MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE, SAMPLE ANALYZING METHOD USING THE SAME, AND DILUTION RATIO MEASURING METHOD

• US 20100009457A1
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yang-ui, Cho, Yoon-kyoung
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/164
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/10 with a mixing receptacle rotating alternately in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71 Feed mechanisms with proportioning B01F35/80
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/713 comprising breaking packages or parts thereof, e.g. piercing or opening sealing elements between compartments or cartridges containers or packages per se B65D
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7135 Opening the seal between the compartments by application of heat
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/714 for feeding predetermined amounts B01F35/88 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71725 using centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71805 using valves, gates, orifices or openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/80 Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid or fluent material G05D11/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• 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: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Provided are a microfluidic device, a method of analyzing a sample using the microfluidic device, and a method of measuring dilution ratios. The microfluidic device includes: a sample chamber which accommodates a sample to be tested; a dilution chamber which accommodates a diluent, receives the sample from the sample chamber, and provides a sample diluent; a first concentration detecting chamber which receives the sample from the sample chamber; and a second concentration detecting chamber which receives the sample diluent from the dilution chamber.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising:

a sample chamber which accommodates a sample to be tested;

a dilution chamber which accommodates a diluent, receives the sample from the sample chamber, and provides a sample diluent;

a first concentration detecting chamber which receives the sample from the sample chamber; and

a second concentration detecting chamber which receives the sample diluent from the dilution chamber.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reaction chambers accommodating a reagent, and receiving the sample diluent from the dilution chamber.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic device has a disk shape.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 2, further comprising a sample separator which separates the sample supplied from the sample chamber,

wherein a supernatant of the separated sample is supplied from the sample separator to the dilution chamber and the first concentration detecting chamber.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4, further comprising a measuring chamber which receives and accommodates a fixed amount of the supernatant from the sample separator, the measuring chamber being disposed between the sample separator and the dilution chamber.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 5, further comprising an excess sample storing unit that is connected to the sample separator and stores an excess amount of the sample.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 2, wherein the first and second concentration detecting chambers are positioned at a same distance from a rotation center of the microfluidic device.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 2, wherein distances from a rotation center of the microfluidic device to the first and second concentration detecting chambers are the same as distances from the rotation center of the microfluidic device to the plurality of reaction chambers.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the first concentration detecting chambers.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the second concentration detecting chambers.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of dilution chambers which provide a plurality of sample diluents having different dilution ratios.

12. A method of analyzing a sample, the method comprising:

loading a sample diluent in which the sample and a diluent are mixed at a predetermined ratio into a reaction chamber of a microfluidic device accommodating a reagent;

analyzing the sample diluent in the reaction chamber to determine characteristics of the sample diluent;

detecting a dilution ratio of the sample diluent and checking a reliability of a result of the analyzing the sample based on the detected dilution ratio of the sample diluent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a concentration of the sample is not fixed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the detecting the dilution ratio of the sample diluent and the checking the reliability comprises:

loading the sample into a first concentration detecting chamber of the microfluidic device;

loading the sample diluent into a second concentration detecting chamber of the microfluidic device;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample accommodated in the first concentration detecting chamber;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample diluent accommodated in the second concentration detecting chamber;

estimating a light absorption value of the sample diluent based on the light absorption value of the sample, the dilution ratio of the sample dilution, and depths of the first and second concentration chambers; and

comparing the estimated light absorption value and the detected light absorption value of the sample diluent.

15. A method of measuring a dilution ratio, the method comprising:

loading a sample into a first concentration detecting chamber of a microfluidic device;

loading a sample diluent in which the sample and a diluent are mixed into a second concentration detecting chamber of the microfluidic device;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample that is accommodated in the first concentration detecting chamber;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample diluent that is accommodated in the second concentration detecting chamber; and

determining a dilution ratio of the sample diluent based on the light absorption value of the sample, depths of the first and second concentration chambers, and the light absorption value of the sample diluent.

16. A microfluidic device comprising:

a sample chamber which accommodates a sample to be tested;

a sample separator which is connected to the sample chamber, receives the sample from the sample chamber and separates a supernatant from the sample;

a sample distribution channel which is connected to the sample separator;

a dilution chamber which accommodates a diluent, receives a portion of the supernatant separated by the sample separator via the sample distribution channel, and provides a sample diluent in which the portion of the supernatant and a diluent are mixed at a predetermined ratio;

a first concentration detecting chamber which receives another portion of the supernatant separated by the sample separator via the sample distribution channel; and

a second concentration detecting chamber which receives a portion of the sample diluent from the dilution chamber; and

at least one reaction chamber which accommodates a reagent and receives another portion of the sample diluent from the dilution chamber.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 16, further comprising:

a first valve interposed between the sample distribution channel and the sample separator; and

a second value interposed between the dilution chamber and the second concentration chamber and the at least one reaction chamber,

wherein the first and second valves are formed of a phase change material which melts when irradiated with electromagnetic energy so the first and second valves are opened.

18. A method of analyzing a sample in a microfluidic device, the method comprising:

loading a sample into a first concentration detecting chamber of a microfluidic device;

loading the sample into a dilution chamber of the microfluidic device which accommodates a diluent, to produce a sample diluent in which the sample and a diluent are mixed at a predetermined ratio;

loading the sample diluent into a reaction chamber and a second concentration chamber of the microfluidic device, wherein the reaction chamber accommodates a reagent;

analyzing the sample diluent that is accommodated in the reaction chamber to determine characteristics of the sample diluent;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample that is accommodated in the first concentration detecting chamber;

detecting a light absorption value of the sample diluent that is accommodated in the second concentration detecting chamber; and

checking a reliability of a result of the analyzing the sample based on the light absorption value of the sample, the light absorption value of the sample diluent, and depths of the first and second concentration chambers.