MICROFLUIDIC METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR USE IN DETECTING ANALYTES

• US 20100233824A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Sijbers, Mara Johanna Jacoba, Brans, Harold Johannes Antonius, Van Damme, Henkrik Sibolt, Nieuwenhuis, Jeroen Hans, Weekamp, Johannes Wilhelmus, De Theije, Femke Karina, Immink, Albert Hendrik Jan, Verhoeckx, Godefridus Johannes, Shulepov, Sergei
• Application Number:
  US12/669,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20100233824A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/501
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) for use in detecting an analyte in a fluid sample (106) is described. The reactor arrangement is provided with a reagent providing means such that the reagent can be introduced after assembly of the reactor arrangement. The latter can be performed by introducing the reagent in the form of a solution or a dispersion and fixing it on a holding means (118) by removal of the liquid, i.e. by drying, the holding means comprising the reagent in a solid version in the detector chamber. Prior to the introduction of the reagent, components of the reactor arrangement already present, such as the sample inlet can be hydrophilised by a wetting hydrophilising technique. The invention relates to a manufacturing technique as well as to the resulting product. The invention furthermore relates to functionalizing of the reactor arrangement with a particular reagent for particular applications. The latter can be performed well after fabrication and assembly of the major reactor arrangement components.

Claims

1. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100), the reactor arrangement (100) comprising a housing having an outer wall enclosing a reaction chamber (102), the reaction chamber (102) having an interaction surface (104), the outer wall having:

a) at least one sample inlet (108) for introduction of the fluid sample (106), and

b) at least one reagent providing means (110) distinct from the sample inlet (108) for introducing at least one reagent into the reaction chamber (102) thus providing said reagent on at least one holding means (118) for holding a solid version of the at least one reagent at a reagent region within the reaction chamber (102), said holding means (118) being located or locatable on a selected surface distinct from the interaction surface within the reaction chamber (102) so that the reagent held by the holding means (118) comes into fluid contact with the interaction surface (104) when the fluid sample (106) is introduced into the reaction chamber (102).

2. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1, the microcluidic reactor arrangement (100) being a microfluidic sensor arrangement (100) for use in detecting an analyte in a fluid sample (106), wherein the reaction chamber is a detection chamber (102) and the interaction surface (104) is a sensing surface (104).

3. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the reagent providing means (110) comprises a microfluidic transport means (120) for delivering fluid reagent to the at least one holding means (118).

4. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the holding means (118) is a separate cover connectable to the outer wall of the microfluidic reactor arrangement (100).

5. The reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1 wherein said holding means (118) is adapted for comprising a predetermined amount of reagent.

6. The reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1 wherein said holding means (118) comprises an open capillary channel (302).

7. The reactor arrangement (100) of claim 6, comprising a plurality of reagent providing means (110), each of said plurality of reagent providing means (110) being adapted for delivering a reagent.

8. The reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 1 wherein said sample inlet (108) is hydrophilic.

9. The reactor arrangement (100) of claim 1, wherein said reagent providing means (110) comprises a capillary.

10. The reactor arrangement (100) of claim 9, further comprising a sample outlet (126) for removing the fluid sample (106) from the reaction chamber (102), said sample outlet (126) being distinct from said sample inlet (106) and said reagent providing means (110).

11. The reactor arrangement (100) of claim 1 wherein said holding means (118) is connected to a reagent overflow chamber (122).

12. The reactor arrangement (100) of claim 1, wherein said reactor arrangement (100) comprises an excess reagent detection means (124) for detecting excess liquid reagent.

13. The microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) of claim 12, further comprising at least one reagent in a solid version in said holding means (118).

27. Use of a microfluidic reactor arrangement according to claim 1, for detecting an analyte in a fluid sample (106).

14. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) for use in detecting an analyte in a fluid sample, the reactor arrangement comprising a housing having an outer wall enclosing a reaction chamber (102),

a) the outer wall having at least one sample inlet (108) covered with a hydrophilic coating, the sample inlet (108) for introduction of the fluid sample (106);

b) the reaction chamber (102) having an interaction surface (104) and the outer wall having at least one holding means (118) comprising a solid version of at least one reagent at a reagent region within the reaction chamber (102), said holding means (118) being located on a selected surface within the reaction chamber (102) so that the solid reagent held by the holding means (118) comes into fluid contact with the interaction surface (104) when the fluid sample (106) is introduced into the reaction chamber (102).

15. A microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) according to claim 14, the microcluidic reactor arrangement (100) being a microfluidic sensor arrangement (100) for use in detecting an analyte in a fluid sample (106), wherein the reaction chamber is a detection chamber (102) and the interaction surface (104) is a sensing surface (104).

16. A microfluidic sensor arrangement (100) according to claim 14 wherein the reactor arrangement (100) comprises a microfluidic transport means (120) separate from the sample inlet (108) for providing reagent to the holding means 118).

17. A microfluidic sensor arrangement (100) according to claim 14, wherein the holding means (118) comprises an open channel (302) for holding the solid reagent.

18. A method for manufacturing a microfluidic reactor arrangement (100), the method comprising the step of:

a) providing an interaction surface (104)

b) providing a housing enclosing the interaction surface (104) and forming a reaction chamber (102),

said providing a housing comprising providing a housing with a sample inlet (108) and at least one reagent providing means (110), distinct from the sample inlet (108), for introducing at least one reagent into the reaction chamber (102) by providing the reagent on at least one holding means (118) distinct from the interaction surface (104) for holding a solid version of at least one reagent at a reagent region within the reaction chamber, the holding means (118) being positioned on a selected surface within the reaction chamber (102) so that the reagent held by the holding means (118) comes into fluid contact with the interaction surface (104) when the fluid sample is introduced in the reaction chamber (102).

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising hydrophilising the sample inlet (108) by introducing a hydrophilisation liquid in the detection chamber (102) through the sample inlet (102) after said providing a housing and prior to introducing reagent in the sensor arrangement (100).

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a reagent overflow chamber (124) connected to said at least one holding means (118).

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing excess detection means (124) for detecting excess reagent liquid in said overflow chamber.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising introducing a predetermined amount of said at least one reagent via a microfluidic transport means (120) into said holding means (118) and obtaining a solid version of said reagent thereon.

23. A method for functionalizing at least one microfluidic reactor arrangement (100), the at least one microfluidic reactor arrangement (100) comprising a reaction chamber (102) enclosed by an outer wall, the outer wall having a sample inlet (108) and a reagent providing means (110), the method comprising

a) introducing a predetermined amount of at least one reagent into the reaction chamber (102) via the reagent providing means (110) distinct from the sample inlet (108) thus providing the reagent on at least one holding means (118) distinct from an interaction surface in the reaction chamber (102) and

b) holding on the at least one holding means (118) a solid version of the predetermined amount of the at least one reagent at a reagent region within the reaction chamber (102) at a selected surface within the reaction chamber (102) so that the reagent held comes into fluid contact with the interaction surface (104) when the fluid sample is introduced in the reaction chamber (102).

24. A method according to claim 23, the method further comprising detecting an excess of said reagent for controlling the amount of reagent provided on the holding means (118).

25. A method according to claim 23, the method comprising, prior to said introducing, selecting a reagent from a plurality of reagents.

26. A method for detecting an analyte in a fluid sample comprising the step of:

introducing, via a sample inlet (108) and based on hydrophilic forces, a fluid sample (106) into a microfluidic sensor arrangement (100), said microfluidic sensor arrangement (100) comprising a detection chamber (102), said detection chamber (102) comprising a sensing surface (104) and a predetermined amount of reagent in a solid form,

the method further comprising;

contacting the fluid sample with said predetermined amount of reagent, thereby forming a fluid mixture, the reagent being accessible to the fluid sample from within the detection chamber (102);

contacting the fluid mixture with said sensing surface (104); and

detecting an interaction between the fluid mixture and the sensing surface (104).