Devices for pathogen detection

• US 20080241910A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inflammatix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rinaldo, John D., Wood, Lowell L.
• Application Number:
  US11/729,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20080241910A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/381 centrifugal chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54326 Magnetic particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/569 for microorganisms, e.g. protozoa, bacteria, viruses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/255 including use of a solid sorbent, semipermeable membrane, or liquid extraction

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods, systems, devices, and microfluidic chips that may be used for the detection of pathogens.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more detection units configured to detachably connect to one or more microfluidic chips and configured to detect one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more samples.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more detection units configured to detachably connect to one or more microfluidic chips and configured to detect one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more samples comprise:

one or more detection units configured to detect the one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more airborne pathogens.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more detection units configured to detachably connect to one or more microfluidic chips and configured to detect one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more samples comprise:

one or more detection units configured to detect the one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more food products.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more detection units configured to detachably connect to one or more microfluidic chips and configured to detect one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more samples comprise:

one or more detection units that are configured to detect one or more pathogens that include at least one virus, bacterium, prion, worm, egg, cyst, protozoan, single-celled organism, fungus, algae, pathogenic protein, or microbe.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more detection units configured to detachably connect to one or more microfluidic chips and configured to detect one or more pathogen indicators that are associated with one or more samples comprise:

one or more detection units that are configured for detachable connection to the one or more microfluidic chips.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more reagent delivery units configured for detachable connection to the one or more microfluidic chips.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more reagent reservoirs.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more waste reservoirs.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more reagent delivery units physically coupled to the one or more microfluidic chips.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more reagent delivery units that are configured to deliver one or more reagents to the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more reagent delivery units that include one or more pumps.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more controllable magnets that are configured to facilitate movement of a magnetically active plug that is included within the one or more microfluidic chips.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more controllable magnets that are configured to facilitate movement of a magnetically active plug that is included within the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more electromagnets.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more controllable magnets that are configured to facilitate movement of a magnetically active plug that is included within the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more ferromagnets.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more controllable magnets that are configured to facilitate movement of a magnetically active plug that is included within the one or more microfluidic chips comprise:

one or more ferrofluids.

5. (canceled)

17. A device comprising:

one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially parallel manner with one or more separation fluids; and

one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially parallel manner with one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more mechanical fasteners.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially parallel manner with one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more magnetic fasteners.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more electromagnets.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more ferromagnets.

22. A device comprising:

one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially antiparallel manner with one or more separation fluids; and

one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially antiparallel manner with one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more mechanical fasteners.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more fasteners adapted to detachably associate with one or more microfluidic chips that include one or more separation channels that are configured to allow one or more samples that include one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes to flow in a substantially antiparallel manner with one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more magnetic fasteners.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more electromagnets.

26. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more magnets that facilitate movement of the one or more magnetically active pathogen indicator complexes associated with the one or more samples into the one or more separation fluids comprise:

one or more ferromagnets.