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US 2003/0143722 A1Published application
Four dimensional biochip design for high throughput applications and methods of using the four dimensional biochip
AssigneeBio-Informatics Group, Inc.
InventorBen Hui Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a 4D biochip containing m 3D biochips having n capillaries, wherein the n capillaries each contain a biological factor, and methods for preparing and using the 4D biochip to provide rapid, efficient assays of large quantities of samples and/or factors.
Claims89
An article comprising:
- at least two plates, wherein each plate defines a plurality of cylindrical capillaries, each capillary having a pair of opposed ends, with at least one capillary comprising a reagent inlet and at least one capillary comprising a reagent outlet;
- the plate further defining a plurality of channels oriented substantially perpendicularly to the capillaries and configured to selectively operably connect adjacent capillaries so as to form a continuous passage from the reagent inlet to the reagent outlet, the channels being further configured to direct the reagent into a capillary at one end thereof and from the capillary at the other end thereof such that the reagent flows through substantially the length of the capillary and serially through all of the capillaries defined by the plate;
- and
- wherein said plates are positioned to substantially align the plurality of cylindrical capillaries from a first plate and a second plate.
1 more element
A method of fabricating a biochip defining a plurality of connected capillaries, said method comprising:
- forming a medial plate having a pair of opposed surfaces, the medial plate defining a plurality of cylindrical capillaries with each capillary having a pair of opposed ends;
- forming a pair of end plates, each end plate being configured to operably engage one of the opposed surfaces of the medial plate, each end plate defining a series of channels configured so as to be oriented substantially perpendicularly to the capillaries and to selectively connect adjacent capillaries at the ends thereof when the end plates are operably engaged with the medial plate;
- securing the end plates to the opposed surfaces of the medial plate so as to form a continuous passage from a reagent inlet capillary to a reagent outlet capillary, the passage extending substantially the length of each capillary and serially through all of the capillaries defined by the medial plate;
- and
- aligning at least two of said medial plates to align the plurality of cylindrical capillaries from a first medial plate and a second medial plate to form an essentially continuous passage.
2 more elements
A method of fabricating a biochip defining a plurality of connected capillaries, said method comprising:
- providing a mold defining a medial plate having a pair of opposed surfaces, the mold having a plurality of cylindrical rods, each rod having a pair of opposed ends, the mold further having a series of connecting members oriented substantially perpendicularly to the rods about the opposed surfaces of the medial plate and selectively connecting adjacent rods at the ends thereof;
- introducing a polymeric material into the mold so as to form the medial plate, the medial plate thereby defining a plurality of capillaries corresponding to the rods and a plurality of channels corresponding to the connecting members;
- releasing the medial plate from the mold;
- sealing the opposed surfaces of the medial plate with corresponding end plates so as to form a continuous passage from a reagent inlet capillary to a reagent outlet capillary, the passage extending substantially the length of each capillary and serially through all of the capillaries defined by the medial plate;
- and
- aligning at least two of said medial plates to align the plurality of cylindrical capillaries from a first medial plate and a second medial plate to form an essentially continuous passage.
3 more elements
A method of fabricating a biochip defining a plurality of connected capillaries, said method comprising:
- etching a plurality of cylindrical capillaries in a medial plate having a pair of opposed surfaces, each capillary having a pair of opposed ends;
- selectively etching a plurality of channels, oriented substantially perpendicularly to the capillaries, between adjacent capillaries on each of the opposed surfaces of the medial plate;
- sealing the opposed surfaces of the medial plate with corresponding end plates so as to form a continuous passage from a reagent inlet capillary to a reagent outlet capillary, the passage extending substantially the length of each capillary and serially through all of the capillaries defined by the medial plate;
- and
- aligning at least two of said medial plates to align the plurality of cylindrical capillaries from a first medial plate and a second medial plate to form an essentially continuous passage.
2 more elements
A method of testing multiple sample parallel bioassays, comprising:
- providing a biochip comprising at least two plates, where each plate defines a plurality of cylindrical capillaries having opposed ends and being selectively operably connected by a series of channels oriented substantially perpendicularly thereto and about the ends thereof so as to form a continuous passage from a reagent inlet capillary to a reagent outlet capillary, the passage extending substantially the length of each capillary and serially through all of the capillaries defined by the biochip, and where said plates are positioned to substantially align the plurality of cylindrical capillaries from a first plate and a second plate;
- immobilizing a biosample on the inner walls of each of the cylindrical capillaries;
- flowing a test sample through each of said cylindrical capillaries;
- and
- assaying the presence or absence of an interaction between said immobilized biosample and said test sample.
2 more elements
A 4D biochip, comprising:
- m 3D biochip means, wherein m is an integer from 2 to 100,000 wherein each pair of adjacent 3D biochip means are operably connected by aligning capillaries present in one of said pair with capillaries present in the other of said pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.