Microfluidic transducer

• US 9,217,132 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ibis Biosciences Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ibis Biosciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Eshoo, Mark W., Gutierrez, Jose R., Drader, Jared J., Picuri, John, Cabrera, Karl M., Motley, Stanley, Chiesl, Thomas N.
• Primary Examiner(s): HIXSON, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US13/355,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20120190126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/06 Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/06 Hydrolysis; Cell lysis; Extraction of intracellular or cell wall material lysis of microorganisms C12N1/06; extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/066 by physical methods
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 13/00 Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
• 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: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/31 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

Provided herein are apparatuses and methods for fragmenting nucleic acids or disrupting cells. For example, some embodiments provide a disposable microfluidic device designed to position a sample to be in direct contact with a high frequency vibrating element that emits an ultrasonic frequency into the sample such that the vibrational energy transduced into the sample results in fragmenting nucleic acids or disrupting cells.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a sample comprising nucleic acid comprising a disposable high frequency vibrating transducer tuned to produce a collection of nucleic acid fragments having a distribution of lengths centered on approximately 2000 bases or base pairs, wherein the sample is in direct contact with the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sample comprises cells.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nucleic acid is DNA.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus disrupts or lyses cells.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer produces frequencies of 1-1000 MHz.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sample chamber, a sample inlet connected to the sample chamber, and a sample outlet connected to the sample chamber, wherein the sample is introduced into the sample chamber via the sample inlet, the sample chamber is designed to position the sample in direct contact with the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer, and the sample can be removed from the sample chamber via the sample outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sealed microfluidic card wherein the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer is integrated into the sealed microfluidic card.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, adapted to interface with a microfluidic system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, adapted to interface with an external energy source, wherein the external energy source provides energy to the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus causes cavitation in the sample.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sample chamber has a volume of approximately 200 microliters.

12. A method for fragmenting nucleic acids comprising:

a) positioning a sample comprising a nucleic acid in direct contact with the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer of the apparatus of claim 1; and

b) transducing energy from the disposable high frequency vibrating transducer into the sample.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the collection of nucleic acid fragments comprises an unbiased set of fragments.

14. A system for fragmenting a nucleic acid sample comprising a first component comprising an electrical energy source that produces an ultrasonic frequency capable of fragmenting DNA, a second component comprising a microfluidic channel comprising an inlet port and an outlet port that holds the sample in direct contact with the first component, and a third component comprising, and a transducer in direct contact with the first component and the second component said electrical energy source and said microfluidic channel tuned to produce a collection of nucleic acid fragments having a distribution of lengths centered on approximately 2000 bases or base pairs that transduces the ultrasonic frequency into the sample.