Device for implementing an analysis pack, analysis pack and method using same

• US 20060078466A1
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruno Colin, Cecile Paris, Jacques Dachaud, Marie Privat
• Original Assignee: Bruno Colin, Cecile Paris, Jacques Dachaud, Marie Privat
• Inventors: Paris, Cecile, Dachaud, Jacques, Privat, Marie, Colin, Bruno
• Granted Patent: US 7,491,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1097 characterised by the valves valves in general F16K

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for implementing a test card inside which sequential reactions and fluid transfer operations are performed under the effect of a control means integrated into the card; said card includes at least two sequential reaction systems arranged in parallel, each reaction system consisting of at least two fluid transfer systems arranged in series. The invention also concerns a test card and the method for implementing the device and the card. The device is characterized in that it contains at least one actuator per reaction line, and all the actuators are at a regular distance from one another, with the actuators preferably being equidistant. The invention is particularly applicable for the micromanipulation of fluids in biological applications.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A test card inside which sequential reactions and fluid transfer operations are performed under the effect of control means integrated into the card, said card comprising:

at least two sequential reaction lines arranged in parallel, each reaction line comprising at least two fluid transfer systems arranged in series,

at least two valves per parallel reaction line, the valves making it possible to control fluid transfers in series within a channel from an initial level (A, B or C) to a subsequent level (B, C or D), each level corresponding to at least one processing,

each valve being made up of at least a means which can be deformed by an actuator and lead to direct or indirect closing of said channel,

wherein a distance d₁ between two counterpart valves belonging to different reaction lines is constant, whatever the initial level (A, B or C) from which fluid transfers which are controlled by said counterpart valves are performed, and

a distance d₂ between the two valves belonging to the same reaction line is constant from one reaction line to another.

22. The card of claim 21, wherein each reaction line includes at least one initial compartment, one receiving compartment, a fluid-carrying channel linking the two compartments, the valve positioned on said fluid-carrying channel acting on said channel as a control means of the fluid flow generated by a transfer means, and wherein the arrangement of the valves on the test card is such that the fluids in each reaction line are allowed to flow between the initial compartment in each reaction line and the receiving compartment in each reaction line at the same time.

23. The test card of claim 22, wherein the valves are arranged along a straight line with all the valves being equidistant from one another.

24. The test card of claim 23, wherein the straight line is perpendicular to one side of the test card.

25. The test card of claim 22, wherein at least one of the compartments is associated with at least one buffer supply, and the buffer supply is located on the opposite side of the test card in relation to the compartment with which it is associated.

26. The test card of claim 21, wherein each compartment which contains at least one reagent which is to be brought into contact with the sample or an aliquot of the sample, contains a means of keeping a tablet in position, with said means at a distance from a bottom of said compartment such that said tablet is not in contact with said bottom of said compartment.

27. The test card of claim 26, wherein at the center of all or part of compartments there are a plurality of reinforcing stanchions, which make up holding means that form an isosceles triangle.

28. The test card of claim 27, wherein these stanchions are adapted to hold in place a tablet which contains particles.

29. A device for implementing the test card of claim 21, which comprises at least one actuator per reaction line of card and in which all actuators are at a constant distance from one another, the device comprising means for moving the card forward in relation to the actuators, and/or comprising means for moving said actuators forward in relation to said card, and in which each actuator can be activated independently of the others.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the action of the actuators on the card is at a perpendicular angle:

in relation to the surface of said card where the actuators operate, and/or

in relation to a direction of movements of both the card and actuator.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein all the actuators are mounted on a single ramp, and the ramp is rectilinear, perpendicular to the direction of movements of the actuators, and/or perpendicular to the direction of movements of the card and/or of the device with respect to the card.

32. A method for implementing the card of claim 21, comprising the following steps:

generating a pressure differential inside said card with respect to the outside,

introducing at least one sample to be tested into the card,

moving each sample or aliquot of sample within the card for testing purposes, and

withdrawing from or keeping in said card a part of each introduced sample.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the test includes the following steps:

denaturation of DNA and/or RNA,

immobilization of DNA and/or RNA molecules on magnetic beads,

amplification of said DNA and/or RNA, and

screening of each sample or aliquot of sample to check whether amplification has occurred.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the testing includes a preliminary extraction step corresponding to lysis of any cells contained in the sample.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the testing includes purification of the sample after extraction and before amplification.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the testing includes analysis of transcripts by hybridization using a biochip following amplification.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the card is used in an inclined or a vertical position during testing.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the test card is displaced during the various different steps and/or operations in a sequential manner.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the card is displaced along two perpendicular axes in order to align the valves with the valve actuators.

40. The test card of claim 21, wherein said means which can be deformed by an actuator comprises a flexible film covering at least a part of the upper and/or lower part of the test card.

41. The test card of claim 26, wherein said tablet comprises an agglomerate of the reagent(s).

42. The test card of claim 27, wherein said plurality of reinforcing stanchions comprises three stanchions.

43. The test card of claim 28, wherein said tablet contains magnetic particles.

44. The device of claim 29, wherein actuators in the same ramp are equidistant.

45. The method of claim 32, wherein generating a pressure differential inside said card also generates a depression.

46. The card of claim 21, wherein each level has a fluid inlet and a separate fluid outlet.