Reducing optical interference in a fluidic device

• US 10,067,123 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Theranos IP Company, LLC
• Inventors: Gibbons, Ian, O'Connell, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Erik B
• Application Number:
  US13/915,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20140154708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5304 Reaction vessels, e.g. agglutination plates for solid-phase systems G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/536 with immune complex formed in liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

This invention is in the field of medical devices. Specifically, the present invention provides portable medical devices that allow real-time detection of analytes from a biological fluid. The methods and devices are particularly useful for providing point-of-care testing for a variety of medical applications. In particular, the medical device reduces interference with an optical signal which is indicative of the presence of an analyte in a bodily sample.

Claims

1. A system for detecting an analyte in a sample of bodily fluid, comprising:

a fluidic device comprising;

a housing comprising;

an assay assembly comprising at least one reagent for generating an optical signal that is indicative of the presence of the analyte, and

a quencher assembly in fluidic communication with but separated by a channel from the assay assembly, wherein the quencher assembly comprises an absorbent material and a quenching agent, wherein the quenching agent comprises a singlet oxygen quencher or an organic compound with an absorbance spectrum overlapping a fluorescence emission spectrum of a fluorescent species used to enhance the optical signal; and

a detection assembly comprising an optical detector configured to detect the optical signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication assembly in communication with the detection assembly and an external device, wherein the communication assembly transmits the optical signal and an identifier of the fluidic device to the external device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the assay assembly comprises reagent chambers comprising the at least one reagent and at least one reaction site comprising a reactant that binds the analyte.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one reagent comprises an enzyme conjugate and an enzyme substrate.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the quencher assembly comprises a quenching site in fluidic communication with the reaction site and wherein the quenching agent is disposed at the quenching site.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the absorbent material is configured to absorb waste liquids from the assay assembly and prevent leakage of the waste liquids from the fluidic device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the absorbent material is impregnated with the quenching agent.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the absorbent material is selected from the group consisting of glass fiber, silica, paper, polyacrylamide gel, agarose, and agar.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the quenching agent inactivates the at least one reagent from the assay, thereby reducing interference of the optical signal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the quenching agent is 4-amino-1, 1-azobenzene-3,4-disulfonic acid.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one reagent is used for a chemiluminescent assay.

12. The system of claim 5, further comprising a waste chamber, wherein the waste chamber comprises the quenching site.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample of bodily fluid is blood.