Fluidic cartridge with valve mechanism

• US 10,208,332 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Eberhart, David, Nielsen, William D., Franklin, Helen, Jovanovich, Stevan B., Lehto, Dennis, Chear, Kaiwan, Klevenberg, James, Park, Chungsoo Charles, Smith, Corey, Wunderle, Philip Justus, King, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Sines, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US15/117,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20170002399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 422 681, 422502, 422503, 422504, 422554, 422537, 436 43, 436180
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/025 Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• 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 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0848 Specific forms of parts of containers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0605 : check valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 : pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0666 : Solenoid valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 : characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• 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 3/502761 : specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6806 : Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6846 : Common amplification features
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/686 : Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 : being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44743 : Introducing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 : Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027

Abstract

Provided herein is a fluidic cartridge having a body comprising a malleable material and a layer comprising a deformable material bonded to a surface of the body that seals one or more fluidic channels that communicate with one or more valve bodies formed in a surface of the body. The valve can be closed by applying pressure to the deformable material sufficient to crush and close off a fluidic channel in the body. Also provided are a cartridge interface configured to engage the cartridge. Also provided is a system including a cartridge interface and methods of using the cartridge and system.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising:

(a) a body comprising a malleable material; and

(b) a layer comprising a deformable material bonded to a surface of the body and sealing a fluidic channel that communicates with one or more valve bodies formed in a surface of the body;

wherein;

(i) the one or more valve bodies comprise

a segment of the fluidic channel comprising a wall having a pair of ridges and a floor depressed into the surface,

and

(ii) the layer is bonded to the surface of the body and to the ridges such that the channel segment of the fluidic channel is sealed; and

wherein a valve body sealed with the layer forms a valve configured to regulate fluid flow in the fluidic channel and closable by forcing the layer against the floor of the segment of the channel.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 comprising elements of a fluidic circuit including a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and at least one compartment, which elements are fluidically connected through fluidic channels, wherein at least one fluidic channel comprises a valve body.

3. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising at least one compartment selected from a reagent compartment, a sample compartment, a mixing compartment, a reaction compartment and a waste compartment.

4. The cartridge of claim 2 wherein a fluid inlet or a fluid outlet comprises a via through the body.

5. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising at least one sample compartment configured to accept a swab.

6. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising at least one mixing chamber configured for bubbling of air through the mixing chamber.

7. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising a reaction chamber comprising a solid substrate for retaining analyte from a sample.

8. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising a pump configured as a depression in the surface.

9. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein the solid substrate comprises a material that binds nucleic acid.

10. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein the solid substrate comprises Whatman paper, a carboxylated particle, a sponge-like material, a polymer membrane, magnetically attractable particles, or glass particles.

11. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein the solid substrate binds a predetermined amount of material.

12. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising a reaction chamber comprising one or more thermally conductive walls and configured for thermal cycling.

13. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising at least one waste compartment.

14. The cartridge of claim 2 comprising a waste chamber, wherein the waste chamber comprises a material that degrades nucleic acid.

15. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises at least one reagent compartment comprising a reagent, wherein the compartment comprises an openable seal that, when opened, puts the compartment in fluidic communication through a via with a fluidic channel on the surface.

16. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the body further comprises one or more reagent compartments comprising reagents including nucleic acid primers, nucleotides and DNA polymerases sufficient to perform PCR.

17. The cartridge of claim 16 wherein the reagents are sufficient for performing multiplex PCR on STR loci.

18. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deformable material has a durometer value of between 10 Shore D to 80 Shore D.

19. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deformable material comprises a heat seal material.

20. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deformable material comprises a material selected from polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, cycloolefin co-polymer (COC), mylar, polyacetate and a metal.

21. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein a portion of the layer of deformable material covering a valve seat does not comprise an elastomeric material.

22. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the layer of deformable material has a higher yield strength than the malleable material.

23. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deformable material is attached to the body through an adhesive.

24. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the deformable material is welded to the body.

25. The cartridge of claim 1 further comprising a chamber comprising a filter.

26. The cartridge of claim 1 comprising elements of a fluidic circuit including a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and at least three chambers, which elements are fluidically connected through fluidic channels, wherein each fluidic channel connecting two of the chambers comprises a valve body.

27. The cartridge of claim 1 comprising a branched fluidic circuit comprising chambers connected by fluidic channels and comprising a common portion and a plurality of branches, wherein the common portion comprises a fluid inlet and a lysis chamber, and wherein each branch comprises at least one reaction chamber comprising one or more thermally conductive walls and configured for thermal cycling, at least one isolation chamber and a fluid outlet, wherein at least the fluidic channels connecting a reaction chamber with an isolation chamber comprises a valve body.

28. The cartridge of claim 1 comprising reliefs depressed into the surface and defining depressions that flank the ridges on two sides of the segment of the channel.

29. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the valve is configured to be closed by mechanical pressure from a ram forcing the layer against the floor of the segment of the channel.