FLOW CELL CARRIER AND METHODS OF USE
The present disclosure relates to a flow cell carrier. The flow cell carrier may include a flow cell and a frame. The frame may include a pocket and a handle. The pocket may have at least one spring feature and at least one banking feature. The frame may be configured to retain the flow cell within the pocket such that a maximal surface area of the flow cell is exposed to an optical lens. Related methods and kits are also disclosed.
1 . A method of detecting a nucleic acid molecule in a fluidic channel, said method comprising,
positioning a flow cell comprising the fluidic channel on a microfluidic device, wherein the flow cell comprises:
a frame configured to retain the flow cell,
a handle, and
a ferromagnet;
exposing the fluidic channel to an optical lens;
detecting a fluorescent label associated with a nucleic acid molecule with the optical lens, thereby detecting the nucleic acid molecule.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a pocket, the pocket comprising at least one biasing feature.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the frame is configured to retain the flow cell within the pocket.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the frame is configured to retain the flow cell within the pocket such that a maximal surface area of the flow cell is available to be exposed to an optical lens.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame is an injection molded frame.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the handle is a raised handle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the frame is further configured to provide a gap between a work surface and the flow cell.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnet is a ferromagnetic pin.
9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one biasing feature is a spring finger.
10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one biasing feature is a tab.
11 . The method carrier of claim 1 , further comprising a microchip.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the microchip is an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) chip.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell comprises a plurality of inlet ports sized to flow in the channel one or more reagents for DNA sequencing, and a plurality of outlet ports that pass the flow of reagents out of the reaction vessel.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell is configured to removably engage with a microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device is a nucleic acid sequencing device.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the ferromagnetic pin comprises an alloy containing iron, cobalt, or nickel and a metalloid.
16 . The method of claim 1 , prior to detecting, further comprising binding a fluorescently labeled probe to the nucleic acid molecule attached in fluidic channel.
17 . The method of claim 1 , prior to detecting, further comprising incorporating a fluorescently labeled nucleotide into a primer annealed to the nucleic acid molecule in the fluidic channel.
18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the fluorescent label associated with a nucleic acid molecule, binding a second fluorescent label to the nucleic acid molecule, and detecting the second fluorescent label.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell comprises 2 or 4 fluidic channels.