Device for arraying biomolecules and for monitoring cell motility in real-time
View Patent ↗The invention relates to devices, devices for arraying biomolecules, including cells, methods for arraying biomolecules, assays for monitoring cellular movement, and systems for monitoring cellular movement. The devices include a support; a first layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the first layer having an upper surface and defining a pattern of micro-orifices, each micro-orifice of the pattern of micro-orifices having walls and defining a micro-region on the support when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of said each micro-orifice and the micro-region on the support together define a micro-well; and a second layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the upper surface of the first layer, the second layer defining a pattern of macro-orifices, each macro-orifice of the pattern of macro-orifices having walls and defining a macro-region when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support and the second layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the first layer such that the walls of the macro-orifice and the macro-region together define a macro-well.
1. A device for arraying biomolecules comprising:
a support;
a first layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the first layer having an upper surface and defining a pattern of micro-orifices, each micro-orifice of the pattern of micro-orifices having walls and defining a micro-region on the support when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of said each micro-orifice and the micro-region on the support together define a micro-well;
a second layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the upper surface of the first layer, the second layer defining a pattern of macro-orifices, each macro-orifice of the pattern of macro-orifices having walls and defining a macro-region when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support and the second layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the first layer such that the walls of the macro-orifice and the macro-region together define a macro-well;
wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured for an arraying of biomolecules on the support through the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the support when the first layer is placed against the support.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the first layer when the second layer is placed against the first layer.
4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first layer is made of an elastomer.
5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the second layer is made of an elastomer.
6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first layer is made of PDMS.
7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the second layer is made of PDMS.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein each macro-region encompasses at least one micro-region.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein each macro-region encompasses a plurality of micro-regions.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the support has an upper surface having a coating thereon.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of proteins, protein fragments, peptides, small molecules, lipid bilayers, metals and self-assembled monolayers.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate.
13. The device of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate selected from a group consisting of a 6-well microtiter plate, a 12-well microtiter plate, a 24-well microtiter plate, a 96-well microtiter plate, a 384-well microtiter plate, a 1,536-well microtiter plate, and a 9,600-well microtiter plate.
14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one cap for enclosing at least one of the macro-wells.
15. A device for arraying biomolecules comprising:
a support;
a first layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the first layer having an upper surface and defining a pattern of micro-orifices, each micro-orifice of the pattern of micro-orifices having walls and defining a micro-region on the support when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of said each micro-orifice and the micro-region on the support together define a micro-well;
a second layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the second layer defining a pattern of macro-orifices, each macro-orifice of the pattern of macro-orifices having walls and defining a macro-region when the second layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of the macro-orifice and the macro-region together define a macro-well;
wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured for an arraying of biomolecules on the support through the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the support when the first layer is placed against the support.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the second layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the first layer when the second layer is placed against the first layer.
18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the first layer is made of an elastomer.
19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the second layer is made of an elastomer.
20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the first layer is made of PDMS.
21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the second layer is made of PDMS.
22. The device of claim 15 , wherein each macro-region encompasses at least one micro-region.
23. The device of claim 22 , wherein each macro-region encompasses a plurality of micro-regions.
24. The device of claim 15 , wherein the support has an upper surface having a coating thereon.
25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of proteins, protein fragments, peptides, small molecules, lipid bilayers, metals and self-assembled monolayers.
26. The device of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate.
27. The device of claim 26 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate selected from a group consisting of a 6-well microtiter plate, a 12-well microtiter plate, a 24-well microtiter plate, a 96-well microtiter plate, a 384-well microtiter plate, a 1,536-well microtiter plate, and a 9,600-well microtiter plate.
28. The device of claim 15 , wherein at least one cap for enclosing at least one of the macro-wells.
29. A device for arraying biomolecules comprising:
a support;
a first layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the first layer having an upper surface and defining a pattern of micro-orifices, each micro-orifice of the pattern of micro-orifices having walls and defining a micro-region on the support when the first layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of said each micro-orifice and the micro-region on the support together define a micro-well;
a second layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the second layer comprising a plurality of rings, the rings defining a pattern of respective macro-orifices, each ring having walls and defining a macro-region when the second layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of the ring and the macro-region together define a macro-well;
wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured for an arraying of biomolecules on the support through the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices.
30. The device of claim 29 , wherein the first layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the support when the first layer is placed against the support.
31. The device of claim 29 , wherein the second layer is configured to be placed in conformal contact with the first layer when the second layer is placed against the first layer.
32. The device of claim 30 , wherein the first layer is made of an elastomer.
33. The device of claim 31 , wherein the second layer is made of an elastomer.
34. The device of claim 32 , wherein the first layer is made of PDMS.
35. The device of claim 33 , wherein the second layer is made of PDMS.
36. The device of claim 29 , wherein each macro-region encompasses at least one micro-region.
37. The device of claim 36 , wherein each macro-region encompasses a plurality of micro-regions.
38. The device of claim 29 , wherein the support has an upper surface having a coating thereon.
39. The device of claim 38 , wherein the coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of proteins, protein fragments, peptides, small molecules, lipid bilayers, metals and self-assembled monolayers.
40. The device of claim 29 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate.
41. The device of claim 40 , wherein at least one of the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices spatially and dimensionally corresponds to a standard microtiter plate selected from a group consisting of a 6-well microtiter plate, a 12-well microtiter plate, a 24-well microtiter plate, a 96-well microtiter plate, a 384-well microtiter plate, a 1,536-well microtiter plate, and a 9,600-well microtiter plate.
42. The device of claim 41 , further comprising at least one cap for enclosing at least one of the macro-wells.
43. The device of claim 29 , wherein the walls of the ring are composed of polypropylene.
44. A device for arraying biomolecules comprising:
a support;
a layer configured to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support, the layer defining a pattern of macro-orifices, each macro-orifice of the pattern of macro-orifices having walls and defining a macro-region when the second layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of the macro-orifice and the macro-region together define a macro-well;
a set of plugs, each of the plugs being configured for being received in a respective macro-well, each of the plugs comprising a lower membrane adapted to be placed in fluid-tight contact with the support when the layer is placed in fluid-tight contact with the support and the plug is received in a corresponding macro-well defined by the layer and the support, the lower membrane further defining a pattern of micro-orifices, wherein each micro-orifice has walls and defines a micro-region on the support when the plug is in fluid-tight contact with the support such that the walls of the micro-orifice and the micro-region together define a micro-well;
wherein the first layer and the second layer are configured for an arraying of biomolecules on the support through the pattern of micro-orifices and the pattern of macro-orifices.
45. The device of claim 44 , further comprising at least one cap for enclosing at least one of the macro-wells.