a hydrophilic relative-wettability geometry in a microwell flowcell, combined with a gas-first loading approach that yields at least 25% single-particle occupancy of microwells.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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