Method and apparatus for detection of analyte using a flexural plate wave device and magnetic particles

• US 20070281371A1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ProterixBio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BioScale, Inc.
• Inventors: Fitch, Eric, Lundstrom, Mark, Masters, Brett, Miller, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/709,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281371A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/526
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0426 Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/324 Coronary artery diseases, e.g. angina pectoris, myocardial infarction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4418 with a model, e.g. best-fit, regression analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54313 the carrier being characterised by its particulate form
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56911 Bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 : Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

A system for detecting an analyte in a sample includes a resonant sensor that has a sensor surface coated with the capture agent. A plurality of magnetic particles, each of which is coated with a capture agent having an affinity for the analyte, is combined with the sample to form a plurality of analyte-particle complexes. The system also includes a transport arrangement for transporting the sample to the sensor surface, and a magnetic field inducing structure constructed and arranged to establish a magnetic field at and adjacent to the sensor surface. The resonant sensor produces a signal corresponding to an amount of analyte-particle complexes that are bound to the sensor surface.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method for detection of an analyte, comprising:

combining a fluid containing an analyte with a plurality of magnetic particles that comprise a capture agent having an affinity for the analyte to produce at least some magnetic particles bound to at least some analyte;

directing the combined fluid into a first fluid chamber, wherein at least one surface of a flexural plate wave device is in fluid communication with the fluid in the first fluid chamber; and

creating a first magnetic flux in proximity to the flexural plate wave device to magnetically attract at least some of the plurality of bound magnetic particles to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising selectively altering at least one of the first magnetic flux in proximity to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device or altering at least one property of fluid flow in proximity to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device to selectively locate at least some of the plurality of bound magnetic particles on at least a portion of the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the at least one property of the fluid flow is selected from the group consisting of fluid pressure, flow rate, and fluid trajectory.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein altering the at least one property of fluid flow comprises altering a flow path of the fluid to control the movement of the magnetic particles in vicinity to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising applying a second magnetic flux in opposition to the first magnetic flux.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising changing the second magnetic flux to selectively dislodge at least some of the magnetic particles not bound to analyte from the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising terminating the first magnetic flux and creating a second magnetic flux to selectively remove some of the magnetic particles from the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising exciting the flexural plate wave device to selectively dislodge materials adhering to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising characterizing a property of the magnetic particles attracted to the at least one interior surface.

31. The method of claim 22, further comprising filtering the combined fluid prior to directing the combined fluid into the first fluid chamber.

32. The method of claim 22 wherein directing the combined fluid into the first fluid chamber comprises pumping the combined fluid into a first opening of the first fluid chamber and out of a second opening in the first fluid chamber.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein directing the combined fluid into the first fluid chamber comprises flowing the combined fluid into a first opening of the first fluid chamber.

34. The method of claim 22 wherein first fluid chamber is located in a cartridge and the fluid containing the analyte and at least some of the plurality of magnetic particles that comprise the capture agent are combined in a second fluid chamber of the cartridge prior to directing the combined fluid into the first fluid chamber.

35. The method of claim 22, further comprising directing at least a portion of the combined fluid out of an opening in the first fluid chamber.

36. The method of claim 22 wherein directing the combined fluid into the first fluid chamber comprises immersing a cartridge comprising the first fluid chamber into a vessel containing the combined fluid.

37. The method of claim 22, further comprising selectively altering at least one of the first magnetic flux in proximity to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device or altering at least one property of fluid flow in proximity to the at least one surface of the flexural plate wave device to selectively remove from the first fluid chamber, substances located within the combined fluid.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the substances are selected from the group consisting of magnetic particles, analyte, bound magnetic particles, and combinations thereof.

39-43. -43. (canceled)