AU2009245854A1 - A Container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container for containing biological material. Preferably, the container is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tube molded from polypropylene material. The container includes a receptacle for receiving the biological material and a cap for capping the receptacle. A connector connects the receptacle and cap. The connector includes a catch arrangement which may impede the container from returning to a fully open configuration from a caught configuration. The present invention also relates to a container strip.

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT A CONTAINER The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: A CONTAINER TECHNICAL FIELD 5 The present invention generally relates to a container for containing biological material. The present invention has particular, although not exclusive application to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tubes. BACKGROUND 10 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 15 Scientists use a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quickly increase the amount of a specific DNA sequence or to detect the existence of a defined sequence within a particular DNA sample of biological material. The PCR can be carried out in a reaction volume of 10-200 pl in small 20 reaction PCR tubes (0.2-0.5 ml volumes) within a thermal cycler. The thermal cycler heats and cools the PCR tubes to achieve the temperatures required at each step of the PCR. In practice, hundreds of PCR tubes may be provided within the thermal cycler at any one time. 25 A known type of PCR tube includes a receptacle for receiving the biological material, a cap for capping the receptacle, and a lanyard connecting the receptacle and cap. These PCR tubes are often held in holes within a block during receipt of the biological material. When the biological material is received within the receptacle, the tube is configured in a fully open 30 configuration with the lanyard projecting in a straight manner away from the receptacle. Each lanyard bends when the cap is moved with a finger so that the tube 2 is configured in a capped configuration, where the cap is snap fitted to its receptacle, and the block is then transferred to the thermal cycler.

2 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for containing biological material, the container including: 5 a receptacle for receiving the biological material; a cap for capping the receptacle; and a connector for connecting the receptacle and cap, the connector including a catch arrangement, the catch arrangement including: a single tongue extending from the receptacle; and 10 a single catch extending from the cap and for catching upon the tongue. The catch may be angled or bent. In one embodiment, the catch is right angled. The tongue may have an enlarged free end. The tongue and catch 15 may define rounded corners. The connector may include a pair of bridges which are right angled between the receptacle and cap when the container is in a caught configuration. Each bridge may define a neck to facilitate bending. 20 The cap may include a cover and an endless ring extending from the cover to be received within a mouth of the receptacle. The cover may be flat or domed. The receptacle may define a round mouth and tapers to an apex. The apex 25 may be rounded. The container may be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tube. The container may be molded from polypropylene material. 30 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container strip for containing biological material, the container strip including a plurality of serially interconnected containers, each container including: a receptacle for receiving the biological material; a cap for capping the receptacle; and 3 a connector for connecting the receptacle and cap, the connector including a catch arrangement, the catch arrangement including: a single tongue extending from the receptacle; and a single catch extending from the cap and for catching upon the 5 tongue. The container strip may include a plurality of bridges interconnecting respective container pairs. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed 15 Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows: Figure 1 is a plan view of a PCR tube in accordance with an embodiment of 20 the present invention, with the tube being configured in its capped configuration (a), caught configuration (b) and fully open configuration (c) respectively. Figure 2 is sectional view of the PCR tube through section A-A of Figure 1, 25 with the tube being configured in its capped configuration (a), caught configuration (b) and fully open configuration (c) respectively. Figure 3 is a magnified view of a catch arrangement of the PCR tube of Figure 1, with the tube being configured in its capped configuration (a), caught 30 configuration (b) and fully open configuration (c) respectively. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a PCR tube strip in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with the tubes being configured in their 4 capped configurations (a), caught configurations (b) and fully open configurations (c) respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 5 According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tube 2 (i.e. container) for containing biological material as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The PCR tube 2 includes a receptacle 4 for receiving the biological material and a cap 6 for capping the 10 receptacle 4. A connector 8 connecting the receptacle 4 and cap 6 includes a catch arrangement 10, and the tube 2 can be manually configured in a capped configuration (Fig. 2a), caught configuration (Fig. 2b) and fully open configuration (Fig 2c). 15 The cap 6 is snap fitted to the receptacle 4 in the capped configuration (Fig. 2a). In the caught configuration (Fig. 2b), the catch arrangement 10 is engaged whereby the tube 2 is impeded from being configured in the fully open configuration (Fig. 2c). The connector 8 projects in a straight manner away from the receptacle 4 in the fully open configuration (Fig. 2c). The PCR 20 tube 2 is described in detail below. The PCR tube 2 is molded from virgin polypropylene material which is inherently somewhat compliant. The catch arrangement 10 includes a straight tongue 12 extending from the receptacle 4. A right angled or bent catch 14, 25 with some compliance, extends from the cap 6. The catch 14 can catch upon the compliant tongue 12 (Fig. 2b) to impede the tube 2 from being configured in the fully open configuration (Fig. 2c). As can best be seen in Figures 3a and 3b, the tongue 12 has an enlarged free end 16 against which the catch 14 can catch in the caught configuration (Fig. 3b). Both the tongue 12 and catch 14 30 define rounded corners 18a, 18b to facilitate transition of the tube 2 from the fully open configuration (Fig. 2c) to the caught configuration (Fig. 2b). To get from the fully open configuration (Fig. 2c) to the caught configuration (Fig. 2b), force should be applied by a finger from behind the cap 6 toward the 5 mouth of the receptacle 4. As can best be seen in Figure 3b, the rounded corner 18b of the catch 14 will apply a downward pressure on the rounded corner 18a of the rounded corner 18a of the tongue 12. This downward pressure will flex both the catch 14 and the tongue 12 until the catch 14 snaps 5 past the tongue 12 and is caught. Finger pressure is then released from behind the cap 6. The resilient properties of the material cause the cap 6 to spring back so that the catch 14 engages on the underside of the enlarged free end 16 of the tongue 12. This results in retaining the cap 6 in an upright position with the connector 8 being at about 900 in the caught configuration 10 (Fig. 2b). As can best be seen in Figure la, the connector 8 includes a pair of bridges 20a, 20b extending between the receptacle 4 and cap 6 on either side of the catch arrangement 8. The bridges 20 are right angled between the receptacle 15 4 and cap 6 when the tube 2 is in a caught configuration. As shown in Figure 1 c, each bridge defines a central neck 22 to facilitate bending of the connector 8. Turning to Figure 2b, the cap 6 includes a cover 24 and an endless ring 26 20 extending from the cover 24 to be received within a round mouth of the receptacle 4. The cover 24 also defines a dome 28, and a visor 30 to facilitate disengagement of the ring 26 from the receptacle 4. As can best be seen in Figure 2c, the receptacle 4 tapers to terminate in a rounded apex 32. 25 Initially, the PCR tube 2 is configured in a fully open configuration (Fig 2c). Next, the PCR tube 2 can be configured in a caught configuration (Fig. 2b) for filling with biological material when held in a block. In this manner, the compliant catch 14 forms an acute angle and moves past the free end of 30 compliant tongue 12 when the cap 6 is moved with a finger. The catch 14 catches against the underside of the tongue 12 so that the PCR tube 2 is impeded from retuning to the fully open configuration (Fig 2c).

6 Once filled with biological material, the PCR tube 2 can be readily configured in a capped configuration (Fig. 2a) by further moving the cap 6 with a finger, and the block holding the tube 2 can be placed in a thermal cycler. 5 Subsequent to thermal cycling, the PCR tube 2 can be returned to the caught configuration (Fig. 2b) although is impeded from returning to the fully open configuration as the catch 14 catches up against the enlarged free end 16 of the tongue 12. The mere fact that the PCR tube 2 is in the caught configuration (Fig. 2b) provides a visual indicator that the tube 2 has been 10 used. As the tube 2 can be configured in the caught configuration (Fig. 2b) when receiving biological material, more PCR tubes 2 can be provided per unit surface area of the block which holds them. In the caught configuration (Fig. 15 2b), the cap 6 is located in close proximity to the mouth of the receptacle 4 so that multiple receptacles (e.g. in the strip of Fig. 4) can be reliably capped at once with a finger, in contrast to the prior art where this is otherwise difficult with a straight lanyard. 20 According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a PCR tube strip 50 for containing biological material as shown in Figure 4. The strip includes serially interconnected PCR tubes 2 similar to those previously described. However, each tube 2 has a flat cover 52. The PCR tube strip 50 includes a plurality of bridges interconnecting respective container pairs. 25 A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention. 30 In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of 7 its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims (5)

1. A container for containing biological material, the container including: a receptacle for receiving the biological material; a cap for capping the receptacle; and a connector for connecting the receptacle and cap, the connector including a catch arrangement, the catch arrangement including: a single tongue extending from the receptacle; and a single catch extending from the cap and for catching upon the tongue.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue and catch define rounded corners to facilitate transition of the container from a fully open configuration to a caught configuration.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector includes a pair of bridges which are right angled between the receptacle and cap when the container is in a caught configuration.

4. A container strip for containing biological material, the container strip including a plurality of serially interconnected containers, each container including: a receptacle for receiving the biological material; a cap for capping the receptacle; and a connector for connecting the receptacle and cap, the connector including a catch arrangement, the catch arrangement including: a single tongue extending from the receptacle; and a single catch extending from the cap and for catching upon the tongue.

5. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tube substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 9 Dated this 8 th day of December 2009 CHROMOPLAS PTY LTD by my attorneys Cullens Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys