FLUIDICS, MICROPLATE, AND METHOD INCLUDING INTEGRATED RESISTIVE HEATING
The subject matter of the present disclosures relates generally to the processing of biological materials and more particularly to a fluidics system, microplate, and method including integrated resistive heating.
1 . A method for heating a sample comprising:
(a) placing a sample in a microplate, wherein the microplate comprises a well structure comprising at least one well configured to support the sample,
(b) integrating a heater into the microplate, wherein the heater is configured to provide localized resistive heat to the well structure of the microplate by heating both the well structure and the sample,
(c) applying a voltage to the well structure, causing the well structure to generate a localized resistive heat, and
(d) locally heating the sample using the localized resistive heat, wherein the localized resistive heat is dependent on an applied voltage and resistive properties of a resistive heating layer of the well structure, and wherein the localized resistive heat does not substantially provide heat to a surrounding environment of the well structure.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises an optically clear substrate and a resistive heating layer patterned thereon.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the optically clear substrate has a thickness from about 700 micrometers to about 1100 micrometers and the resistive heating layer comprises a thickness from about 100 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the resistive heating layer comprises one or more of indium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, platinum, and carbon nanotubes.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the well structure comprises a material of one or more of polycarbonate, copolymer, and cyclic olefin copolymer.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein locally heating the sample causes a chemical or biological process to occur.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surrounding environment of the microplate comprises:
(i) a mechanical stage supporting the microplate, wherein the mechanical stage is operatively coupled to the microplate,
(ii) a liquid handling system arranged to deposit and remove liquid from the microplate, wherein the liquid handling system is positioned above the microplate,
(iii) a detection system configured to detect materials from the wells in the well structure,
(iv) a thermal control unit operatively coupled to a voltage source, and
(v) a computing system configured to manage the operations of the mechanical stage, the liquid handling system, and the detection system.
8 . A microplate used for heating a sample, the microplate comprising:
(a) a well structure comprising a plurality of wells configured to support a plurality of samples, wherein the well structure comprises a material comprising polycarbonate, copolymer, cyclic olefin copolymer or a combination thereof,
(b) a heater integrated into the microplate, wherein the heater integrated into the microplate is configured to provide localized resistive heat to the well structure by heating both the well structure and the plurality of samples, wherein the localized resistive heat does not substantially heat a surrounding environment of the microplate.
9 . The microplate of claim 8 , wherein the heater comprises a substrate and a resistive heating layer patterned thereon.
10 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is optically transparent.
11 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises a thickness from about 700 micrometers and to about 1100 micrometers.
12 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the resistive heating layer comprises a thickness of about 100 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.
13 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the resistive heating layer comprises one or more of indium tin oxide, zinc tine oxide, platinum, oxides, and carbon nanotubes.
14 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the heater further comprises electrical contacts adjacent to and electrically connected with the resistive heating layer.
15 . The microplate of claim 9 , wherein the heater is configured to generate heat when a voltage is applied across the resistive heating layer.
16 . The microplate of claim 15 , wherein a temperature of the resistive heating layer is dependent on the applied voltage and resistive properties of the resistive heating layer.
17 . The microplate of claim 16 , wherein a temperature of the well structure is dependent on the temperature of the resistive heating layer.
18 . A fluidics system for processing a sample, comprising a microplate for heating a sample, the microplate comprising:
(a) a well structure comprising at least one well configured to support the sample,
(b) a heater integrated into the microplate, wherein the heater comprises an optically transparent substrate and a resistive heating layer patterned thereon, and wherein the heater is configured to provide localized resistive heat to the well structure by locally heating both the well structure and the sample, and
(c) a fluidics instrument comprising the microplate and a surrounding environment of the microplate, wherein the surrounding environment of the microplate comprises one or more of
(i) a mechanical stage supporting the microplate, wherein the mechanical stage is operatively coupled to the microplate,
(ii) a liquid handling system arranged to deposit and remove liquid from the microplate, wherein the liquid handling system is positioned above the microplate,
(iii) a detection system configured to detect materials from the wells of the well structure,
(iv) a thermal control unit operatively coupled to a volage source, or
(v) a computing system configured to manage the operations of the mechanical stage, the liquid handling system, and the detection system, wherein the localized resistive heat does not substantially heat the surrounding environment of the microplate.
19 . The fluidics system of claim 18 , wherein the substrate comprises a thickness from about 700 micrometers to about 1100 micrometers and the resistive heating layer comprises a thickness from about 100 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.
20 . The fluidics system of claim 18 , wherein the resistive heating layer comprises a material comprising one or more of indium tin oxide, zinc tin oxide, platinum, oxides, and carbon nanotubes, or any combination thereof.