Novel Microfluidic Sample Holder

• US 20080190220A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oktavia Backes, Perdita Backes
• Original Assignee: Oktavia Backes, Perdita Backes
• Inventors: Backes, Oktavia, Backes, Perdita
• Application Number:
  US11/793,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20080190220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/864.81
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0694 vents used to stop and induce flow, backpressure valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• 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: B29C 65/4825 Pressure sensitive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/328 Leaving the burrs unchanged for providing particular properties to the joint, e.g. as decorative effect
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/12 containing fluorine
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 Microarticles, nanoarticles

Abstract

A novel microfluidic sample holder has at least one sample receiving compartment for a sample fluid, at least one distributor channel which is linked with at least one sample receiving compartment, at least one distributor channel extending from every sample receiving compartment, at least one reaction chamber to which optionally one inlet channel branched off from the at least one distributor channel leads, and at least one vent opening for every reaction chamber. The sample holders are mainly used in microbiological diagnostics, immunology, PCR, clinical chemistry, microanalytics and/or the inspection of active substances. Methods for analyzing a sample substance using the sample holder and to kits including the sample holder as also included.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A sample holder having

at least one sample receiving chamber for a sample fluid,

at least one distributor channel that is connected to the at least one sample receiving chamber, at least one distributor channel extending from each sample receiving chamber,

at least one reaction chamber into which, if appropriate, an inlet channel branching off from the at least one distributor channel opens, and

at least one vent opening for each reaction chamber,

wherein between the sample receiving chamber, distributor channel, reaction chamber, inlet channel, present if appropriate, and/or vent opening the sample holder has at least one further additional structure that is at least partially of hydrophobic design, and

in its upper region the distributor channel and/or the inlet channel lies in a plane with the vent opening, and is of substantially hydrophobic design in this region, whereas in its lower region, lying beneath the vent opening, it is at least substantially of hydrophilic design, and

in its upper region lying in a plane with the hydrophobic part of the distributor channel and/or inlet channel the reaction chamber is of substantially hydrophobic design, whereas in its lower region, lying beneath the hydrophobic region of the distributor channel and/or inlet channel, it is of substantially hydrophilic design or

the reaction chamber is of generally hydrophobic design.

33. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein in the case of a reaction chamber of substantially hydrophilic design, the hydrophilization increases in layerwise fashion in the lower region of the reaction chamber.

34. The sample holder as claimed claim 32, wherein each further structure has a cross section of approximately 10 μ

m to approximately 300 μ

m, preferably approximately 50 μ

m to approximately 200 μ

m, in particular approximately 100 μ

m to approximately 150 μ

m.

35. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein the additional structure is a substantially semicircular depression that is preferably arranged diagonally opposite the distributor channel.

36. The sample holder as claimed in claim 35, wherein at least one further capillary extends from the semicircular depression, the further capillary being designed in a fashion sharply angled away, preferably at an angle ≧

90°

, and/or in a zigzag fashion.

37. The sample holder as claimed in claim 36, wherein extending away from the further capillary is at least one further element, which is substantially sharp edged and has a changing structural depth.

38. The sample holder as claimed in claim 37, wherein at least one further capillary extends away from the element which is substantially sharp edged and has a changing structural depth, the further capillary opening directly or via a neighboring structure into a terminal depression having a valve function.

39. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein the distributor channel, which is connected to the sample receiving chamber, is of the meandering design.

40. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein a number of vent openings, distributor channels, if appropriate inlet channels, reaction chambers and/or additional structures are arranged around the sample receiving chamber or parallel thereto.

41. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein the reaction chamber has a vertical extent of approximately 500 μ

m to approximately 3 mm, preferably approximately 1 mm to approximately 2.5 mm, in particular approximately 1.5 mm to approximately 2 mm.

42. The sample holder as claimed in claim 41, wherein the edge length of the reaction chamber has an average of approximately 300 μ

m to approximately 1 mm, preferably approximately 500 μ

m to approximately 750 μ

m, in particular 500 μ

m to approximately 600 μ

m.

43. The sample holder as claimed in claim 41, wherein the cross section of the reaction chamber is of essentially round, pear shaped, hexahedral, octahedral and/or rectangular design.

44. The sample holder as claimed in claim 41, wherein the reaction chamber has a vertically running and substantially rounded inlet capillary in the bottom region.

45. The sample holder as claimed in claim 44, wherein the inlet capillary has a radius of approximately 5 μ

m to approximately 50 μ

m, in particular approximately 10 μ

m to approximately 20 μ

m.

46. The sample holder as claimed in claim 41, wherein the reaction chamber (16) has an indentation that is preferably arranged diagonally opposite the inlet capillary and leads to at least one vent opening.

47. The sample holder as claimed in claim 43, wherein the reaction chamber has at least one rounded corner.

48. The sample holder as claimed in claim 41, wherein the reaction chamber (16) has sidewalls of substantially smooth and/or corrugated design.

49. The sample holder as claimed in claim 32, wherein the sample holder is covered in a fluid-tight fashion by a cover element.

50. The sample holder as claimed in claim 49, wherein the cover element is a film that is provided on one side with an adhesive layer of suitable thickness.

51. The sample holder as claimed in claim 50, wherein the film and/or adhesive is a heat activatable and/or pressure sensitive film or adhesive.

52. The sample holder as claimed in claim 50, wherein the film is applied under pressure, preferably at approximately 2 to 5 bars, by means of rolls such that the sample holder has a substantially gapless covering.

53. The sample holder as claimed in claim 50, wherein the film is a fluoro-polymer film.

54. The sample holder as claimed in claim 51, wherein the adhesives are cohesive adhesives.

55. The sample holder as claimed in claim 54, wherein hydrophobic adhesives are concerned.

56. The sample holder as claimed in claim 55, wherein the adhesive is a silicone, rubber, silicone rubber, and/or fluoropolymer adhesive.

57. A method for analyzing at least one sample substance, wherein a sample medium has at least one surfactant added to it and is applied to a sample holder as claimed in claim 32.

58. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant.

59. The method as claimed in claim 58, wherein the nonionic surfactant is a substance with an HLB number between approximately 9 and approximately 13.

60. The method as claimed in claim 59, wherein the tenside is a propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer, an alkyl polyglycoside, a nonylphenylethoxylate, a secondary alcohol ethoxylate, an octyl phenylethoxylate, a polyethylene lauryl ether and/or a sorbitan ester.

61. A kit for microbiological diagnostics, immunology, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), clinical chemistry, microanalytics and/or the testing of active substances including a sample holder as claimed in claim 32.