Biochip well, sealed well assembly, cartridge therefor, and apparatus and methods for opening sealed wells
Inventors
Wilson, Gareth • Hooks, Michael • Fitzgerald, Peter • LaMont, John • McConnell, Ivan
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-10751720-B2
Publication Date
2020-08-25
Expiration Date
Abstract
A biochip well is disclosed, including a vessel containing a well therewithin, the vessel forming at least base and side walls of the well and defining at least one aperture giving access to the well, and further including retaining means for holding a biochip at a predetermined position within the well, the well including a laterally offset region into which the biochip does not protrude when held at the predetermined position by the retaining means. Also disclosed are sealed well assemblies and apparatus and methods for opening sealed wells.
Core Innovation
A biochip well is provided in which a vessel includes a laterally offset, probe-accessible region that does not receive the biochip. This arrangement enables off-chip dispensing and evacuation to reduce “trending” and collision risk. The biochip is positioned within the well at a predetermined position using retaining means that fix the biochip positioning in the well.
The retaining means include interference-fit features and/or deformable protrusions for fixed biochip positioning. In some configurations, a robot-arm keying feature is provided to support proper positioning of the biochip and/or vessel within the overall well assembly.
A sealed well assembly is described in which vessels are heat-sealed to a sealing sheet or strip arranged along a line, typically forming a loop around a removable cartridge. The sealed well assembly includes a guide plate and a guide channel that constrain vessel motion and prevent rotation. An opening apparatus drives the sealing sheet such that the sealing-sheet path and the vessel paths are parallel upstream and diverge downstream, so that the sealing sheet is stripped off each vessel at a diverging position, opening the well.
An apparatus configuration is described for single or multiple cartridges, using drive mechanisms including a driven wheel, roller, or linear actuator/drive block under controller-based selection for on-demand, randomized dispensing. The diverging-path conveying enables each vessel to be released from the sealing sheet when the vessel reaches the diverging position, thereby opening the well containing the biochip.
Claims Coverage
The partial document includes two independent claims: a cartridge for a sealed well assembly for storing biochips with a diverging path that strips a sealing sheet to open wells, and an apparatus configured to open the sealed well assembly by conveying diverging sheet and vessel paths to release vessels.
Diverging sheet path and vessel path to strip sealing sheet and open wells
A cartridge configured for a sealed well assembly comprises a plurality of vessels affixed to a sealing sheet along a rectilinear line, each vessel having at least one well containing a biochip sealed by the sealing sheet, wherein the cartridge includes a guide structure with a guide plate and two side walls defining protrusions that form an elongate guide channel, and wherein a first section of the vessel path and sealing sheet path are parallel and downstream the vessel path and sealing sheet path diverge such that the sheet is stripped off a respective vessel at a diverging position to open the well.
Conveying diverging sheet path and vessel path to release vessels
An apparatus configured to open a sealed well assembly conveys the sealed well assembly such that the sealing sheet travels along a sheet path and the vessels follow a vessel path, wherein the sheet path and vessel path diverge so each respective vessel is released from the sealing sheet when the vessel reaches the diverging position and the well is opened.
Overall claim coverage focuses on sealed well assemblies in which a sealing sheet and vessels are guided along paths that are parallel upstream and diverge downstream, so that stripping of the sealing sheet at a diverging position opens each vessel’s well. The cartridge and apparatus embodiments further constrain vessel motion and define the sheet path and vessel path, with optional features to constrain rotation and support selection among cartridges.
Stated Advantages
Reduces “trending” and collision risk by providing a laterally offset, probe-accessible region that does not receive the biochip.
Documented Applications
Off-chip dispensing and evacuation of biochips using the laterally offset, probe-accessible region.
On-demand dispensing with randomized dispensing selection using controller-based drive mechanisms for single or multiple cartridges.
Interested in licensing this patent?