System and method for movement and timing control

• US 10,207,269 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology, Slipchip Corporation
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ismagilov, Rustem F., Shen, Feng, Li, Liang, Selck, David, Baker, Joe, Kahatt, Espir, Da Costa, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Hyun, Paul S
• Application Number:
  US15/022,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/041 Connecting closures to device or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/045 whereby the whole cover is slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/047 Additional chamber, reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0672 Integrated piercing tool
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0874 Three dimensional network
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1855 using phase changes in a medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1877 : using chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 : centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 : magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0457 : passive flow or gravitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 : pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 : squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0493 : Specific techniques used
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0644 : rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 : phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0683 : mechanically breaking a wall or membrane within a channel or chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 : characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 : characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/523 : with means for closing or opening
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/527 : for a plurality of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 : with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/4077 : by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids

Abstract

The present invention relates to fluidic systems for controlling one or more fluids and/or one or more reagents. These systems can be used in combination with one or more devices for assaying, processing, and/or storing samples. In particular, the systems and related methods can allow for dispensing fluid in a controlled manner and/or introducing pause(s) when implementing assays or processes.

Claims

1. A reagent dispensing device comprising:

(a) a first substrate having a first surface, wherein the first substrate comprises one or more first chambers situated within the first substrate;

(b) a first resistant unit disposed adjacent to the first surface of the first substrate and fluidically connected to at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein the first resistant unit comprises a first reagent; and

(c) a first pushing unit configured to move along a circular path within a plane parallel or about parallel to the first surface of the first substrate, wherein a movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path within the plane parallel or about parallel to the first surface of the first substrate causes the first reagent to enter at least one of the one or more first chambers, and wherein the first pushing unit is configured to slidably engage along the first surface or slidably engage with the first resistant unit disposed above the first substrate along the first surface.

2. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1,

wherein the first pushing unit comprises at least one protrusion, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit in a direction parallel or about parallel to the first surface of the first substrate causes at least one protrusion to contact the first resistant unit, thereby releasing the first reagent in the first resistant unit into at least one of the one or more first chambers.

3. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit is not powered electrically.

4. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a second resistant unit disposed adjacent to the first surface of the first substrate and fluidically connected to at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein the second resistant unit comprises a second reagent, wherein the first and second resistant units are radially aligned along the circular path, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path causes the second reagent to enter at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein the volume, shape, or length of the first resistant unit relative to the second resistant unit is configured to affect relative timing of release of the first reagent relative to the second reagent into at least one of the one or more first chambers.

5. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a second resistant unit disposed adjacent to the first surface of the first substrate and fluidically connected to at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein the second resistant unit comprises a second reagent, wherein the first and second resistant units are radially aligned along the circular path, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path causes the second reagent to enter at least one of the one or more first chambers, and wherein the distance between the first resistant unit and the second resistant unit is configured to affect relative timing of release of the first reagent relative to the second reagent into the one or more first chambers.

6. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a second resistant unit disposed adjacent to the first surface of the first substrate and fluidically connected to at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein the second resistant unit comprises a second reagent, wherein the first and second resistant units are radially aligned along the circular path, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path causes the second reagent to enter at least one of the one or more first chambers, wherein viscosity of the first reagent is configured to affect relative timing of release of the first reagent relative to the second reagent into at least one of the one or more first chambers.

7. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first reagent comprises a lysis buffer, a wash buffer, or an elution buffer.

8. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more first chambers comprises a fluid and the first resistant unit comprises an immiscible fluid relative to the fluid in the first chamber.

9. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first pushing unit and the first resistant unit are configured to provide feedback for the movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path that results in decelerating, accelerating, or stopping of the movement.

10. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first resistant unit comprises a deformable substrate or a blister.

11. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first resistant unit comprises a first wall bordering an aperture within the first surface, wherein the aperture is in fluid communication with one or more of the one or more first chambers.

12. The reagent dispensing device of claim 11, wherein the movement of the first pushing unit along the circular path causes the first wall to rupture, thereby causing the first reagent in the first resistant unit to enter at least one of the one or more first chambers.

13. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the device is a microfluidic device.

14. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises one or more air vents fluidically connected to the one or more first chambers.

15. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a sample inlet port or sample input well.

16. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a controller to control the movement of the first pushing unit.

17. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first reagent comprises a liquid, a powder, or a gel.

18. The reagent dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the first reagent comprises microbeads, probes, primers, nucleic acids, DNA, RNA, polypeptides, antibodies, or any combination thereof.