Claims
- 1. A test device including a housing comprising:
a support member; a top member mounted to the support member by being placed in substantially fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support member, wherein the support member and the top member are configured such that they together define a discrete chamber, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the top member is in reversible, substantially fluid tight conformal contact with the support member.
- 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the top member is made of an elastomeric material.
- 4. The device of claim 4, wherein the top member is made of PDMS.
- 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the support member and the top member together comprise a plurality of discrete chambers.
- 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first well regions and the second well regions of the plurality of chambers are disposed relative to one another to match a pitch of a standard microtiter plate.
- 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of discrete chambers are disposed relative to one another to match a pitch of a standard microtiter plate.
- 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has at least one of: a length between about 3 microns to about 18 mm; a width between about 3 microns to about 200 microns; and a depth between about 3 microns to about 200 microns.
- 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has both a width and a depth of about 3 microns to about 20 microns.
- 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has both a width and a depth of about 20 microns to about 100 microns.
- 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has both a width and a depth of about 20 microns to about 200 microns.
- 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has a length between about 100 microns to about 3 mm, a width between about 3 microns to about 200 microns, and a depth of about 3 microns to about 20 microns.
- 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel comprises a plurality of channels.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of channels have an identical length with respect to one another.
- 15. The device of claim 13, wherein at least one of a length, a width and a depth of each successive one of the plurality of channels increases in a direction of a width of the channels with respect to a preceding one of the plurality of channels.
- 16. The device of claim 14, wherein the length of each successive one of the plurality of channels increases in a direction of a width of the channels with respect to a preceding one of the plurality of channels such that respective channel inlets at one of the first well region and the second well region are aligned along the direction of the width of the channels.
- 17. The device of claim 1, wherein a width of at least one of the first well region and the second well region is smaller than a length of said at least one of the first well region and the second well region.
- 18. The device of claim 1, wherein:
the first well region comprises a plurality of first wells; the second well region comprises a plurality of second wells connected with one another, each of the plurality of second wells corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of first wells; and the at least one channel comprises a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels connecting a respective one of the plurality of first wells with a corresponding one of the plurality of second wells.
- 19. The device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of channels defines a plurality of subchannels therein.
- 20. The device of claim 1, wherein:
the first well region comprises:
a plurality of first wells; and a plurality of capillaries, each of the plurality of capillaries connecting a respective one of the plurality of first wells to the at least one channel; and the second well region comprises a single second well.
- 21. The device of claim 13, wherein at least two of the plurality of channels of the respective plurality of discrete chambers have at least one of different shapes and different dimensions with respect to one another.
- 22. The device of claim 1, wherein the support member is a glass member having a thickness between about 0.1 to about 2 mm.
- 23. The device of claim 1, wherein, in a test orientation of the device, the support member defines at least one predetermined upper surface region that is sloped with respect to a horizontal plane.
- 24. The device of claim 23, wherein the at least one predetermined upper surface region of the support member includes a bottom surface of one of the first well region and the second well region, the bottom surface being sloped downward in a direction toward the at least one channel.
- 25. The device of claim 23, where the at least one predetermined upper surface region of the support member includes bottom surfaces of respective ones of the first well region and the second well region, each of the bottom surfaces being sloped downward in a direction toward the at least one channel.
- 26. The device of claim 23, wherein the at least one predetermined upper surface region is sloped so as to define an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.
- 27. The device of claim 1, wherein the first well region comprises:
a plurality of first wells; and a plurality of capillaries connected to respective ones of the plurality of first wells; and a plurality of subcapillaries branched off from and connected to respective ones of the plurality of capillaries such that each of the plurality of subcapillaries is connected to each of the plurality of capillaries at one end thereof, and to the at least one channel at another end thereof.
- 28. A kit for forming the housing of the device of claim 1, the kit comprising:
a support member; a top member adapted to be mounted to the support member by being placed in substantially fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support member, wherein the support member and the top member are configured such that they together define a discrete chamber when the top member is mounted to the support member, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 29. A top member adapted to be mounted to a support member for forming the housing of the device of claim 1 by being placed in substantially fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support member, wherein the top member is configured such that it defines a discrete chamber with the support member when the top member is mounted to the support member, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 30. The device of claim 1, further comprising a rigid frame placed around an outer perimeter of the top member.
- 31. A test device including a housing comprising:
a support member; a top member mounted to the support member by being placed in substantially fluid tight, conformal contact with the support member, wherein the support member and the top member are configured such that they together define a discrete chamber, the discrete chamber having an opening facing upwardly in a test orientation of the device.
- 32. The device of claim 31, wherein the discrete chamber includes:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 33. A test device comprising:
support means; means mounted to the support means for defining a discrete chamber with the support means by being placed in substantially fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support means, wherein the discrete chamber includes
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 34. The device of claim 33, wherein:
the support means comprises support member; and the means for defining comprises a top member.
- 35. A test device comprising
a support member; a top member mounted to the support member by forming a substantially instantaneous seal with the support member, wherein the support member and the top member are configured such that they together define a discrete chamber, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 36. A test device including a housing defining a chamber, the chamber comprising:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at a plurality of channels connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 37. A method of making a top member of a test device comprising the steps of:
selecting a predetermined material for the top member such that the top member is adapted to be mounted to a support member by being placed against the support member for forming a substantially fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support member; and configuring the top member such that it defines a discrete chamber with the support member when it is mounted to the support member, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 38. The method of claim 37, wherein configuring the top member comprises molding the predetermined material to a configuration of the top member.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein molding comprises:
providing a master having a configuration that is a negative of a configuration of the top member; providing a precursor material to the predetermined material; casting the precursor material against the master; curing the precursor material on the master for obtaining the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member; and removing the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member from the master for providing the top member.
- 40. The method of claim 39, wherein providing a master comprises fabricating a master using photolithography.
- 41. The method of claim 40, wherein providing a master comprises:
providing a wafer; providing a film of photoresist on the wafer; curing the precursor material on the master for obtaining the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member; and removing the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member from the master for providing the top member.
- 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the film of photoresist comprises a first film of photoresist and the layer of crosslinked photoresist comprises a first layer of crosslinked photoresist, the method further comprising:
providing a predetermined number of subsequent films of photoresist on the patterned wafer; for each of the subsequent films of photoresist:
exposing said each of the subsequent films to light through a respective subsequent photomask for providing a respective crosslinked photoresist and a respective uncrosslinked photoresist on the patterned wafer; removing the respective uncrosslinked photoresist thereby providing a multi-layered patterned wafer supporting a respective subsequent layer of crosslinked photoresist thereon.
- 43. The method of claim 39, wherein providing a precursor material comprises mixing a prepolymer and a curing agent with one another.
- 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the prepolymer comprises a PDMS prepolymer, and the predetermined material comprises PDMS.
- 45. The method of claim 41, wherein removing the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member comprises peeling the predetermined material in the configuration of the top member away from the mask.
- 46. A method of providing a test device comprising:
providing a support member; providing a top member; mounting the top member to the support member, wherein providing a top member comprises selecting a predetermined material for the top member such that the top member is mounted to the support member by being placed against the support member for forming a fluid-tight, conformal contact with the support member; and configuring the top member and the support member such that they together define a discrete chamber when the top member is mounted to the support member, the discrete chamber including:
a first well region including at least one first well; a second well region including at least one second well, the second well region further being horizontally offset with respect to the first well region in a test orientation of the device; and a channel region including at least one channel connecting the first well region and the second well region with one another.
- 47. The method of claim 46, wherein:
providing the support member comprises providing a support member made of glass; providing the top member comprises providing a top member made of PDMS; the method further comprising mounting the top member to the support member.
- 48. The method of claim 47, wherein mounting the top member to the support member comprises placing the top member against the support member.
- 49. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined material is selected such that the top member is adapted to be reversibly mounted to the support member.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of and incorporates herein by reference, in their entirety: U.S. application Ser. No. 09/709,776, filed on Nov. 8, 2000; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/307,886, filed on Jul. 27, 2001; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/312,405, filed on Aug. 15, 2001; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/323,742, filed on Sep. 21, 2001; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/328,103, filed on Oct. 11, 2001; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/330,456, filed on Oct. 22, 2001; U.S Provisional Application No. ______ , filed on Mar. 12, 2002 and entitled, “Cell Motility and Chemotaxis Test Device and Method of Using Same.”
Provisional Applications (6)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60307886 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60312405 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
|
60323742 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
|
60328103 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
|
60330456 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
|
60334548 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09709776 |
Nov 2000 |
US |
Child |
10097329 |
Mar 2002 |
US |