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Publication Number
US-11654432-B2
Publication Date
2023-05-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
A sample holder includes sample carrier and sealing foil thermally sealing microfluidic sample carrier cavities. The sealing foil has a sealing layer connected with the sample carrier. Sealing layer softening temperature is near sealing temperature of the sealing layer during sealing. The sealing foil outer layer use temperature is greater than sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to sealing temperature. The sealing foil includes a height equalizing layer having softening temperature below sealing heating temperature. The equalizing layer is ductile at temperature less than or equal to sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to sealing temperature. A sealing foil decoupler layer, at layer temperature less than or equal to sealing heating temperature or greater than or equal to sealing temperature, is stiffer than the equalizing and sealing layers. The equalizing layer is between outer and decoupler layers and sealing layer is outwardly of decoupler layer.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a sample container that includes a sample carrier having a plurality of microfluidic cavities for receiving a fluid and a sealing film sealing or intended to seal the plurality of cavities in a sealed state. The sealing film is multilayered and includes a sealing layer, an outer layer, a height equalizing layer, and a decoupler layer. The sealing layer softens at or below a sealing temperature to which the sealing layer is heated during a sealing step, thereby forming an adhesive connection to the sample carrier with high viscosity to limit flow into the cavities while maintaining the cavity cross-section.
The outer layer has a use temperature greater than an intended sealing heating temperature that is greater than or equal to the sealing temperature. This outer layer has higher stiffness and temperature endurance to protect against sticking and to prevent the film from dipping into the cavities, while supporting a planar outer surface.
The height equalizing layer is disposed between the outer layer and the decoupler layer and has a softening temperature below the sealing heating temperature, permitting ductile deformability in a material state present at a layer temperature in the height equalizing layer that is less than or equal to the sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to the sealing temperature. The decoupler layer has a stiffness increased by a multiple relative to the height equalizing layer and the sealing layer at a layer temperature in the decoupler layer that is less than or equal to the sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to the sealing temperature.
Together, the ductile height equalizing layer equalizes surface unevenness while the stiffer decoupler layer damps molten flow and limits excessive settling, such that only limited inward curvature and settling occur in peripheral regions and the cavity width behavior is controlled.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 defines the sample container and the multilayer sealing film architecture using softening temperature and stiffness relationships relative to an intended sealing heating temperature. The inventive features focus on four features: adhesive sealing using a sealing-layer softening temperature range, temperature/stiffness protected outer layer behavior during sealing, a ductile height equalizing layer enabled by a lower softening temperature, and a decoupler layer with increased stiffness to damp molten flow and settling.
Softening-temperature adhesive sealing layer
A sealing layer for forming an adhesive connection to the sample carrier, the sealing layer having a softening temperature in a range of or below a sealing temperature to which the sealing layer is intended to be heated during a sealing step.
Temperature-stiffness protected outer layer
An outer layer having a use temperature being greater than an intended sealing heating temperature being greater than or equal to the sealing temperature.
Ductile height equalizing layer for unevenness equalization
A height equalizing layer having a softening temperature below the sealing heating temperature, permitting a material forming the height equalizing layer to be present in a state being deformable in a ductile manner due to temperature, at a layer temperature being present in the height equalizing layer being less than or equal to the sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to the sealing temperature, wherein the height equalizing layer is disposed between the outer layer and the decoupler layer.
Stiffness-increased decoupler layer to damp molten flow and limit settling
A decoupler layer having a stiffness being increased by a multiple relative to the height equalizing layer and the sealing layer at a layer temperature being present in the decoupler layer being less than or equal to the sealing heating temperature and greater than or equal to the sealing temperature, wherein the sealing layer is disposed outwardly relative to the decoupler layer.
The claim coverage centers on a multilayer sealing film in which the sealing layer provides adhesive connection based on a softening temperature relative to the sealing temperature, the outer layer provides a higher use temperature than the sealing heating temperature to prevent sticking and dipping, a lower-softening height equalizing layer deforms ductilely at sealing-related layer temperatures to equalize unevenness, and a stiffness-increased decoupler layer dampens molten flow to limit excessive settling.
Stated Advantages
Controlled sealing of microfluidic cavities in a sealed state with limited flow into the cavities.
Limiting inward curvature/settling behavior while maintaining cavity cross-section.
Reduced deformation/squeezing and limiting excessive settling due to stiffness-controlled decoupler behavior.
Provision of a planar outer surface, with protection against sticking and film dipping into cavities.
Documented Applications
Sealing microfluidic cavities in a plastic sample carrier as part of a sample container for receiving a fluid.
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