FLOW METERED ANALYZER

• US 20070003434A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Padmanabhan, Aravind, Cabuz, Cleopatra
• Granted Patent: US 8,361,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/57
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/14 Process control and prevention of errors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/146 Employing pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/14 Means for pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1838 using fluid heat transfer medium
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/082 Active control of flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers
• 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 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/7086 using optical detecting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/00 Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1484 microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/012 Red blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/016 White blood cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/018 Platelets
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1486 Counting the particles

Abstract

A hematology analyzer or cytometer cartridge system having flow metering. It may have on- or off-cartridge flow metering and control. The system may have local and direct flow measurement to provide accurate counts per unit volume. There may be numerous arrangements for fluidic circuit checks of the cartridge. Examples may include checks pertaining to zero flow, interface, pressure, flow rate, fluid type and quality, backflow, dry qualification, temperature exposure limits, and so on, of the circuits and cartridge associated items.

Claims

1. A microfluidic analyzer system comprising:

a fluidic circuit having an input port;

a flow sensor connected to the input port;

a pump/pressure source having an output connected to the flow sensor; and

a processor connected to the flow sensor and the fluidic circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluidic circuit may be of a hematology analyzer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a flow rate at the flow sensor is sent to the processor;

a result at the fluidic circuit is sent to the processor; and

the processor performs result correction in accordance with the flow rate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the flow rate is volume per time;

the result at the fluidic circuit is a count per time; and

a result from the processor is a count per volume.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the flow rate is a number of microliters per second;

the result sent to the processor is a number of cells per second; and

a result from the processor is the number of cells per second divided by the number of microliters per second to be a number of cells per microliter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the processor provides a signal to the pump/pressure source; and

the processor performs closed-loop control of a flow rate, according to the flow sensor, provided by the pump/pressure source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the flow rate is volume per time;

the result at the fluidic circuit is a count per time; and

a result from the processor is a count per volume.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the flow rate is a number of microliters per second;

the result sent to the processor is a number of cells per second; and

a result from the processor is the number of cells per second divided by the number of microliters per second to be a number of cells per microliter.

9. A zero flow check system comprising:

providing a fluid with a pressure to an inlet of a channel having a flow sensor proximate to the inlet and having a valve proximate to an outlet of the channel;

closing the valve; and

checking a flow rate indicated by the flow sensor; and

wherein the channel has walls that are relatively non-compliant.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the channel is of a cytometer.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the flow rate should be zero.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the flow rate is not zero, then a cause of a non-zero flow rate should be searched for.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the non-zero flow rate may be caused by bubbles in a fluid of the channel or by a leak in the channel, valve, or the like.

14. A system of for checking a fluid interface between two units, comprising:

connecting a first flow sensor to a first port of an interface on a first unit;

connecting a second flow sensor to a second port of the interface on a second unit;

providing a fluid with a pressure through the first flow sensor to the first port of the interface;

detecting a first flow rate indicated by the first flow sensor;

detecting a second flow rate indicated by the second flow sensor; and

comparing the first flow rate with the second flow rate; and

wherein the first flow rate should equal the second flow rate.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first unit and/or the second unit is of a hematology analyzer.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein if the first flow rate does not equal the second flow rate, then a leak may be present at the interface.

17. A system for checking a pressure/flow rate, comprising:

a channel having an inlet and having an outlet;

a pressure sensor proximate to the inlet of the channel; and

a flow sensor proximate to the outlet of the channel; and

wherein;

the outlet of the channel is connected to a fluidic circuit to be checked;

a fluid flow is provided to the inlet of the channel; and

a ratio of a pressure measurement from the pressure sensor and a flow measurement from the flow sensor should be within a predetermined range for the fluidic circuit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the channel is of a cytometry system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein if the ratio of the pressure measurement and the flow measurement is not within the predetermined range, then there may be a partial or full blockage in the channel or the microcircuit, bubbles or another anomaly in the channel or the microcircuit.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a processor connected to the pressure sensor and the flow sensor; and

wherein the processor provides diagnostic results from the ratio of the pressure measurement and the flow measurement.

21. A system for checking a fluid comprising:

a channel having an inlet for connecting to a fluid flow;

a temperature sensor situated in the channel;

a thermal conductivity sensor situated in the channel; and

a viscosity sensor situated in the channel.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the channel is of a hematology analyzer.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein a temperature indication from the temperature sensor, a thermal conductivity indication from the thermal conductivity sensor and a viscosity indication from the viscosity sensor should be within predetermined ranges for a given fluid.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein if the temperature indication, the thermal conductivity indication and the viscosity indication are not within the predetermined ranges for the given fluid, then the fluid may be of an improper type, may have absorbed humidity, may have bacteria growth, may be improperly mixed, may have settled out salts, and/or may have deteriorated over time.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a processor connected to the temperature sensor, the thermal conductivity sensor and the viscosity sensor; and

wherein the processor provides information about a fluid in the channel from temperature, thermal conductivity and viscosity data from the temperature sensor, the thermal conductivity sensor and the viscosity sensor, respectively.

26. A system for checking backflow in a channel, comprising:

a channel for flow of a fluid in a first direction;

a flow sensor situated in the channel; and

wherein a flow indication of the flow sensor should reveal a forward flow or reveal a backflow having a magnitude within a predetermined range for flow operations of the channel.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the channel is of a cytometer.

28. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

a processor connected to the flow sensor; and

wherein the processor may provide diagnostic information according to an indication from the flow sensor.

29. A system for dry qualification of a fluidic cartridge, comprising:

a fluidic cartridge having an input port;

a back pressure sensor connected to the input port; and

a gas source module for providing a gas at a known flow rate connected to the back pressure sensor; and

wherein a back pressure indication from the back pressure sensor should be within a specified range that indicates a satisfactory condition of the fluidic cartridge.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the fluidic cartridge is of a hematology analyzer.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the specified range is an acceptable range.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the gas is nitrogen.

33. A system for dry qualification of a fluidic cartridge, comprising:

a fluidic cartridge having an input port;

a flow sensor connected to the input port; and

a gas source module for providing gas at a known pressure connected to the flow sensor; and

wherein a flow rate indication from the flow sensor should be within a specified range that indicates a satisfactory condition of the fluidic cartridge.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the fluidic cartridge is of a hematology analyzer.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the specified range is an acceptable range.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the gas is nitrogen.

37. A system for a high temperature exposure limit check of a fluidic cartridge, comprising:

a flow channel in a fluidic cartridge;

a bypass channel connected to the flow channel; and

a temperature meltable fuse situated in the bypass channel; and

wherein if the cartridge is exposed to a temperature above a high temperature limit, the fuse in the bypass channel may melt resulting in an error detectable by a cartridge analyzer when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge analyzer.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the fluidic cartridge is of a cytometer.

39. A system for a low temperature exposure limit check of a fluidic cartridge comprising:

a flow channel in a fluidic cartridge;

a bypass channel connected to the flow channel; and

a temperature reducible size fuse situated in the bypass channel; and

wherein if the cartridge is exposed to a temperature below a low temperature limit, the fuse may shrink and not return to its original size resulting in an error detectable by a cartridge analyzer when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge analyzer.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the cartridge is of a hematology analyzer.

41. A system for off-cartridge flow sensing, comprising:

a first portion of a flow channel on a cartridge having an inlet connected to a first interface and an outlet connected to a second interface;

a first flow sensor, on an analyzer unit, having an outlet connected to the first interface, and having an inlet;

a pump/pressure source, on the analyzer unit, having an outlet connected to the inlet of the first flow sensor;

a second portion of the flow channel having an inlet connected to a third interface; and

a second flow sensor, on the analyzer unit, having an inlet connected to the second interface and an outlet connected to the third interface; and

wherein flow rate indications from the first and second flow sensors may be analyzed to determine a condition of the flow channel.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the analyzer unit is of a cytometer.

43. A system for off-cartridge flow sensing, comprising:

a flow channel on a cartridge having an inlet connected to a first interface;

a pump/pressure source on an analyzer unit, having an outlet connected to the first interface;

a first fluid capillary connected at a first location to the flow channel, and connected to a first interface;

a second fluid capillary connected at a second location to the flow channel, and connected to a second interface;

a first pressure sensor, on the analyzer unit, connected to the first interface; and

a second pressure sensor, on the analyzer unit, connected to the second interface; and

wherein pressure indications from the first and second pressure sensors may be analyzed to determine a condition of the flow channel.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the cartridge is of a cytometer.