High density plate filler
OwnerNigel Beard, Mark Reedinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate can comprise a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. A substrate can comprise a first surface and an opposing second surface, a first assay input port for receiving the assay disposed on the first surface, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through the substrate, a fluid interconnect system fluidly coupling the first assay input port with at least one of the plurality of staging capillaries, and an overflow retention system receiving and retaining excess assay from said fluid interconnect system. Each of the plurality of staging capillaries can comprise an inlet and an outlet and be sized to receive the assay.
Claims30
A filling apparatus for filling a microplate, said microplate having a plurality of wells, each of said plurality of wells being sized to receive an assay therein, said filling apparatus comprising:
- a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, said substrate further having a first assay input port for receiving the assay, a plurality of staging capillaries extending through said substrate, and a fluid interconnect system fluidly coupling said first assay input port with at least one of said plurality of staging capillaries, each of said plurality of staging capillaries having an inlet and an outlet and being sized to receive the assay;
- and
- an overflow retention system in fluid communication with at least one of said first assay input port, said plurality of staging capillaries, and said fluid interconnect system.
A method of filling a microplate comprising:
- providing a microplate having a plurality of wells;
- inserting an assay into an assay input port;
- drawing said assay from said assay input port to a staging capillary through a first microfluidic channel, said staging capillary being generally aligned with a corresponding one of said plurality of wells;
- drawing excess portion of said assay from said first microfluidic channel to an overflow retention system;
- and
- applying a centripetal force such that said assay in said staging capillary is forced into said corresponding well and said excess portion of said assay remains in said overflow retention system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.