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Assignees
Member
CepheidCepheid is a global leader in molecular diagnostics, dedicated to improving healthcare by developing, manufacturing, and marketing automated, easy-to-use molecular systems and tests. Their mission is to provide rapid, accurate, and actionable genetic testing for a wide range of infectious diseases, oncology, and human genetics. Cepheid's flagship GeneXpert System delivers scalable, sample-to-answer PCR testing for institutions of any size, supporting both centralized and decentralized care. The company is committed to expanding access to high-quality diagnostics worldwide, supporting public health initiatives, driving innovation in molecular testing, and advancing sustainability and responsible business practices.
Cepheid is a global leader in molecular diagnostics, dedicated to improving healthcare by developing, manufacturing, and marketing automated, easy-to-use molecular systems and tests. Their mission is to provide rapid, accurate, and actionable genetic testing for a wide range of infectious diseases, oncology, and human genetics. Cepheid's flagship GeneXpert System delivers scalable, sample-to-answer PCR testing for institutions of any size, supporting both centralized and decentralized care. The company is committed to expanding access to high-quality diagnostics worldwide, supporting public health initiatives, driving innovation in molecular testing, and advancing sustainability and responsible business practices.
Publication Number
US-11891219-B2
Publication Date
2024-02-06
Expiration Date
Abstract
A lid apparatus for a multi-chambered container. The lid apparatus has a top-lid that is hingedly attached to a bottom-cap. The top-lid includes one or more openings for fluid filling multiple passages that extend from the bottom-cap. A lower bottom-cap includes welding features for welding to the multi-chambered container.
Core Innovation
A lid apparatus for a multi-chambered container is provided. The lid apparatus has a top-lid that is hingedly attached to a bottom-cap. The top-lid includes one or more openings for fluid filling multiple passages that extend from the bottom-cap. A lower bottom-cap includes welding features for welding to the multi-chambered container.
Multi-chambered containers having hinged lids are used in the sample testing industry and such lids can have a plurality of filling ports, typically one for each chamber of a container, enabling a simultaneous filling of each chamber of the container. Often such lids are molded out of a polymer material and then secured to a container, e.g., by ultrasonic welding. The unique physical properties and user requirements for such multi-chambered lid apparatus has resulted in difficulties in the manufacture and use thereof. The instant invention addresses these and other concerns.
The bottom-cap comprises an upper side and a lower side, wherein the upper side may comprise a plateau or surrounding lip upwardly extending from a lower surface of the upper side, and the plateau includes a plurality of passages or chimneys that correspond to openings in the top lid. The lower side comprises a lower side main surface, an outermost edge extending downward from the lower side main surface, a continuous outer welding ridge extending downward between the outermost edge and alignment features, and an inner welding pattern or inner ridge pattern that surrounds cavities defined by walls extending from the bottom surface of the plateau, such that when connected to a multi-chambered container corresponding edges are welded to the outermost welding ridge and inner welding pattern to fluidically seal the chambers from one another. The top lid includes a hinged end and a snap-fit end and in a closed configuration the plateau fits into the major opening of the top lid and the snap-fit end engages a snap portion of the outermost edge of the lower side of the bottom-cap.
Claims Coverage
Independent claims identified: claim 1 and claim 23. Number of inventive features listed: 6.
Top lid with major opening and additional openings
A top lid having a major opening and a plurality of openings disposed about the major opening, wherein the plurality of openings correspond to passages in the bottom-cap (claim 1).
Hinged and snap-fit top lid ends
The top lid includes a hinged end and a snap-fit end, and in a closed configuration the snap-fit end of the top lid engages a snap portion of the outermost edge of the lower side of the bottom-cap (claims 1, 23).
Bottom-cap plateau with through passages
A bottom-cap upper side comprising a surrounding lip or plateau that protrudes from the upper side or extends upwardly from a lower surface of the upper side, wherein each of the plurality of openings defines a through passage such that the plurality of openings correspond to a plurality of passages and each opening aligns with a corresponding opening of the top lid (claims 1, 23).
Continuous outer ridge for sealing to container
A lower side of the bottom-cap comprising a lower side main surface, an outermost edge extending downward from the lower side main surface, and a continuous outer ridge extending downward from the lower side along the outermost edge for sealingly securing to the fluid sample container (claim 1, claim 23).
Inner ridge pattern non-coextensive with walls
An inner ridge pattern extending from the lower side main surface, the inner ridge pattern being patterned such that it extends adjacent the plurality of passages and being non-coextensive with any walls that extend from the lower side main surface (claims 4, 23).
Walls defining separate cavities and alignment features
A plurality of walls defining separate cavities for each passage of the plateau, the plurality of walls extending from the lower side main surface, together with outermost edge alignment features and alignment walls to align the bottom-cap with a multi-chambered fluid sample container (claims 19, related dependent descriptions).
The independent claims disclose a hinged top lid with a major opening and multiple aligned openings, a bottom-cap with a plateau or lip containing corresponding through passages, a lower side featuring an outermost edge with a continuous outer ridge for sealing to a fluid sample container, an inner ridge pattern adjacent the passages that is non-coextensive with walls, and walls and alignment features that define separate cavities and align the bottom-cap to the container.
Stated Advantages
Enables a simultaneous filling of each chamber of a multi-chambered container.
Nearly uniform wall thickness throughout the bottom-cap, facilitating welding to the container.
Requires relatively lower welding power compared to prior designs ([procedural detail omitted for safety]).
Produces a fluid-tight weld such that the chambers of the fluid container are fluidically sealed from one another at the connection between the fluid container and the bottom-cap.
Edge alignment features and alignment walls prevent excessive rotation of the bottom-cap against the fluid container, aligning the raised welding ridge with weldable features of the container.
Documented Applications
Carrying out a reaction or an assay in a fluid container comprising the disclosed lid apparatus.
Lysis of a cell or microorganism.
Preparation of a sample within a fluid cartridge to isolate or purify an analyte of interest.
Detecting an analyte of interest.
The analyte of interest is selected from the group consisting of cells, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Use of an enzyme or a binding moiety in performing reactions or detection within the fluid container.
A method for filling a fluid container with liquid reagents, wherein the fluid container is mated with a lid as disclosed herein, including filling one or more chambers of the fluid cartridge with a reagent.
Storage of reagents in chambers for purposes including chemical and/or enzymatic reactions, sample preparation, and/or detection; examples include reagents for lysis, purification or isolation of an analyte, digestion or modification of nucleic acids or proteins, amplification of nucleic acids, and generation of a detectable signal.
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