Biologic fluid analysis cartridge

• US 9,579,651 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Point Of Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Phan, Vu, Verrant, John A., Blum, John, Verma, Kaushal K., Edson, Elise G.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIEFKE, SAMUEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/971,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20110206557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/23 Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4314 with helical baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4316 the baffles being flat pieces of material, e.g. intermeshing, fixed to the wall or fixed on a central rod
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/43195 Wires or coils
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431951 Spirally-shaped baffle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/433 Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly extending profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4331 Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4335 Mixers with a converging-diverging cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/045 whereby the whole cover is slidable
• 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 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/168 Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 : squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0484 : Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 : with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/065 : sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 : pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 : using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• 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 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• 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

Abstract

A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge is provided. The cartridge includes a housing, a fluid module, and an analysis chamber. The fluid module includes a sample acquisition port and an initial channel, and is connected to the housing. The initial channel is sized to draw fluid sample by capillary force, and is in fluid communication with the acquisition port. The initial channel is fixedly positioned relative to the acquisition port such that at least a portion of a fluid sample disposed within the acquisition port will draw into the initial channel. The analysis chamber is connected to the housing, and is in fluid communication with the initial channel.

Claims

1. A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge, comprising:

a fluid module having a sample acquisition port, an initial channel, and a second channel, and which initial channel is sized to draw fluid sample by capillary force, and which initial channel is in fluid communication with the acquisition port and is fixedly positioned relative to the acquisition port such that at least a portion of a fluid sample disposed within the acquisition port will draw into the initial channel; and

an analysis chamber attached to an imaging tray, which imaging tray is slidably received within the cartridge and selectively positionable relative to the cartridge in a first position and in a second position, and in the second position the analysis chamber is positioned to receive fluid from the secondary channel; and

wherein the secondary channel is fluidically disposed between the initial channel and the analysis chamber such that fluid sample exiting the initial channel must pass through the secondary channel before entering the analysis chamber; and

wherein an intersection between the initial channel and the secondary channel prevents capillary forces from drawing sample out of the initial channel and into the secondary channel.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one or both of the initial channel and the secondary channel is visible from the top surface.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the acquisition port includes a bowl, and the housing includes a bowl cap that is sized to cover the bowl.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising an external air port in fluid communication with the initial channel, which external air port is configured to engage an air source operable to produce air at a pressure greater than and/or less than ambient air pressure.

5. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising one or more flow disrupters disposed within one or both of the initial channel and the secondary channel.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a channel geometry variation in one or both of the initial and secondary channels, which variation is operable to create turbulent sample fluid flow within at least one of the initial channel or the secondary channel.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the initial channel has a volume, and the cartridge further comprises an overflow passage, which overflow passage is disposed to receive fluid sample when a volume of fluid sample introduced into the acquisition port exceeds the volume of the initial channel.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the overflow passage is sized to draw fluid sample into the overflow passage by capillary force.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising one or more flag ports in fluid communication with the initial channel, which flag ports are configured to receive fluid sample and visually indicate the presence of the fluid sample.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising at least one magnifier section, which magnifier section includes a lens that magnifies a view of the initial channel or a view of a flag port.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein in the first position the analysis chamber is visible for analysis and in the second position the analysis chamber is not visible for analysis.

12. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the imaging tray is selectively lockable in the second position, in which position it is disposed within the cartridge.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the analysis chamber includes a first panel and a second panel, at least one of which panels is sufficiently transparent to permit fluid sample disposed between the panels to be imaged for analysis purposes.