Droplet Actuator Analyzer with Cartridge

• US 20080281471A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duke University, Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pamula, Vamsee K., Paik, Philip Y., Brafford, Keith R., Srinivasan, Vijay, Sturmer, Ryan A., Pollack, Michael G., Smith, Gregory F., West, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,939,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/266
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/024 Storing results with means integrated into the container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0436 acoustic forces, e.g. surface acoustic waves [SAW]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0442 thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0448 : Marangoni flow; Thermocapillary effect
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0683 : mechanically breaking a wall or membrane within a channel or chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 : for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 : with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/525 : with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 : Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80

Abstract

A droplet actuator with cartridge is provided. According to one embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes an analyzer unit comprising electronic or optical receiving means, a cartridge comprising self-contained droplet handling capabilities, and a wherein the cartridge is coupled to the analyzer unit by a means which aligns electronic and/or optical outputs from the cartridge with electronic or optical receiving means on the analyzer unit. According to another embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes a sample analyzer comprising a cartridge coupled thereto and a means of electrical interface and/or optical interface between the cartridge and the analyzer, whereby electrical signals and/or optical signals may be transmitted from the cartridge to the analyzer.

Claims

1. A sample analyzer comprising:

(a) an analyzer unit comprising electronic or optical receiving means;

(b) a cartridge comprising self-contained droplet handling capabilities; and

wherein the cartridge is coupled to the analyzer unit by a means which aligns electronic and/or optical outputs from the cartridge with electronic or optical receiving means on the analyzer unit.

2. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the cartridge does not comprise a pressure source or vacuum source external to the cartridge.

3. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is a portable device.

4. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is a handheld device.

5. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer unit provides analysis for one of the following:

a blood chemistry, hematology, immuno-diagnostics, tests for drugs of abuse, serum cholesterol, glucose, FOBT, pregnancy, ovulation, DNA based assays, immuno assays, proteomics, DNA sequencing, and genomics.

6. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the cartridge comprises one or more pressure seals sealing one or more reagents.

7. The sample analyzer of claim 6 wherein the one or more pressure seals are arranged to be broken when the analyzer is coupled to the cartridge.

8. The sample analyzer of claim 1 further comprising a communication module including one or more of the following components:

a processor, a display, a radio frequency chip, an antenna, memory containing an operating system, RAM, DRAM or a PCMIA interface, a printer, a network, or computer.

9. The sample analyzer of claim 8 wherein the communication module includes a transmitter and a receiver, both in communication with an information management system, wherein the information management system is a centralized means for collecting and processing information for functions.

10. The sample analyzer of claim 8 wherein the communication module includes a transmitter.

11. The sample analyzer of claim 10 wherein the transmitter is adapted to one or more interfaces selected from the group consisting of radio frequency, infrared and standard ports.

12. The sample analyzer of claim 10 wherein the transmitter is adapted to communicate with a remote database.

13. The sample analyzer of claim 8 further comprising a means for acquiring historical data locally via the communication module.

14. The sample analyzer of claim 13 further comprising a means for storing historical data locally in association with the communication module, the analytical detector module, the cartridge or the assay sensor module.

15. The sample analyzer of claim 1 further comprising a means for storing the information locally in an information storage unit associated with the analyzer.

16. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer further comprises a plurality of assay sensors, each of the sensors performing the same analysis on a biological fluid.

17. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer further comprises a plurality of assay sensors, and two or more of the sensors perform different analyses on a biological fluid.

18. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein more than one sample from a single test subject or more than one sample from multiple test subjects may be collected, loaded onto a single cartridge, and analyzed by the system.

19. The sample analyzer of claim 1 wherein the analyzer comprises:

(a) a means of electrical interface between the cartridge and the analyzer, wherein electrical signals may pass between the cartridge and analyzer;

(b) a control module which provides instructions to one or more of the following;

(i) means for converting bulk liquid sample into discrete droplets of known volume;

(ii) means for transporting the droplets;

(iii) means for preparing sample droplets for analysis;

(iv) means for storing one or more reagents;

(v) means for converting one or more stored reagents into discrete droplets;

(vi) means of combining and/or mixing sample and reagent droplets to perform an assay; and

(vii) an assay sensor module housed in the cartridge, wherein the means for transporting droplets delivers the raw or prepared sample to the sensor module;

(c) a means for locally storing the data from detectors and other subsystems;

(d) a detector module comprising at least one optical detector positioned to correspond to the cartridge optical signal;

(e) a means of interpreting data from electronic detectors and/or optical detectors;

(f) a means of displaying test results and other messages;

(g) a communication module adapted to communicate with a user; and

(h) a means for accepting user input.

20. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the means for accepting user input is selected from the group consisting of buttons, touch screen, voice commands.

21. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the cartridge includes a plurality of assay sensors, each of the sensors performing the same analysis on the sample.

22. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the cartridge includes a plurality of assay sensors including at least two sets of one or more sensors, wherein each set performs a different analysis on the sample.

23. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the cartridge includes no electrical sensors and electrical assay detection is performed by electric sensing means mounted on the analyzer.

24. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the cartridge includes no optical sensors and optical assay detection is performed by optical sensing means mounted on the analyzer.

25. The sample analyzer of claim 19 programmed and configured to display historical data locally on the display.

26. The sample analyzer of claim 19 further comprising a means for transferring information, wherein the transferring of information is accomplished via an information management system.

27. The sample analyzer of claim 19 further comprising a means for processing information, wherein the processing of information is accomplished via an information management system that includes procedures for brokering medical data.

28. The sample analyzer of claim 19 further comprising a means for processing information, wherein the processing of information is accomplished via an information management system that includes patient management procedures.

29. The sample analyzer of claim 19 further comprising a means for processing information, wherein the processing of information is accomplished via an information management system that includes procedures for administering the medical analysis.

30. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein the cartridge houses a calibrating liquid control, wherein the assay or assays are performed on the calibrating liquid control prior to, after, or simultaneously with the assays themselves

31. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein feedback between the detector module and control module occurs such that once adequate results are captured by the detector module the test can be terminated.

32. The sample analyzer of claim 19 wherein reagent storage is accomplished by including one or more sealed pouches, each pouch comprising a required reagent.

33. The sample analyzer of claim 32 wherein the one or more sealed pouches are mechanically or electrically pierced to allow flow onto a chip surface.

34. The sample analyzer of claim 33 wherein controlled volume delivery of the reagent is accomplished using droplet-based actuation.

35. A sample analyzer comprising:

(a) a sample analyzer comprising a cartridge coupled thereto; and

(b) a means of electrical interface and/or optical interface between the cartridge and the analyzer, whereby electrical signals and/or optical signals may be transmitted from the cartridge to the analyzer.