Sample support

Abstract

The sample support comprises at least one sample receiving chamber for a sample liquid, and a distributor channel for sample liquid connected to said at least one sample receiving chamber, with at least one such distributor channel extending from each sample receiving chamber. The sample support further comprises at least one reaction chamber entered by an inflow channel branched off said at least one distributor channel, and a venting opening for each reaction chamber. Each distributor channel and each inflow channel are dimensioned to have the liquid transport through the distributor and inflow channels effected by capillary forces. In each reaction chamber, the entrance region of the inflow channel is provided with a means for generating a capillary force causing the sample liquid to flow from the inflow channel into the reaction chamber.

1 . A sample support, comprising: 
 at least one sample receiving chamber for a sample liquid;    a distributor channel for sample liquid, connected to said at least one sample receiving chamber, with at least one such distributor channel extending from each said sample receiving chamber;    at least one reaction chamber entered by an inflow channel branched off said at least one distributor channel; and    a venting opening for each reaction chamber,    wherein the venting openings are configured in such a manner that the reaction chambers are completely filled with sample liquid without gas bubbles being included in the reaction chambers.    
     
     
         2 . The sample support according to  claim 1 , wherein each reaction chamber has a bottom and a cover opposite thereto and wherein the venting openings are arranged in the region of the tops of the reaction chambers.  
     
     
         3 . The sample support according to  claim 1 , wherein each venting opening has an antechamber arranged upstream thereof which is open towards the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         4 . The sample support according to  claim 3 , wherein each antechamber comprises a bottom arranged at a downward slope towards the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         5 . The sample support according to  claim 4 , wherein each venting opening is arranged at the highest point above the bottom of its antechamber.  
     
     
         6 . The sample support according to  claim 1 , wherein each venting opening of each reaction chamber has a connecting channel extending therefrom and wherein a plurality of such connecting channels are arranged to enter respectively one venting collecting channel comprising a venting collecting opening.  
     
     
         7 . The sample support according to  claim 6 , wherein each connecting channel and/or each venting opening includes a means for preventing a further flow of sample liquid effected by capillary forces.  
     
     
         8 . The sample support according to  claim 7 , wherein said capillary-force prevention means are arranged in the entrance regions of the connecting channels into the venting channels.  
     
     
         9 . The sample support according to  claim 7 , wherein each of said capillary-force prevention means is provided as a widened portion of a connecting channel or venting opening, which widened portion respectively comprises a side surface with a connecting channel entering thereinto, and wherein the entrance region of the portion of the connecting channel extending from the reaction chamber is not delimited in the widened portion by any corner regions or only by such a small number of corner regions with rounding radii generating a capillary force such that the flow of the sample liquid in the entrance region is prevented.  
     
     
         10 . The sample support according to  claim 9 , wherein each venting collecting channel is arranged to extend from a reagent receiving chamber for receiving a reagent liquid, with the flow of the reagent liquid performed via the venting channels by capillary forces generated within the venting channels, and wherein, within the entrance region of each venting collecting channel into the widened portions and/or within the entrance regions where the portions of the connecting channels extending from the venting channels enter the widened portions, a means is arranged for generating a capillary force for filling the widened portions.  
     
     
         11 . The sample support according to  claim 10 , wherein each reagent receiving chamber comprises a bottom surface and side surfaces extending at an angular orientation thereto, and wherein the venting collecting channel assigned to a reagent receiving chamber is arranged to enter the reagent receiving chamber above said bottom surface, and wherein a means for generating a capillary force to cause reagent liquid to flow from the reagent receiving chamber into the venting collecting channel is arranged between said entrance and said bottom surface.  
     
     
         12 . The sample support according to  claim 11 , wherein said capillary-force generating means is formed as an outflow groove having a cross-sectional area and shape suited to generate a flow of the reagent liquid by capillary force.  
     
     
         13 . The sample support according to  claim 12 , wherein said outflow groove is provided as a trough formed in a side surface.  
     
     
         14 . The sample support according to  claim 12 , wherein said outflow groove is provided as a transition region between two adjacent and mutually angled side surfaces, the transition region having a rounding radius sufficiently small to generate capillary forces causing a flow of the reagent liquid.  
     
     
         15 . The sample support according to  claim 9 , wherein each venting collecting channel is arranged to extend from a reagent receiving chamber for receiving a reagent liquid, and wherein, within the entrance region of each venting collecting channel into the widened portions and/or within the entrance regions where the portions of the connecting channels extending from the venting channels enter the widened portions, a means is arranged for generating a capillary force for filling the widened portions.  
     
     
         16 . The sample support according to  claim 1 , wherein each distributor channel and each inflow channel are dimensioned to have the liquid transport through the distributor and inflow channels effected by capillary forces, and wherein, in each reaction chamber, the entrance region of the inflow channel is provided with a means for generating a capillary force causing the sample liquid to flow from the inflow channel into the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         17 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein each reaction chamber comprises a bottom surface having side surfaces extending at an angular orientation to the bottom surface, and wherein said capillary force generating means is realized by a sufficiently small rounding radius in the transition region between said side surfaces and said bottom surface to cause sample liquid to flow along said transition regions under the effect of capillary forces.  
     
     
         18 . The sample support according to  claim 17 , wherein, in the transition region between the side surfaces and the bottom surface of a reaction chamber, the inflow channel is arranged to enter the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         19 . The sample support according to  claim 17 , wherein, above the bottom surface of a reaction chamber, the inflow channel is arranged to enter the reaction chamber, and wherein, between the entrance of the inflow channel and the transition region between the bottom surface and the side surfaces, an inflow groove is arranged, having a cross-sectional area and shape suited to generate a flow of the sample liquid by capillary force.  
     
     
         20 . The sample support according to  claim 19 , wherein the inflow groove is formed by the rounding radius in the transition region between two adjacent and mutually angled side surfaces of the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         21 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein each sample receiving chamber comprises a bottom surface and side surfaces arranged in angular relationship thereto, and wherein each distributor channel is arranged to enter the associated sample receiving chamber in the transition region between the bottom surface and the side surfaces.  
     
     
         22 . The sample support according  claim 16 , wherein each sample receiving chamber comprises a bottom surface and side surfaces arranged in angular relationship thereto, wherein each distributor channel is arranged to enter the associated sample receiving chamber above the transition region between the bottom surface and the side surfaces, and wherein an outflow groove is arranged to extend from said entrance in the direction of the bottom surface, said outflow groove having a cross-sectional area and shape suited to generate a flow of the sample liquid by capillary force.  
     
     
         23 . The sample support according to  claim 22 , wherein said outflow groove is formed by two mutually angled side surfaces whose transition region has a rounding radius sufficiently small to generate capillary forces causing the sample liquid to flow along the transition region.  
     
     
         24 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein all of the inflow channels arranged to branch off from a distributor channel have a smaller cross-sectional area than the distributor channel.  
     
     
         25 . The sample support according to  claim 24 , wherein inflow channels are arranged to branch off on both sides of each distributor channel and wherein the branch-off sites of mutually opposite inflow channels are arranged in a mutually staggered relationship.  
     
     
         26 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein means are provided for causing a controlled flow of the sample liquid through the distributor channels into the reaction chamber.  
     
     
         27 . The sample support according to  claim 26 , wherein said flow control means comprise valves arranged in each distributor channel and/or the venting openings of the reaction chambers, or downstream thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The sample support according to  claim 27 , wherein each valve can be switched hydraulically and pneumatically, respectively, from a closed condition into an open condition by external control and/or by application of pressure onto the sample liquid or the gas bearing against the valve.  
     
     
         29 . The sample support according to  claim 28 , wherein each valve comprises a burst film and/or a porous hydrophobic insert and/or a hydrophobic inner wall.  
     
     
         30 . The sample support according to  claim 28 , wherein each valve is provided as a widened channel portion arranged in a distributor channel, wherein the first portion of a valve channel extending from a sample receiving chamber is arranged to enter said widened channel portion, and the second portion of the distributor channel connecting to the inflow channels is arranged to extend from said widened channel portion, the entrance region of the first portion of the distributor channel into said widened portion being not delimited by any corner regions or only by such a small number of corner regions with rounding radii generating a capillary force such that the flow of the sample liquid in the entrance region is interrupted.  
     
     
         31 . The sample support according to  claim 30 , wherein, by application of pressure onto the sample liquid in said first portions of the distributor channels, said widened channel portions can be filled with the sample liquid such that said portions of the distributor channels can be bridged by sample liquid.  
     
     
         32 . The sample support according to  claim 30 , wherein each widened channel portion is entered by a control channel for a control liquid by which the widened channel portion can be filled such that said portions of the distributor channels can be bridged by sample liquid.  
     
     
         33 . The sample support according to  claim 32 , wherein the flow of the control liquid through the control channels is caused by capillary forces.  
     
     
         34 . The sample support according to  claim 33 , wherein the flow of the control liquid out of the control channels into the widened channel portions is caused also by capillary forces and/or by application of pressure onto the control liquid.  
     
     
         35 . The sample support according to  claim 32 , wherein each control channel is arranged to extend from a control-liquid receiving chamber to the respective widened channel portion.  
     
     
         36 . The sample support according to  claim 35 , wherein each sample liquid receiving chamber comprises a bottom surface and side surfaces extending at an angular orientation thereto, and wherein the venting collecting channel assigned to a control liquid receiving chamber is arranged to enter the control liquid receiving chamber above said bottom surface, and wherein a means for generating a capillary force to cause control liquid to flow from the control liquid receiving chamber into the venting collecting channel is arranged between said entrance and said bottom surface.  
     
     
         37 . The sample support according to  claim 36 , wherein said capillary-force generating means is formed as an outflow groove having a cross-sectional area and shape suited to generate a flow of the control liquid by capillary force.  
     
     
         38 . The sample support according to  claim 37 , wherein said outflow groove is provided as a trough formed in a side surface.  
     
     
         39 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein said chambers, channels and other structures are arranged within a base body from at least one side thereof and wherein said at least one side of the base body is covered in a liquid-tight manner by a cover body.  
     
     
         40 . The sample support according to  claim 39 , wherein said base body and said cover body are made of plastic, glass, metal or silicon.  
     
     
         41 . The sample support according to  claim 39 , wherein said cover body is a film.  
     
     
         42 . The sample support according to  claim 16 , wherein said at least one reaction chamber contains dried reagents.  
     
     
         43 . A method of conducting microbiological diagnostics, blood-group serology, clinical chemistry, microanalysis, or the testing of active agents, which comprises the steps of: 
 providing a sample support comprising a plurality of sample receiving chambers for a sample liquid; a distributor channel for sample liquid, connected to each said sample receiving chamber, with at least one such distributor channel extending from each said sample receiving chamber; at least one reaction chamber entered by an inflow channel branched off said at least one distributor channel; and a venting opening for each reaction chamber, wherein the venting openings are configured in such a manner that the reaction chambers are completely filled with sample liquid without gas bubbles being included in the reaction chambers; and    providing each said sample receiving chamber for liquids with a different reagent.