US 11,927,530 B2
Plasmon resonance system, instrument, and device for measuring molecular interactions
Ryan Denomme, Kitchener (CA); Shawn Fitzpatrick, New Hamburg (CA); Jason Garr, Hamilton (CA); Krishna Iyer, Waterloo (CA); Gordon Hall, Milton (CA); and Champika Samarasekera, Guelph (CA)
Assigned to Nicoya Lifesciences Inc., Kitchener (CA)
Appl. No. 17/278,450
Filed by Nicoya Lifesciences, Inc., Kitchener (CA)
PCT Filed Sep. 30, 2019, PCT No. PCT/CA2019/051396
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/061715, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/738,795, filed on Sep. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0003673 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 21/552 (2014.01); G01N 21/05 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/553 (2013.01) [G01N 21/05 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0438 (2013.01); G01N 2201/062 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plasmon resonance system for measuring properties of molecular interactions, comprising:
a sensor chip comprising a detection region;
a flow cell comprising a fluid channel for circulating a fluid across said detection region of said sensor chip;
an actuator configured to control relative movement of said sensor chip with respect to said flow cell between an undocked configuration in which said sensor chip is spaced apart from said flow cell and a docked configuration in which said sensor chip is in contact with said flow cell to seal a volume of space between said sensor chip and said flow cell;
a load sensor configured to determine a force between said sensor chip and said flow cell resulting from movement of said actuator; and
a controller configured to receive a signal from said load sensor, said signal indicative of a magnitude of said force, and to cease movement of said actuator in response to said magnitude exceeding a threshold value, wherein said threshold value corresponds to a force associated with said docked configuration.