MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEM FOR AMPLIFYING AND DETECTING POLYNUCLEOTIDES IN PARALLEL

• US 20150315631A1
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Handique, Kalyan, Brahmasandra, Sundaresh N., Ganesan, Karthik, Williams, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US14/796,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20150315631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• 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 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1861 using radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0442 thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0611 duck bill valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0683 : mechanically breaking a wall or membrane within a channel or chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 : characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 : for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6806 : Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/686 : Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0084 : Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 : Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/003 : Valves for single use only
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0032 : using phase transition or influencing viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0044 : using thermo-electric means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0061 : actuated by an expanding gas or liquid volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 : Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6421 : Measuring at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6441 : with two or more labels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 : network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 : Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53

Abstract

The present technology provides for an apparatus for detecting polynucleotides in samples, particularly from biological samples. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The apparatus includes a microfluidic cartridge that is configured to accept a plurality of samples, and which can carry out PCR on each sample individually, or a group of, or all of the plurality of samples simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method of carrying out amplification on a plurality of samples, the method comprising:

introducing each of the plurality of samples into an amplification zone of a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

isolating each of the plurality of samples within the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

independently thermally cycling each amplification zone; and

amplifying polynucleotides contained within each of the plurality of samples.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of a polynucleotide or a polynucleotide probe in the plurality of samples.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein independently thermally cycling each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with a plurality of heaters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein independently thermally cycling each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with four heaters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein independently thermally cycling each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with two long heaters and two short heaters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein isolating each of the plurality of samples comprises closing at least one valve.

7. A method of carrying out amplification on a plurality of samples, the method comprising:

introducing a sample of a plurality of samples into an amplification zone in a lane of a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

isolating the sample from the plurality of samples within the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

thermally controlling the amplification zone independently from another amplification zone in another lane of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge; and

amplifying polynucleotides contained within the sample within the amplification zone while thermal cycling the amplification zone.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting the presence of a polynucleotide or a polynucleotide probe in the sample.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein thermally controlling the amplification zone comprises heating the amplification zone with a plurality of heaters.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein thermally controlling the amplification zone comprises heating the amplification zone with four heaters.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein thermally controlling the amplification zone comprises heating the amplification zone with two long heaters and two short heaters.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein isolating the sample from the plurality of samples comprises closing at least one valve.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

introducing a second sample of a plurality of samples into a second amplification zone in a second lane of a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

isolating the second sample from the plurality of samples within the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

thermally controlling the second amplification zone independently from another amplification zone in another lane of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge; and

amplifying polynucleotides contained within the second sample within the second amplification zone while thermal cycling the second amplification zone.

14. The method of claim 13, isolating the second sample from the plurality of samples comprises closing at least one valve.

15. A method of carrying out nucleic acid amplification on a plurality of samples, the method comprising:

introducing the plurality of samples into a plurality of amplification zones of a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge;

isolating the plurality of samples within the plurality of amplification zones; and

independently heating each amplification zone in order to amplify polynucleotides contained within the sample within the amplification zone.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting the presence of a polynucleotide or a polynucleotide probe in the plurality of samples.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein independently heating each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with a plurality of heaters.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein independently heating each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with four heaters.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein independently heating each amplification zone comprises heating each amplification zone with two long heaters and two short heaters.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein isolating the plurality of samples comprises closing at least one valve.