METHODS FOR PATHOGEN DETECTION

• US 20090215157A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Application Number:
  US11/906,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090215157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.200
• 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: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor

Abstract

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

Claims

1-78. -78. (canceled)

79. A system comprising:

circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips; and

circuitry for processing the one or more samples with the one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips comprises:

circuitry for accepting the one or more samples that include one or more liquids.

81. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips comprises:

circuitry for accepting the one or more samples that include one or more solids.

82. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips comprises:

circuitry for accepting the one or more samples that include one or more gases.

83. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips comprises:

circuitry for accepting the one or more samples that include one or more food products.

84. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips comprises:

circuitry for accepting the one or more samples that include one or more biological samples.

85. The system of claim 79, wherein the circuitry for processing the one or more samples with the one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for processing the one or more samples through use of polynucleotide interaction, protein interaction, peptide interaction, antibody interaction, chemical interaction, diffusion, filtration, chromatography, aptamer interaction, electrical conductivity, isoelectric focusing, electrophoresis, immunoassay, or competition assay.

86. The system of claim 79, further comprising:

circuitry for analyzing the one or more pathogen indicators.

87. The system of claim 86, wherein the circuitry for analyzing the one or more pathogen indicators comprises:

circuitry for analyzing the one or more pathogen indicators with at least one technique that includes spectroscopy, electrochemical detection, polynucleotide detection, fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electron transfer, enzyme assay, electrical conductivity, isoelectric focusing, chromatography, immunoprecipitation, immunoseparation, aptamer binding, electrophoresis, use of a CCD camera, or immunoassay.

88. The system of claim 86, further comprising:

circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

89. The system of claim 88, wherein the circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for identifying the 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.

90. The system of claim 88, wherein the circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for displaying an identity of the one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

91. A system comprising:

circuitry for processing one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples; and

circuitry for analyzing the one or more samples.

92. The system of claim 91, wherein the circuitry for processing one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for processing the one or more samples through use of polynucleotide interaction, protein interaction, peptide interaction, antibody interaction, chemical interaction, diffusion, filtration, chromatography, aptamer interaction, magnetism, electrical conductivity, isoelectric focusing, electrophoresis, immunoassay, or competition assay.

93. The system of claim 91, wherein the circuitry for analyzing the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for analyzing the one or more samples with at least one technique that includes spectroscopy, electrochemical detection, polynucleotide detection, fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electron transfer, enzyme assay, magnetism, electrical conductivity, isoelectric focusing, chromatography, immunoprecipitation, immunoseparation, aptamer binding, electrophoresis, use of a CCD camera, or immunoassay.

94. The system of claim 91, further comprising:

circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

95. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for identifying the 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.

96. The system of claim 94, wherein the circuitry for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples comprises:

circuitry for displaying an identity of the one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

97-101. -101. (canceled)

102. A system comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for accepting one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips; and

one or more instructions for processing the one or more samples with the one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples.

103. The system of claim 102, further comprising:

one or more instructions for analyzing the one or more pathogen indicators.

104. The system of claim 103, further comprising:

one or more instructions for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

105. The system of claim 102, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable medium.

106. The system of claim 102, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a recordable medium.

107. The system of claim 102, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a communications medium.

108. A system comprising:

a signal-bearing medium bearing;

one or more instructions for processing one or more samples with one or more microfluidic chips to facilitate analysis of one or more pathogen indicators associated with the one or more samples; and

one or more instructions for analyzing the one or more samples.

109. The system of claim 108, further comprising:

one or more instructions for identifying one or more pathogens present within the one or more samples.

110. The system of claim 108, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a computer-readable medium.

111. The system of claim 108, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a recordable medium.

112. The system of claim 108, wherein the signal-bearing medium includes a communications medium.