Device for Collecting Blood and Separating Blood Constituents, Method for Separating Blood Constituents and Use of Said Device

• US 20070269893A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Europe GmbH (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Europe GmbH (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Blankenstein, Gert, Peters, Ralf-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/2
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/084 Passive control of flow resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/088 by specific surface properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• 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 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: G01N 33/491 by separating the blood components G01N15/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for collecting blood and separating blood plasma as a liquid sample, by means of a canal that absorbs the liquid sample by capillary forces. The aim of the invention is to obtain a uniform filling of the canal with the liquid sample and an effective separation. To achieve this, deaeration takes place in a transverse direction to the main filling direction or to the longitudinal direction of the canal, immediately downstream of a separation device in an inlet region of the canal.

Claims

1-52. -52. (canceled)

53. Device for collecting blood and separating blood constituents, comprising a feed device for collecting the blood, a separator for separating blood constituents as sample liquid, a channel receiving the sample liquid, an inlet region of the channel adjoining the separator for receiving the separated sample liquid, and a venting device in fluid communication with the inlet region for venting the sample liquid in the inlet region at right-angles to the main filling direction.

54. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device is constructed to vent the sample liquid immediately at the outflow side of the separator.

55. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device for venting the sample liquid in the inlet region is formed in the main extension plane of the channel.

56. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device comprises at least one transverse channel in the inlet region extending at right-angles to the main direction of filling of the channel with sample liquid.

57. Device according to claim 53 wherein the channel receives the sample liquid exclusively by capillary forces.

58. Device according to claim 53 wherein said venting device vents the sample liquid in the inlet region at right-angles to the longitudinal extent of the channel.

59. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device for venting the sample liquid in the inlet region is formed along a flat side of the separator.

60. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device for venting the sample liquid in the inlet region is formed at right-angles to the direction of flow of the sample liquid through the separator.

61. Device according to claim 53, wherein the venting device has a recess laterally adjacent to the channel.

62. Device according to claim 61, wherein the device has a carrier and a cover between which the channel and recess are formed.

63. Device according to claim 61, wherein the venting device has at least one venting channel adjacent to the recess.

64. Device according to claim 61, wherein the recess runs along at least one the opposite open narrow sides and the longitudinal sides of the channel.

65. Device according to claim 53, wherein the separator is of planar construction, the inlet region being immediately adjacent to a flat side of the separator and the main filling direction of the channel extending parallel to the flat side.

66. Device according to claim 53, wherein the separator has a filter for separating blood plasma as a sample liquid.

67. Device according to claim 53, wherein the separator has a membrane for separating blood plasma as a sample liquid.

68. Device according to claim 53, wherein the device has a filling device for filling the channel with sample liquid between opposing surfaces in the inlet region which delimit the channel.

69. Device according to claim 68, wherein the filling device comprises at least one structure projecting from a surface.

70. Device according to claim 68, wherein the filling device has a ramp which reduces the height of the channel in the inlet region.

71. Device according to claim 53, wherein the cross-section of the channel tapers from the separator towards the base.

72. Device according to claim 71, wherein the cross-section of the channel is a V-shape.

73. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel has a plurality of individual channels, at least in the inlet region.

74. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel is formed by two opposing surfaces which are substantially planar.

75. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel is of open construction and the sample liquid can be guided along the channel without sidewalls

76. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel has a substantially rectangular cross-section at right-angles to at least one of the main direction of filling with sample liquid and the longitudinal dimension of the channel.

77. Device according to claim 53, wherein the height of the channel is less than the width of the channel.

78. Device according to claim 53, wherein the height of the channel is less than the width of the channel at least by a factor of 5.

79. Device according to claim 53, wherein the capacity of the channel is less than 1 ml.

80. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel forms at least one reservoir for the sample liquid.

81. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel contains a chemical.

82. Device according to claim 81, wherein said chemical is a dry chemical.

83. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel has at least one guide element for influencing the filling with the sample liquid.

84. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel has regularly distributed elevations as guide elements.

85. Device according to claim 83, wherein at least one of the spacing and the size of the guide elements varies as a function of the respective distance from an inlet for the sample liquid into the channel.

86. Device according to claim 83, wherein the channel has at least one trench as a guide element, extending transversely with respect to the main direction of filling of the channel for forming a temporary liquid stop for evening out the liquid front of the sample liquid.

87. Device according to claim 53, wherein the feed device includes a first chemical for lysing blood cells.

88. Device according to claim 87, wherein the first chemical is in the form of a dry chemical and can be dissolved by the liquid supplied to the feed device.

89. Device according to claim 53, wherein the channel is provided with at least one second chemical.

90. Device according to claim 89, wherein the second chemical is in the form of a dry chemical which can be dissolved by the sample liquid.

91. Device according to claim 89, wherein the second chemical allows the Ca content to be determined.

92. Device according to claim 89, wherein the second chemical contains a complexing agent to form a colored complex.

93. Device according to claim 53, wherein adjoining the separator is a single channel for receiving and discharging the sample liquid, said second channel leading in different directions.

94. Device according to claim 53, including means for directing light into the sample liquid, the light being adapted to be directed into the free surface of the sample liquid in the region of an open side.

95. Device according to claim 94 wherein the means for directing light directs light into the sample liquid for fluorescence measurements.

96. Device according to claim 95, wherein the light directed inwards can be reflected off the interface between the sample liquid and channel wall.

97. Device according to claim 53, including a detector mounted on said channel for measuring scattered radiation.

98. Device according to claim 53, including a sampling device for sampling sample liquid.

99. A method of separating blood constituents or blood plasma as a sample liquid from blood using a planar separator, the sample liquid separated off being collected by a channel, the inlet region of which adjoins the flat side of the separator and conveys the sample liquid parallel to the flat side in a main filling direction, said sample liquid being vented at least in the inlet region at right-angles to the main filling direction.

100. A method for determining an intracellular parameter, particularly a blood level, comprising the step of lysing blood cells by means of a first chemical and conveying the resulting liquid exclusively by capillary forces along a channel, said parameter being determined by means of a second chemical.

101. A method according to claim 100, wherein in the lysed blood forming the sample liquid, the Ca content is determined as an intracellular parameter by means of the second chemical.

102. A method according to claim 100, wherein in the lysed blood forming the sample liquid, the hemoglobin level is determined as an intracellular parameter by means of the second chemical.

103. A method according to claim 101, wherein the second chemical used is a complexing agent to form a colored complex with Ca ions.