Microfluidic cartridge

• US 9,238,223 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: HandyLab Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Handique, Kalyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Young J
• Application Number:
  US13/857,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• 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 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/14 Process control and prevention of errors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/165 Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1844 using fans
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1894 Cooling means; Cryo cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 : by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• 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: 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

Abstract

The technology described herein generally relates to microfluidic cartridges configured to amplify and detect polynucleotides extracted from multiple biological samples in parallel. The technology includes a microfluidic substrate, comprising: a plurality of sample lanes, wherein each of the plurality of sample lanes comprises a microfluidic network having, in fluid communication with one another: an inlet; a first valve and a second valve; a first channel leading from the inlet, via the first valve, to a reaction chamber; and a second channel leading from the reaction chamber, via the second valve, to a vent.

Claims

1. A microfluidic cartridge comprising:

at least a first and a second sample lane, wherein each of the sample lanes comprises;

an inlet;

a reaction chamber downstream of the inlet, the reaction chamber having an entrance and an exit and a longitudinal axis extending from the entrance to the exit;

a first channel in fluid communication with the inlet and the reaction chamber;

a second channel downstream of the reaction chamber and in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; and

a vent in fluid communication with the second channel;

wherein the reaction chambers of the first and second sample lanes are co-axial along their longitudinal axes.

2. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first and second sample lanes are located adjacent one another in the microfluidic cartridge.

3. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 2, wherein the reaction chambers of the first and second sample lanes are configured to allow simultaneous detection by a fluorescence detection system of a reaction in each of the reaction chambers.

4. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 1, wherein the vents of the first and second sample lanes are collinear in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

5. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a third sample lane, wherein the third sample lane is adjacent to the second sample lane.

6. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 5, wherein the inlets of the first and third sample lanes are collinear in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

7. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 5, wherein the reaction chambers of the first and third sample lanes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

8. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 1, wherein the length of the first channel of the first sample lane is greater than the length of the first channel of the second sample lane.

9. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 8, wherein the length of the second channel of the first sample lane is less than the length of the second channel of the second sample lane.

10. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 9, wherein the first and second sample lanes have equal total lengths.

11. A microfluidic cartridge comprising:

a plurality of sample lanes, each of the sample lanes comprising;

an inlet;

a reaction chamber downstream of the inlet, the reaction chamber having a longitudinal axis;

a first channel in fluid communication with the inlet and the reaction chamber;

a second channel downstream of the reaction chamber and in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; and

a vent in fluid communication with the second channel;

wherein the plurality of sample lanes comprise a first bank of sample lanes and a second bank of sample lanes and wherein each reaction chamber in the second bank is longitudinally co-axial with a reaction chamber in the first bank.

12. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 11, wherein the samples lanes alternate between sample lanes of the first bank and sample lanes of the second bank.

13. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 11, wherein the reaction chambers of the first bank of sample lanes are aligned in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

14. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 11, wherein the reaction chambers of the second bank of sample lanes are aligned in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

15. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 14, wherein the reaction chambers of the second bank of sample lanes are parallel to the reaction chambers of the first bank of sample lanes in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

16. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 14, wherein the inlets of the first bank of sample lanes are aligned in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axes of the reaction chambers.

17. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 16, wherein the inlets of the plurality of sample lanes are spaced apart from one another to permit simultaneous loading from a multiple-pipette head dispenser.

18. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of sample lanes is configured to amplify one or more polynucleotides independently of the other sample lanes.

19. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sample lanes comprises 24 sample lanes.

20. The microfluidic cartridge of claim 19, wherein the first bank of sample lanes comprises 12 sample lanes and the second bank of sample lanes comprises 12 sample lanes.