Flow control mechanism for high-throughput oligonucleotide synthesis
View Patent ↗An improved apparatus for oligonucleotide synthesis that reduces reagent consumption and increase yield that has one or more synthesis vessels, each synthesis vessel having a waste emitting end, a drain block located below and-coupled to the synthesis vessel(s), a sealing device in contact with the synthesis vessel(s) and the drain block, one or more waste collection reservoirs located inside of the drain block, one or more equilibration holes, each equilibration hole penetrating the exterior of the drain block and the waste collection reservoir(s), one or more waste tubes connected to the waste collection reservoir(s), each waste tube having a waste valve. The sealing device may have one or more sealing blocks, and the equilibration holes may be located in the sealing blocks in lieu of in the drain block. Each equilibration hole may be coupled to a solenoid or flow control valve.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a pressurized chamber; and
an equilibrated oligonucleotide synthesis (EOS) system inside of the pressurized chamber, the EOS system comprising:
a plurality of synthesis vessels, each of the plurality of synthesis vessels having a waste emitting end;
one or more sealing devices, each of the one or more sealing devices comprising:
one or more sealing blocks, each of the one or more sealing blocks having a top and holding one or more synthesis vessels of the plurality of synthesis vessels and each of the one or more sealing blocks having at least one equilibration hole, the at least one equilibration hole located at the top of the each of the one or more sealing blocks and above the waste emitting end of each of the plurality of synthesis vessels;
a set of grooves;
one or more waste collection reservoirs;
a plurality of machined plates, each of the plurality of machined plates comprising the set of grooves;
a drain block located below and operably coupled to the one or more sealing blocks via the set of grooves; and
one or more waste tubes fluidly connected to the one or more waste collection reservoirs, the one or more waste collection reservoirs located inside the drain block;
wherein when the EOS system is activated, the pressure of each collection reservoir of the one or more waste collection reservoirs within the pressurized chamber is equalized.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drain block comprises the plurality of machined plates, each of the plurality of machined plates comprising a respective set of grooves.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of machined plates is in a vertical stack and the vertical stack comprises:
a top-most machined plate; and
a bottom machined plate, the bottom machined plate located below the top-most machined plate, and operably coupled to the top-most machined plate; and
wherein the top-most machined plate forms a seal with each of the one or more sealing blocks.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the bottom machined plate is connected to each of the one or more waste tubes comprising a waste path and wherein fluid in the waste tubes flows through the waste path to a waste valve.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one waste valve operably coupled to the one or more waste tubes.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one insertion heater inserted into the drain block.
7 . An apparatus comprising:
a pressurized chamber; and
an equilibrated oligonucleotide synthesis (EOS) system inside the pressurized chamber, the EOS system comprising:
four or more synthesis vessels, each of the four or more synthesis vessels having a waste emitting end;
a synthesis plate holding the four or more synthesis vessels, the synthesis plate having a bottom surface with grooves;
a drain block located below and operably coupled to the synthesis plate;
a sealing device disposed between and in contact with the synthesis plate and the drain block, the sealing device having holes to allow flow of material from the four or more synthesis vessels to the drain block;
one or more waste collection reservoirs located inside of the drain block;
one or more equilibration holes, each of the one or more equilibration holes penetrating an exterior of the drain block and one of the one or more waste collection reservoirs, the one or more equilibration holes located above the waste emitting end of each of the four or more synthesis vessels; and
one or more waste tubes each of the one or more waste tubes operably connected to the one or more waste collection reservoirs.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising one or more flow control valves, each flow control valve operably coupled to at least one of the one or more equilibration holes.
9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising two or more groupings of the four or more synthesis vessels, and wherein the grooves are disposed between the two or more groupings of the four or more synthesis vessels.
10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sealing device comprises a sealing plate and a fluid plate, the fluid plate operably coupled to the sealing plate.
11 . An apparatus comprising:
a pressurized chamber; and
an equilibrated oligonucleotide synthesis (EOS) system inside the pressurized chamber, the EOS system comprising:
a plurality of synthesis vessels, each of the plurality of synthesis vessels having a waste emitting end;
one or more sealing devices, each of the one or more sealing devices comprising one or more sealing blocks, each of the one or more sealing blocks holding one or more synthesis vessels of the plurality of synthesis vessels and each of the one or more sealing blocks having at least one equilibration hole, the at least one equilibration hole located above the waste emitting end of the one or more synthesis vessels;
a drain block located below and operably coupled to the one or more sealing blocks, the drain block comprising a plurality of machined plates, each machined plate of the plurality of machined plates comprising a set of grooves; and
one or more waste tubes each of the one or more waste tubes operably connected to at least one of the plurality of machined plates.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising at least one insertion heater inserted into the drain block.
13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising at least one waste valve, wherein the at least one waste valve is operably coupled to at least one of the one or more waste tubes.