BIOLOGIC FLUID ANALYSIS CARTRIDGE

• US 20110206557A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Edson, Elise G., Phan, Vu, Verrant, John A., Verma, Kaushal K., Blum, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,579,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/23 Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4314 with helical baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4316 the baffles being flat pieces of material, e.g. intermeshing, fixed to the wall or fixed on a central rod
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/43195 Wires or coils
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431951 Spirally-shaped baffle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/433 Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly extending profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4331 Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4335 Mixers with a converging-diverging cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/045 whereby the whole cover is slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/168 Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 : squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0484 : Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 : with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/065 : sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 : pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 : using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 : characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• 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

Abstract

A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge is provided. The cartridge includes a housing, a fluid module, and an analysis chamber. The fluid module includes a sample acquisition port and an initial channel, and is connected to the housing. The initial channel is sized to draw fluid sample by capillary force, and is in fluid communication with the acquisition port. The initial channel is fixedly positioned relative to the acquisition port such that at least a portion of a fluid sample disposed within the acquisition port will draw into the initial channel. The analysis chamber is connected to the housing, and is in fluid communication with the initial channel.

Claims

1. A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge, comprising:

a housing;

a fluid module having a sample acquisition port and an initial channel, which fluid module is connected to the housing, and which initial channel is sized to draw fluid sample by capillary force, and which initial channel is in fluid communication with the acquisition port and is fixedly positioned relative to the acquisition port such that at least a portion of a fluid sample disposed within the acquisition port will draw into the initial channel; and

an analysis chamber connected to the housing, which analysis chamber is positionable in fluid communication with the initial channel.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the fluid module is selectively positionable relative to the housing in an open position and a closed position.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the fluid module is disposed within an open cavity disposed in the housing, and is configured to slidably translate relative to the housing between the open position and the closed position.

4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the acquisition port extends out from a top surface of the fluid module, and the top surface is exposed within the cavity in both the open and closed positions of the fluid module.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of one or both of the initial channel and a secondary channel is visible from the top surface.

6. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the fluid module is lockable in the closed position.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the acquisition port includes a bowl, and the housing includes a bowl cap that is sized to cover the bowl.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the fluid module further comprises a secondary channel disposed between the initial channel and the analysis chamber such that fluid sample exiting the initial channel must pass through the secondary channel before entering the analysis chamber, and wherein an intersection between the initial channel and the secondary channel prevents capillary forces from drawing sample out of the initial channel and into the secondary channel.

9. The cartridge of claim 8, further comprising a selectively actuable valve having an open position and a closed position, which valve is located proximate the acquisition port and is operable to close fluid communication between the acquisition port and the initial channel when the valve is in the closed position.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the valve is mechanically actuable.

11. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the valve is magnetically actuable.

12. The cartridge of claim 9, further comprising an air pressure source having a selectively variable volume, which air pressure source is in fluid communication with the initial channel at an intersection position where the valve is disposed between the intersection position and acquisition port.

13. The cartridge of claim 9, further comprising an external air port in fluid communication with the initial channel at an intersection position where the valve is disposed between the intersection position and acquisition port, which external air port is configured to engage an air source operable to produce air at a pressure greater than and/or less than ambient air pressure.

14. The cartridge of claim 8, further comprising one or more flow disrupters disposed within one or both of the initial channel and the secondary channel.

15. The cartridge of claim 8, further comprising a channel geometry variation in one or both of the initial and primary channels, which variation is operable to create turbulent sample fluid flow within the initial and or secondary channel.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the initial channel has a volume, and the cartridge further comprises an overflow passage, which overflow passage is disposed to receive fluid sample when a volume of fluid sample introduced into the acquisition port exceeds the volume of the initial channel.

17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the overflow passage is sized to draw fluid sample into the overflow passage by capillary force.

18. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising one or more flag ports in fluid communication with the initial channel, which flag ports are configured to receive fluid sample and visually indicate the presence of the fluid sample.

19. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising at least one magnifier section, which magnifier section includes a lens that magnifies a view of the initial channel or a view of a flag port.

20. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the analysis chamber is attached to an imaging tray, which tray is selectively positionable relative to the housing in an open position where the analysis chamber is visible for analysis and a closed position where the analysis chamber is not visible for analysis, wherein in the closed position the analysis chamber is in fluid communication with the initial channel.

21. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the imaging tray is selectively lockable in the closed position, in which position it is disposed within the housing.

22. The cartridge of claim 21, further comprising a magnetically actuable latch selectively operable to lock or unlock the imaging tray in the closed position.

23. A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge, comprising:

a housing;

a fluid module having a sample acquisition port and an initial channel, which fluid module is connected to the housing, and which initial channel is in fluid communication with the acquisition port; and

an imaging tray having an analysis chamber, which tray is selectively positionable relative to the housing in an open position and a closed position, and in the closed position, the analysis chamber is in fluid communication with the initial channel.

24. The cartridge of claim 23, wherein when the imaging tray is in the open position relative to the housing, the analysis chamber is visible for analysis, and in the closed position the analysis chamber is not visible for analysis.

25. The cartridge of claim 23, wherein the imaging tray is selectively lockable in the closed position, in which position it is disposed within the housing.

26. The cartridge of claim 23, further comprising a magnetically actuable latch selectively operable to lock or unlock the imaging tray in the closed position.

27. A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge, comprising:

a sample acquisition port attached to a panel;

a channel disposed in the panel, which channel is in fluid communication with the acquisition port;

one or more flow disrupters configured in, or disposed within, the channel; and

an analysis chamber in fluid communication with the channel.

28. The cartridge of claim 27, wherein the flow disrupters include one or both of a structure disposed within the channel and a channel geometry variation, each of which disrupters is operable to mix sample flowing within the channel.