Piston assembly and related systems for use with a fluidics device

• US 10,035,145 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SciKon Innovation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SciKon Innovation, Inc.
• Inventors: McClelland, Randall Edwin, Bunger, Maureen Kay, Ziberna, Frank Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Hobbs, Michael L
• Application Number:
  US14/954,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20160151778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0457 passive flow or gravitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0217 of the plunger pump type medical syringes A61M
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 1/00 Multi-cylinder machines or pumps characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders machines or pumps with pistons coacting within one cylinder F04B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 13/00 Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/025 the pump being located directly adjacent the reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/006 Crankshafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 53/14 Pistons, piston-rods or piston-rod connections

Abstract

Disclosed are fluidics devices and assemblies allowing for fluid flow between a plurality of wells. The fluidics devices and assemblies that are provided mimic in vivo tissue environments by allowing for initially segregated tissue cultures that can then be linked through fluid flow to measure integrated tissue response. The fluidics devices and assemblies provide a pumpless system using surface tension, gravity, and channel geometries. By linking human tissue functional systems to better simulate in vivo feedback and response signals between the tissues, the need for testing in animals can be minimized. Further, piston assemblies and related systems are provided for nesting engagement on top of the fluidics device in order to provide a dosing fluid thereto.

Claims

1. A piston assembly comprising:

a reservoir tray configured for nesting engagement with a fluidics device and including;

a liquid chamber defining a chamber floor for containing a dosing fluid;

an aperture defined in the chamber floor and positioned above a dosing well of the fluidics device when the reservoir tray is nestably engaged with the fluidics device;

wherein the chamber floor is angled and the aperture is defined at a lower portion of the chamber floor such that the dosing fluid flows through the aperture into the dosing well of the fluidics device when the reservoir tray and the fluidics device are nestably engaged;

a reservoir cover defining a piston chamber that receives at least a portion of a piston for allowing the piston to translate between a first position a distance from the aperture and a second position proximal to the aperture; and

a crank engaged with the piston for translating the piston between the first position and the second position such that the translation from the first position to the second position results in a portion of the dosing fluid flowing through the aperture to the dosing well when the reservoir tray and the fluidics device are nestably engaged.

2. The piston assembly of claim 1, wherein the aperture defines one or more openings, the one or more openings configured for communication with the dosing fluid in the liquid chamber such that surface tension of the dosing fluid maintains the dosing fluid in the liquid chamber until the piston is translated from the first position to the second position.

3. The piston assembly of claim 1, wherein the piston chamber defines a chamber lip for engaging with a piston catch defined by the piston, thereby retarding the translation of the piston when the piston translates from the second position to the first position.

4. The piston assembly of claim 1, wherein the reservoir cover defines a cover lip for engaging with a crank catch defined by the crank, thereby retarding the translation of the crank when the piston is translating from the second position to the first position.

5. The piston assembly of claim 1, wherein the chamber floor further defines a piston well including the aperture for receiving the piston in the second position and the dosing fluid.

6. The piston assembly of claim 5, wherein the piston well further includes a piston well wall for nestably engaging at least half of the circumference of the piston during the entire translation between the first position and the second position and for delivering the dosing fluid to the piston well.

7. The piston assembly of claim 6, wherein the chamber floor further defines a floor recess at the lower portion of the chamber floor proximal to the piston well and the piston well wall for receiving the dosing fluid and delivering the dosing fluid to the piston well.

8. The piston assembly of claim 1, wherein the crank includes a pin engaged within a piston channel defined in the piston for engaging the crank to the piston.

9. The piston assembly of claim 7, wherein the crank is in communication with a solenoid.

10. The piston assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fluidics device including:

a dosing well positioned upstream from a plurality of wells for containing a respective host fluid; and

one or more channels extending between adjacent upstream and downstream wells to define a channel fluid flow path there between such that a dosing fluid deposited into the dosing well flows to the respective host fluid of the adjacent downstream well along the channel fluid flow path there between, and the respective host fluid subsequently flows to each adjacent downstream well along the channel fluid flow path there between.

11. The piston assembly of claim 10, wherein the fluidics device further includes:

a collection well downstream from the plurality of wells to collect the respective host fluid after its having flowed through the plurality of wells, wherein the collection well defines an aperture; and

a second reservoir tray comprising at least one chamber for containing a respective chamber fluid and configured for nesting engagement underneath the fluidics device such that fluid from the collection well of the fluidics device flows through the aperture into the chamber of the second reservoir tray when the second reservoir tray and the fluidics device are nestably engaged.

12. The piston assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a second fluidics device configured for nesting engagement underneath the fluidics device;

the fluidics device further including a collection well downstream from the plurality of wells to collect the respective host fluid after its having flowed through the plurality of wells;

wherein the collection well defines an aperture such that fluid from the collection well flows through the aperture into the dosing well of the second fluidics device when the fluidics devices are nestably engaged.

13. The piston assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

one or more additional fluidics devices configured for nesting engagement underneath the second fluidics device;

wherein the additional fluidics devices each comprise a collection well downstream from the plurality of wells to collect the respective host fluid after its having flowed through the plurality of wells;

wherein the collection well of each fluidics device defines an aperture such that fluid from the collection well flows through the aperture into the dosing well of the additional fluidics device positioned underneath when the fluidics devices are nestably engaged.

14. A piston assembly comprising:

a reservoir tray configured for nesting engagement with a fluidics device and including a liquid chamber defining a chamber floor and dividing walls creating subchambers for housing a dosing fluid, each of the subchambers having;

an aperture defined in the chamber floor and positioned above a dosing well of the fluidics device when the reservoir tray is nestably engaged with the fluidics device;

wherein the chamber floor is angled and the aperture is defined at a lower portion of the chamber floor such that the dosing fluid flows through the aperture into the dosing well of the fluidics device when the reservoir tray and the fluidics device are nestably engaged;

a reservoir cover defining a piston chamber housing a piston for each of the subchambers for allowing the piston to translate a between a first position a distance from the aperture and a second position proximal to the aperture; and

a crank assembly engaged with the pistons for translating the pistons such that a portion of the dosing fluid flows through the aperture when the reservoir tray and the fluidics device are nestably engaged.

15. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein the aperture defines one or more openings, the one or more openings configured for communication with the dosing fluid in the liquid chamber such that surface tension of the dosing fluid maintains the dosing fluid in the liquid chamber until the piston is translated from the first position to the second position.

16. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein the piston chamber defines a chamber lip for engaging with a piston catch defined by the piston, thereby retarding the translation of the piston when the piston translates from the second position to the first position.

17. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein the reservoir cover defines a cover lip for engaging with a crank catch defined by the crank assembly, thereby retarding the translation of the crank when the piston is translating from the second position to the first position.

18. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein the chamber floor further defines a piston well including the aperture for receiving the piston in the second position and the dosing fluid.

19. The piston assembly of claim 18, wherein the piston well further includes a piston well wall for nestably engaging at least half of the circumference of the piston during the entire translation between the first position and the second position and for delivering the dosing fluid to the piston well.

20. The piston assembly of claim 18, wherein the chamber floor further defines a floor recess at the lower portion of the chamber floor proximal to the piston well and the piston well wall for receiving the dosing fluid and delivering the dosing fluid to the piston well.

21. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein the crank assembly includes cranks, each crank engaged with the piston of each of the subchambers for translating the piston between the first position and the second position.

22. The piston assembly of claim 21, wherein each crank is in communication with a solenoid including a pin engaged with a piston channel defined by each piston.

23. The piston assembly of claim 14, wherein each piston defines a piston head and wherein the crank assembly includes a piston bar engaged with all of the piston heads for translating the pistons simultaneously between the first position and the second position.

24. The piston assembly of claim 23, wherein the crank assembly further includes at least one crank engaged with the piston bar for translating the piston bar, thereby translating the pistons between the first position and the second position.

25. The piston assembly of claim 24, wherein the at least one crank is in communication with at least one solenoid including a pin engaged with a piston bar channel defined by the piston bar.

26. The piston assembly of claim 14, further comprising a fluidics device including:

one or more dosing wells positioned upstream from a plurality of wells for containing a respective host fluid; and

one or more channels extending between adjacent upstream and downstream wells to define a channel fluid flow path there between such that a dosing fluid deposited into the dosing well flows to the respective host fluid of the adjacent downstream well along the channel fluid flow path there between, and the respective host fluid subsequently flows to each adjacent downstream well along the channel fluid flow path there between.