Cartridge For A Biological Sample

• US 20110034758A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lotus Bio (Nymphaea), Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lotus Bio (Nymphaea), Ltd.
• Inventors: Tavori, Isaac, Shany, Vered
• Application Number:
  US12/739,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• 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: 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: 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 sealed removable cartridge adapted for insertion into an assay device and adapted to contain a biologic sample, the cartridge comprising: two or more assay locations adapted to facilitate, within said cartridge, two or more assays of said biologic sample; and an actuator interface adapted to interface with an actuator of said assay device, to transport said biologic sample towards at least one of said assay locations.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A cell separation system, wherein said system comprising:

a. a first chamber adapted to contain at least a portion of a cell sample;

at least a portion of said sample is characterized by at least one biological or chemical characteristic;

said first chamber is bounded by a rim, such that said cell sample is kept below said rim; and

,

b. a second peripheral chamber;

said second peripheral chamber is characterized by a circumferential depression around said first chamber;

said second chamber is adapted to enable isolation of said at least a portion of said cell sample having the same biological or chemical characteristic, upon introduction of a separation-enabling agent.

30. The cell separation system according to claim 29, wherein said cell separation system is used for separating sperm cells from a semen sample;

further wherein said same biological or chemical characteristic is motility of said sperm cells.

31. cell separation system according to claim 30, further adapted to assess concentration motile of sperm cells and/or isolate motile sperm cells within a semen sample for assisting fertility.

32. The cell separation system according to claim 30, wherein said rim is configured with specific surface roughness or serration to facilitate required surface tension capabilities for specific sample/reagent combination.

33. The cell separation system according to claim 30, wherein said separation-enabling agent is selected from a group consisting of Ringer'"'"'s solution, Hartmann'"'"'s solution, Saline, adapted to facilitate said separation of said semen sample or any cell support medium, cell washing medium, preparation medium or cell separation enabling agent.

34. The cell separation system according to claim 29, additionally comprising a reagent selected from a group consisting of selected from a group consisting of cell support medium, labeling compounds, markers, peptide, color-changeable pad;

said reagent is adapted to, upon contact with said biologic sample, to yield a reaction and/or a colored compound indicating (i) existence or (ii) concentration of a component in said sample (iii) a result of said at least one assay.

35. The cell separation system according to claim 29, wherein said sample is selected from a group consisting of:

a semen sample, a vaginal secretion sample, a vaginal cell sample, a blood sample, a urine sample, a saliva sample, a lymph sample or any combination thereof.

36. The cell separation system according to claim 29, adapted to enable an assay;

further wherein said assay is selected from a group consisting of;

a sperm concentration assay, a semen pH assay, a leukocyte threshold assay, a sperm motility assay, a sperm morphology assay, a semen volume assay, a viscosity assay and a turbidity assay;

further wherein said assays is adapted to facilitate diagnosis of at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD) selected from a group consisting of;

syphilis, gonorrhea, Candida, human papiloma virus (HPV), mycoplasma, ureaplasma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, Hepatitis B, Trichomonas and Hepatitis C.

37. The cell separation system according to claim 30, further adapted to isolate motile sperm of said semen sample for a usage selected from a group consisting of:

intra uterine insemination (IUI), vaginal insemination, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and diagnosis of motile sperm cell.

38. The cell system according to claim 30, enclosed within a cartridge adapted for insertion into an assay device.

39. The cell system according to claim 38, wherein said cartridge comprising a body;

said body comprises;

(i) at least one compartment adapted to contain said at least one biologic sample; and

,

(ii) at least one assay location, in which said assay of said at least one biologic sample is enabled;

b. at least one actuator adapted to interface with said cartridge to enable transportation of said biologic sample to at least one of said assay locations.

40. The cell system according to claim 39, additionally comprising a reagent selected from a group consisting of cell support medium, labeling compounds, markers, peptide, color-changeable pad;

said reagent is adapted to, upon contact with said biologic sample, to yield a reaction and/or a colored compound indicating (i) existence or (ii) concentration of a component in said sample (iii) a result of said at least one assay.

41. The cell system according to claim 40, wherein said biologic sample is selected from group consisting of:

a semen sample, a vaginal secretion sample, a vaginal cell sample, a blood sample, a urine sample, a saliva sample and a lymph sample or any combination thereof;

further wherein said assay is selected from a group consisting of;

a sperm concentration assay, a semen pH assay, a leukocyte threshold assay, a sperm motility assay, a sperm morphology assay, motile sperm cell concentration, a semen volume assay, a viscosity assay and a turbidity assay.

42. The cell system according to claim 40, wherein said assay is adapted to facilitate diagnosis of at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD) selected from a group consisting of:

syphilis, gonorrhea, Candida, human papiloma virus (HPV), mycoplasma, ureaplasma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, Hepatitis B, Trichomonas and Hepatitis C.

43. The cell system according to claim 40, wherein said cartridge is made of substantially rigid materials or substantially flexible materials or any combination thereof.

44. The cell system according to claim 40, wherein said actuator comprises a pump, a peristaltic pump, means of pressure difference creation, strike handle, a set of rollers, manual activation selected from a pipette, micropipette injector, syringe, any positive displacement or any combination thereof.

45. The cell system according to claim 40, further comprising a control means adapted to (i) receive a reading from at least one sensor, said sensor is in communication with said cartridge;

(ii) analyze said reading;

(iii) analysis readings received based upon said at least one of said assays; and

(iv) output said analysis of said biological sample.

46. A method for separating cells from a biological sample, said method comprising steps of:

a. providing a cell separation system comprising;

a first chamber;

said first chamber is bounded by a rim; and

a second peripheral chamber shallower, circumferential depression around said first chamber;

b. depositing at least a portion of said biological sample into said first chamber of said cell separation system such that said cell sample is kept below said rim;

at least a portion of said sample is characterized by at least one biological or chemical characteristic;

c. introducing a separation-enabling agent into either said first chamber or said second chamber;

thereby facilitating movement of said at a portion of said cell sample having the same biological or chemical characteristic into said second chamber of said cell separation system.

47. The method according to claim 46, additionally comprising at least one step selected from (i) collecting said motile cells for a usage selected from a group consisting of:

IUI, vaginal insemination, and IVF and diagnosis of motile sperm cell;

or (ii) assessing motility of said sperm cells based on a relative amount of motile cells in said second chamber.

48. The method according to claim 46, additionally comprising step of selecting said separation-enabling agent from a group consisting of Ringer'"'"'s solution, Hartmann'"'"'s solution, Saline, adapted to facilitate said separation of said semen sample, or any cell support medium, cell washing medium, preparation medium or cell separation enabling agent.

49. The method according to claim 48, additionally comprising at least one step selected from (a) providing a reagent adapted to, upon contact with said biologic sample, to yield a reaction and/or a colored compound indicating (i) existence or (ii) concentration of a component in said sample (iii) a result of said at least one assay;

or (b) selecting said reagent from a group consisting of cell support medium, labeling compounds, markers, peptide, color-changeable pad or any combination thereof.

50. The method according to claim 46, additionally comprising step of selecting said sample from a group consisting of:

a semen sample, a vaginal secretion sample, a vaginal cell sample, a blood sample, a urine sample, a saliva sample, a lymph sample or any combination thereof.

51. The method according to claim 46, additionally comprising at least one step selected from (a) performing an assay;

further wherein said assay is selected from a group consisting of;

a sperm concentration assay, a semen pH assay, a leukocyte threshold assay, a sperm motility assay, a sperm morphology assay, motile sperm concentration assay, a semen volume assay, a viscosity assay and a turbidity assay;

or, (b) facilitating diagnosis of at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD) selected from a group consisting of;

syphilis, gonorrhea, Candida, human papiloma virus (HPV), mycoplasma, ureaplasma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, Hepatitis B, Trichomonas and Hepatitis C.