Devices comprising multiple capillarity inducing surfaces

• US 6,113,855 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quidel Cardiovascular, Inc. (Quidel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Biosite Diagnostics Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Buechler, Kenneth Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): LUDLOW, JAN M
• Application Number:
  US08/749,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 422/55-61, 422/100, 422/102
• US Class Current: 422/412
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5023 with a sample being transported to, and subsequently stored in an absorbent for analysis
• 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 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence

Abstract

Assay device structures for a device where fluid flows from a one region to another. The device structures have one or more capillarity-inducing structures; where the capillarity-inducing structure induces capillary force along an axis that is essentially perpendicular to the axis along which capillary force induced in another region of the device.

Claims

1. A device for use in an assay procedure, comprising:

a generally flat base, the base including at least one proximal region and at least one distal region, said at least one proximal region including a pair of opposite lateral walls and a floor, said at least one distal region including a pair of opposite lateral walls and a floor;

a generally flat lid, the lid including a lower surface;

at least one proximal region channel in said at least one proximal region defined by said opposite lateral walls of the base in the at least one proximal region, said floor in the at least one proximal region, and said lower surface of said lid;

at least one distal region channel in said at least one distal region in fluid communication with said at least one proximal region channel at a junction, said at least one distal region channel defined by said pair of opposite lateral walls in the at least one distal region, said floor in the at least one distal region, and said lower surface of said lid;

an array of capillarity inducing structures having lateral surfaces located in said at least one distal region channel and spaced from said junction,

wherein the at least one proximal region channel adapted to induce an effective capillarity in the vertical direction by the floor of the base and the lower surface of the lid, and the at least one distal region channel adapted to induce an effective capillarity in a horizontal direction by the lateral surfaces of the capillarity inducing structures so as to cause a fluid to flow between the proximal region and the distal region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximal region channel includes an array of capillarity inducing structures having lateral surfaces.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the capillarity inducing structures include a shape from the group consisting of hexagonal, geometric, and organic.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one distal region channel is wider that the at least one proximal region channel.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one distal region channel is deeper that the at least one proximal region channel.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximal region includes a fluid addition port.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one distal region includes an escape port.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximal region comprises a lower effective capillarity than the distal region.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximal region comprises similar capillarity relative to the distal region so that the fluid will flow between the proximal and distal regions.

10. A device for use in an assay procedure, comprising:

a base, the base including at least one proximal region and at least one distal region, said at least one proximal region including at least one enclosed proximal region channel, said at least one distal region including at least one enclosed distal region channel in fluid communication with said at least one proximal region channel at a junction, the at least one distal region channel configured to accommodate an appreciable assay fluid volume, wherein the at least one proximal region is configured to provide an effective capillarity induced in a generally vertical direction in said at least one proximal region channel and the at least one distal region is configured to provide an effective capillarity induced in a generally horizontal direction in said at least one distal region channel so that fluid flows between the proximal region and the distal region;

wherein the at least one distal region channel includes an array of capillarity inducing structures having lateral surfaces that induce said effective capillarity in the general horizontal direction, said structures being spaced from the junction.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the capillarity inducing structures include a shape from the group consisting of hexagonal, geometric, and organic.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximal region channel includes an array of capillarity inducing structures having lateral surfaces.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one distal region channel is wider that the at least one proximal region channel.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one distal region channel is deeper that the at least one proximal region channel.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximal region includes a fluid addition port.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one distal region includes a fluid escape port.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximal region comprises a lower effective capillarity than the distal region.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one proximal region comprises similar capillarity relative to the distal region so that the fluid will flow between the proximal and distal regions.