Reaction chamber roll pump

Abstract

A method and system for circulating sample solution within a reaction chamber containing a microarray. The reaction chamber contains, on each side, a shallow vertical and a deep vertical well at the corners of the microarray. The vertical wells having a gap between the active surface of the microarray and the bottom of the reaction chamber are filled with sample solution. As the reaction chamber is rotated, sample solution from the deep vertical well displaces sample solution in the gap between the active surface of the microarray and the bottom of the reaction vessel, and sample solution from that gap is, in turn, displaced into the shallow vertical well, from which it flows along the inner surface of a cover strip above the microarray back to the deep vertical well.

1 - 28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . A method of moving a fluid within a reaction chamber, said method comprising: 
 introducing a fluid into said reaction chamber, wherein said reaction chamber comprises a roll pump; and    rotating said reaction chamber about a rotation axis so that said roll pump provides for continuous fluid flow in said reaction chamber.    
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said roll pump comprises: 
 a shallow vertical well connected to a deep vertical well by an inclined feature.    
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said reaction chamber further comprises a reactive entity.  
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said rotation axis is perpendicular to an edge of said reactive entity.  
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein said reactive entity is a microarray of molecular species.  
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein said molecular species are nucleic acids.  
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said rotating is continuous.  
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said fluid is a sample.  
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said fluid is a wash fluid.  
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said fluid comprises labeled molecules.  
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein said labeled molecules are fluorescently labeled.  
   
   
       40 . A method of moving a fluid within a reaction chamber comprising a nucleic acid microarray, said method comprising: 
 introducing a fluid into said reaction chamber, wherein said reaction chamber comprises a roll pump; and    rotating said reaction chamber about a rotation axis so that said roll pump continuously moves fluid over an active surface of said nucleic acid array.    
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said roll pump comprises: 
 a shallow vertical well connected to a deep vertical well by an inclined feature.    
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said rotation axis is perpendicular to an edge of said nucleic acid microarray.  
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said rotating is continuous.  
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said fluid is a sample.  
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said fluid is a wash fluid.  
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein said fluid comprises labeled molecules.  
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein said labeled molecules are fluorescently labeled.