US 12,134,798 B1
Methods of detecting a leak from a subarray of a microarray chip, kits of components that facilitate leak detection, and microarray chips configured for leak detection
Rachel Woolaver Trahan, Arvada, CO (US); Jon H. Monserud, Golden, CO (US); Maarten Rutgers, Los Angeles, CA (US); Jason Cleveland, Boulder, CO (US); Barry Vant-Hull, Boulder, CO (US); and Stephan Kraemer, Boulder, CO (US)
Assigned to SomaLogic Operating Co., Inc., Boulder, CO (US)
Filed by SomaLogic Operating Co., Inc., Boulder, CO (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/530,860.
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/6837 (2018.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/6837 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502761 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0647 (2013.01); B01L 2200/16 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0654 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0819 (2013.01); B01L 2300/168 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting a leak from a given subarray of a plurality of subarrays that are formed on a substrate and together define a microarray chip, the method comprising:
positioning, within the given subarray, a sample solution that includes:
(i) dissolved sample molecules (DSMs) that define a dissolved sample oligonucleotide sequence; and
(ii) dissolved leak detection molecules (DLDMs) that define a predetermined dissolved leak detection oligonucleotide sequence; and
detecting the DLDMs within a region of the microarray chip that is external to the given subarray;
wherein each subarray of the plurality of subarrays includes a corresponding leak detection region;
wherein the corresponding leak detection region includes anchored leak detection molecules (ALDMs), which are attached to the substrate and define a predetermined anchored leak detection oligonucleotide sequence that is complementary to the dissolved leak detection oligonucleotide sequence;
wherein a spatial arrangement of the plurality of subarrays defines a number of adjacent subarrays;
wherein each corresponding leak detection region includes a number of distinct ALDM features that is at least one of equal to the number of adjacent subarrays and one greater than the number of adjacent subarrays;
wherein each ALDM feature of the number of distinct ALDM features:
(i) is spaced apart from each other ALDM feature of the number of distinct ALDM features; and
(ii) includes corresponding ALDMs that define a corresponding predetermined anchored leak detection oligonucleotide sequence that differs from the predetermined anchored leak detection oligonucleotide sequence of each other ALDM feature; and
wherein the detecting the DLDMs includes detecting hybridization between the ALDMs and the DLDMs;
wherein the region of the microarray chip that is external to the given subarray is a first region of the microarray chip, and further wherein the detecting the DLDMs includes detecting the DLDMs in a second region of the microarray chip that is at least one of:
(i) external to all subarrays of the microarray chip;
(ii) positioned within a contact region between a perimeter sealing structure and the substrate; and
(iii) positioned within an unwetted region of the microarray chip.