US-12623225-B2 - System and method for receiving and delivering a fluid for sample processing

Abstract

A system and method for receiving and delivering a fluid, the system comprising: a body configured to interface with an opening of a reservoir and defining: a protrusion defining a set position of the body relative to the reservoir; a wall extending from the protrusion; a receiving surface coupled to the wall and sloping from an apex to a nadir along a first direction, the receiving surface comprising a vent; and an outlet positioned closer to the nadir than the apex of the receiving surface and displaced from the vent, the outlet comprising an extension from the body, the extension configured to contact an interior wall of the reservoir, wherein the body comprises: a bubble-mitigating operation mode in which the receiving surface receives and transmits the fluid along the receiving surface, and a fluid-transmitting operation mode in which the body directs the fluid along the interior wall of the reservoir.

Inventors

• Kalyan Handique
• Austin Payne

Assignees

• BIO-RAD LABORATORIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221019

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method for receiving and delivering a fluid to a reservoir positioned upstream of a microfluidic chip, the method comprising: receiving the fluid in a bubble-rich state at a receiving surface, wherein the receiving surface slopes from an apex to a nadir along a first direction, the receiving surface comprising a vent and an outlet positioned closer to the nadir than the apex and displaced from the vent, and the outlet comprising an extension configured to contact an interior wall of the reservoir downstream of the nadir; transmitting the fluid along the receiving surface toward the nadir, thereby transitioning the fluid from a bubble-rich state to a reduced-bubble state; controlling a temperature of the fluid with a heating or cooling element during transmission of the fluid along the receiving surface; and directing the fluid, in the reduced-bubble state, through the outlet, along the extension, and toward the microfluidic chip in the reduced-bubble state.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the fluid comprises receiving at least one of a sample fluid and a sample processing fluid from a container positioned above the reservoir.
3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the container comprises a set of chambers, the method further comprising: rotating the container such that a chamber of the set of chambers, containing at least one of the sample fluid and the sample processing fluid, is rotated into position; and releasing at least one of the sample fluid and the sample processing fluid from the chamber and toward the receiving surface.
4. 4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising passing a puncturing element into a seal of the chamber, thereby allowing releasing of at least one of the sample fluid and the sample processing fluid from the chamber and toward the receiving surface.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises reagents for cDNA amplification of a sample being processed at the microfluidic chip.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a PCR master mix.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises enzyme mixes and oligonucleotide sequences for ligation operations with at least one of DNA and RNA.
8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a solution of magnetic beads coupled with affinity molecules for material of a sample being processed at the microfluidic chip.
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic chip comprises an array of wells configured to process target biological material of a sample.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the fluid along the receiving surface comprises transmitting the fluid along at least one of a set of recesses and a set of protrusions configured to disrupt bubbles from the fluid.
11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the fluid through the outlet comprises directing the fluid along a set of extensions, comprising the extension, toward a set of contact positions at the interior wall of the reservoir.
12. 12 . A system comprising: a reservoir positioned upstream of and fluidly coupled to a microfluidic chip; and a body seated within an opening of the reservoir and comprising: a wall; a receiving surface coupled to the wall and sloping from an apex to a nadir along a first direction, the receiving surface comprising a vent; and an outlet positioned closer to the nadir than the apex of the receiving surface and displaced from the vent, the outlet comprising an extension configured to contact an interior wall of the reservoir downstream of the nadir, wherein the body is thermally coupled to a heating or cooling element, for controlling a temperature of a fluid contacting the body, and wherein the body is configured to: receive the fluid at the receiving surface; transmit the fluid along the receiving surface toward the nadir, thereby transitioning the fluid from a bubble-rich state to a reduced-bubble state; and direct the fluid, in the reduced-bubble state, through the outlet, along the extension, and toward the microfluidic chip in the reduced-bubble state.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the receiving surface comprises a textured region comprising at least one of: a set of recesses and a set of protrusions configured to disrupt bubbles from the fluid.
14. 14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the extension of the outlet is configured to direct a stream of the fluid to the interior wall of the reservoir during operation.
15. 15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the receiving surface slopes from a horizontal plane at an angle of 10-50 degrees from the apex to the nadir.
16. 16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the fluid comprises reagents for cDNA amplification of a sample being processed at the microfluidic chip.
17. 17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the fluid comprises a PCR master mix.
18. 18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the fluid comprises enzyme mixes and oligonucleotide sequences for ligation operations with at least one of DNA and RNA.
19. 19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the vent comprises a boundary at least partially formed by the wall of the body.
20. 20 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a force-transmitting element coupled to the body and configured to transmit force to the fluid for actively disrupting bubbles of the fluid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/816,817, filed 12 Mar. 2020, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by this reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to the sample processing field, and more specifically to a new and useful system and method for fluid delivery in the sample processing field. BACKGROUND With an increased interest in cell-specific drug testing, diagnosis, and other assays, systems and methods that allow for individual cell processing are becoming highly desirable. Systems and methods for single cell capture and processing have been shown to be particularly advantageous for these applications. However, associated processes and protocols for single cell capture, processing, and analysis often must be performed in a particular order and with a high precision in order to properly maintain the cells. As such, these processes can be time consuming for the user, as well as result in damage to the cells or otherwise unfavorable results if they are not performed properly (e.g., through mistakes in pipetting, through a mix-up of reagents, etc.). Furthermore, in relation to delivery of sample fluids and/or other process fluids for sample processing to a device for single-cell capture and processing, systems and method for delivery are currently insufficient in relation to delivery of such fluids in a desired state (e.g., a state without features, such as bubbles, that could adversely affect processing). Thus, there is a need in the sample processing field to create a new and useful system and method for fluid delivery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1A depicts an embodiment of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIG. 1B depicts embodiments of operation modes of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIGS. 2A-2C depict specific examples of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIG. 3 depicts a variation of a portion of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIGS. 4A-4C depict variations of a receiving surface of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIGS. 5A-5B depict variations of a set of receiving surfaces of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIGS. 6A and 6B depict variations of an outlet of a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of a fluid delivery system cooperating with a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIGS. 8A-8C depict embodiments of a fluid container cooperating with a system for receiving and delivering a fluid. FIG. 9 depicts a flowchart of an embodiment of a method for receiving and delivering a fluid. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. 1. Benefits The system and method can confer several benefits over conventional systems and methods. One or more embodiments of the system(s) and method(s) described can confer the benefit of significantly removing or reducing in number a distribution of bubbles from within a fluid, where the fluid is intended to be transmitted into microfluidic structures of a device for processing cells/particles in single-cell/single-particle format. As such, the invention(s) described can significantly improve reliability and efficiency of sample processing, by producing consistently usable results. One or more embodiments of the system(s) and method(s) described can additionally or alternatively confer the benefit of enabling an operator to purchase smaller volumes of reagents, such as through the distribution of reagents in protocol-specific types and quantities to be used in accordance with specific protocols, due to reduced waste attributed to the invention(s). This can function to save costs, reduce reagent waste, or have another desired outcome. In variations associated with related system components, the system(s) and method(s) described can additionally or alternatively confer the benefit of enabling at least partial automation of the protocols involved in single cell capture and subsequent processing. In a first example, the user can be removed from part or all of the method (e.g. loading samples, capping lids, etc.). In a second example, the system and/or method can enable better accuracy of a protocol over conventional systems and methods (e.g. better accuracy in the addition of the correct reagents, better temperature control of reagents, automated bar code reading, etc.). In a third example, the system and/or method can confer the benefit of preventing accidents (e.g. knocking the system, spills of reagents, etc.), which can commonly occur during the manual performance of a protocol. In variations associated with related system components, the system(s) and method(s) described can additionally or alternatively confer the