Processing particle-containing samples

• US 7,731,906 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Handique, Kalyan, Ganesan, Karthik, Wu, Betty, Parunak, Gene, Kehrer, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US10/567,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20060205085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100
• US Class Current: 422/537
• 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 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 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• 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 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• 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 2523/109 chemical ligation between nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/40 Concentrating samples
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

A microfluidic device includes an input port for inputting a particle-containing liquidic samples into the device, a retention member, and a pressure actuator. The retention member is in communication with the input port and is configured to spatially separate particles of the particle-containing liquidic sample from a first portion of the liquid of the particle containing fluidic sample. The pressure actuator recombines at least some of the separated particles with a subset of the first portion of the liquid separated from the particles. The device can also include a lysing chamber that receives the particles and liquid from the retention member. The lysing chamber thermally lyses the particles to release contents thereof.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising a microfluidic network, the device comprising:

an input port for receiving a particle-containing liquidic sample;

a retention member in communication with the input port and configured to spatially separate particles of the particle-containing liquidic sample from a first liquidic portion of the particle-containing liquidic sample;

a reservoir in communication with the retention member and configured to receive at least some of the first liquidic portion separated from the particles, wherein a pressure within the reservoir increases upon receiving the first liquidic portion; and

a gate configured to open a channel downstream of the reservoir thereby decreasing the pressure within the reservoir so that at least some of the separated particles recombine with a subset of the first liquidic portion separated from the particles.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a volume of the subset of the first liquidic portion to a volume of the first liquidic portion is at least 1%.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a volume of the subset of the first liquidic portion to a volume of the first liquidic portion is less than 25%.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the retention member is a filter.

5. A microfluidic device for processing a particle-containing liquid sample, including:

an enrichment region, including;

a retention member;

a reservoir in communication with the retention member configured so that a first liquidic portion of a particle-containing liquid sample received therein enters the reservoir along an entry path including a first surface of the retention member, and particles of the particle-containing liquid sample are thereby retained by the retention member; and

a gate having an open configuration wherein a subset of the first liquidic portion exits the reservoir along an exit path including the first surface of the retention member, wherein the entry path is substantially opposite the exit path.