Microfluidic interrogation device

• US 9,293,311 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orflo Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: E.I Spectra, LLC dba ORFLO Technologies (Gemini Bioproducts LLC)
• Inventors: Ayliffe, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/666,131
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0874 Three dimensional network
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1023 Microstructural devices for non-optical measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/12 by observing changes in resistance or impedance across apertures when traversed by individual particles, e.g. by using the Coulter principle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/131 Details G01N15/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1404 Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1456 without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1019 Associating Coulter-counter and optical flow cytometer [OFC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1024 Counting particles by non-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1029 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00306 Housings, cabinets, control panels (details)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means G01N3/00 – G01N25/00 take precedence; measurement or testing of electric or magnetic variables or of electric or magnetic properties of materials G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00 Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any single one of groups G01N1/00 - G01N33/00; Handling materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0013 : Miniaturised spectrometers, e.g. having smaller than usual scale, integrated conventional components
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0022 : Portable spectrometers, e.g. devices comprising independent power supply, constructional details relating to portability small scale devices per se H01J49/0013 and H01J49/0018

Abstract

A portable, stand-alone microfluidic interrogation device including a microprocessor and a touch-screen display. The touch-screen display can receive one or more user input to select a particular particle interrogation procedure, and subsequently show interrogation results. A microfluidic path extending through the interrogation device includes alignment structure that defines an interrogation zone in which particles carried in a fluid are urged toward single-file travel. Operable alignment structure may define sheath-, or non-sheath fluid flow. Desirably, a portion of the alignment structure is removable from the device in a tool-free procedure. The device may operate under the Coulter principle, and/or detect Stokes'"'"' shift phenomena, and/or other optically-based signal(s).

Claims

1. A microfluidic interrogation apparatus, comprising:

a bench-top housing sized sufficiently small in both weight and enclosed volume as to permit a single person, by hand and without tools, to move the entirety of said apparatus from a first location to a second location;

a microprocessor and an associated memory protected by said housing and operably disposable in-circuit with a microfluidic particle detector to receive particle-related data from said particle detector, said microprocessor being programmable to perform a plurality of different particle interrogation tasks;

a microfluidic path extending through a portion of said housing and arranged to urge particles carried in a fluid into substantially single-file travel through an interrogation zone of said particle detector; and

a display device carried by said housing and disposed operably in-circuit with said microprocessor, said display device being operable to present a visual image representative of particle interrogation data resulting from microfluidic interrogation performed by said apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing is sized to fit inside a volume of about 24 inches in height by about 24 inches in width by about 24 inches in depth.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said housing defines a volume that is smaller than defined by a plan form of about 12 inches by about 9 inches and an orthogonal height of about 9 inches.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus is structured to weigh less than about 50 pounds.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus is structured to weigh less than about 15 pounds.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microfluidic particle detector is structured to operate under, or detect, either or both of, the Coulter principle and optically-based phenomena (more broadly than e.g. Stoke'"'"'s shift, includes side scatter).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microfluidic particle detector operates to detect scatter radiation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microfluidic particle detector comprises a laser configured and arranged in operable combination with a heat sink to permit turning said laser on momentarily for purpose of particle interrogation and turning said laser off before it overheats.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microfluidic particle detector comprises a laser and an adjustable laser mounting mechanism, said laser mounting mechanism being adjustable responsive to feedback from a photodetector to permit orienting said laser for impingement of energy emitted by said laser onto a desired location in said interrogation zone.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said particle detector comprises a plurality of optically-based detectors.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microprocessor is programmed for signal processing that performs peak finding in the raw data by combining raw data from a plurality of optically-based detectors.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said microprocessor is programmed for signal processing that performs peak finding in the raw data by combining data from an electrically-based detector and from at least one optically-based detector.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said display device comprises a touch-screen disposed in-circuit with said microprocessor and structured to receive input from a user effective to perform a task that may be selected from a plurality of programmed tasks.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus is structured and arranged as a self-contained device to permit operation of said apparatus to perform a microfluidic interrogation on a fluid sample, to process resulting microfluidic interrogation data, and to display a corresponding result on said display device without requiring input from a remote computing device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a source of radiation disposed to impinge radiation onto particles in said interrogation zone; and

a first photodetector disposed to detect radiation propagating from said interrogation zone, and

arranged in-circuit to communicate a signal, corresponding to detected radiation, to said microprocessor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein:

said apparatus is structured and arranged to permit coupling said apparatus to a computing device that is disposed exterior to said housing effective to upload data obtained from particle interrogation by said apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a portion of said microfluidic path is removable from said housing.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

said microfluidic particle detector comprises said removable portion of said microfluidic path.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein:

said portion of said microfluidic path is removable in a tool-free operation.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said interrogation zone is disposed in said microfluidic path, and is defined by structure forming non-sheath fluid flow.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said interrogation zone is defined, at least in part, by a microcapillary lumen.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

said interrogation zone is defined, at least in part, by an aperture disposed to permit fluid flow from a first channel disposed in a first thin film layer, through said aperture, and into a second channel disposed in a second thin film layer.