PROCESSING DEVICE TABLET

• US 20100209927A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Parthasarathy, Ranjani V., Menon, Vinod P.
• Application Number:
  US12/681,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209927A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• 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 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• 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

Abstract

A microfluidic processing device includes a tablet comprising a reagent, where the tablet is configured to fit within at least one chamber of the processing device. In addition, in some embodiments, at least two tablets are disposed within a single process chamber of the processing device. Further, in some embodiments, each tablet may comprise one or more different types of reagents. In some embodiments, the tablet is a microtablet including a greatest dimension of less than about five millimeters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting at least one reagent; and

forming a tablet comprising the at least one reagent and at least one matrix material, wherein the tablet is sized to fit within at least one chamber of a microfluidic processing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the tablet comprises compressing the at least one reagent and the at least one matrix material to define the tablet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tablet further comprises a lubricant material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the tablet comprises forming the tablet comprising a substantially uniform distribution of the at least one reagent and the at least one matrix material.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising lyophilizing the at least one reagent and the at least one matrix material prior to forming the tablet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one matrix material comprises an insoluble material, the method further comprising spraying the at least one reagent onto the insoluble material and dehydrating the insoluble material prior to forming the tablet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising dry mixing the at least one reagent and the at least one matrix material prior to forming the tablet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reagent is configured to be used in at least one of a step of sample preparation, a step of nucleic acid amplification, a step of detection in a process for detecting or assaying a nucleic acid, or a step of detection in a process for detecting or assaying a amino acid.

9. The method of claim 1, where the at least one reagent comprises lysostaphin.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the tablet comprises forming the tablet in an environment comprising a relative humidity of about 1% to about 30%.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the tablet is a microtablet with a greatest dimension in a range of about 0.5 millimeters to about 5 millimeters.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the reagent comprises at least one of a lysis reagent, a protein-digesting reagent, a nucleic acid amplifying enzyme, an oligonucleotide, a probe, nucleotide triphosphates, a buffer, a salt, a surfactant, a dye, a nucleic acid control, a reducing agent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′

,N′

-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), microspheres capable of binding a nucleic acid or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix material comprises at least one of a water soluble polymer, a carbohydrate and a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the tablet includes about 1 percent to about 95 percent by tablet weight of the reagent.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reagent includes a first reagent and a second reagent;

wherein the first reagent comprises an active component, wherein the active component requires a reconstitution buffer prior to use in a chemical reaction; and

wherein the second reagent comprises a substantially solid reconstitution buffer.

12. A method comprising:

introducing an analyte into a microfluidic sample processing device; and

at least partially dissolving a tablet in a chamber of the microfluidic device, wherein the tablet comprises a reagent and a matrix material and is configured to fit within the chamber of the microfluidic processing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the matrix material comprises a solubility of about 0 grams per 100 grams of water to about 400 grams per 100 grams of water.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tablet substantially dissolves in the chamber within about 30 seconds to about 300 seconds from an introduction of a fluid into the chamber.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising processing the analyte with the reagent, wherein processing the sample comprises at least one of preparing the sample, nucleic acid amplification, detecting or assaying a nucleic acid or detecting or assaying an amino acid.

20. An assembly comprising:

a microfluidic processing device comprising;

an input chamber; and

a process chamber fluidically coupled to the input chamber; and

a tablet comprising a reagent and a matrix material, wherein the tablet is configured to fit within the process chamber of the microfluidic processing device.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one reagent comprises at least one of a lysis reagent, a protein-digesting reagent, a nucleic acid amplifying enzyme, an oligonucleotide, a probe, nucleotide triphosphates, a buffer, a salt, a surfactant, a dye, a nucleic acid control, a reducing agent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′

,N′

-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), microspheres capable of binding a nucleic acid or a combination thereof.

22. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the matrix material comprises at least one of a water soluble polymer, a carbohydrate and a combination thereof.

23. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the tablet includes about 1 percent to about 95 percent by tablet weight of the reagent.

24. A method comprising:

selecting a active component, wherein the active component requires a reconstitution buffer prior to use in a chemical reaction;

selecting a substantially solid reconstitution buffer; and

forming a tablet comprising the active component and the substantially solid reconstitution buffer, wherein the tablet is sized to fit within at least one chamber of a microfluidic processing device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the solid reconstitution buffer comprises a nonionic solid surfactant.

26-29. -29. (canceled)