Methods and devices for sample collection and sample separation

• US 9,908,113 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Theranos IP Company, LLC
• Inventors: Sloan, Deborah, Holmes, Elizabeth A., Ko, Pey-Jiun, Lai, Edwina
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US14/629,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20150231627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150213 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150221 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150343 Collection vessels for collecting blood samples from the skin surface, e.g. test tubes, cuvettes sampling from within body cavities A61B5/150015, A61B5/150045
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0631 Purification arrangements, e.g. solid phase extraction [SPE]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0672 Integrated piercing tool
• 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 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0874 Three dimensional network
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• 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

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for sample collection and sample separation. In one embodiment, a device is provided for use with a formed component liquid sample, the device comprising at least one sample inlet for receiving said sample; at least a first outlet for outputting only a liquid portion of the formed component liquid sample; at least a second outlet for outputting the formed component liquid sample at least a first material mixed therein.

Claims

1. A device for use with a formed component liquid sample, the device comprising:

a housing having a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening;

a separation material in the housing;

a sample distributor in the housing positioned adjacent a first surface of the separation material;

a sample collector in the housing positioned adjacent a second surface of the separation material;

a first channel in the housing coupled to the first opening;

a second channel in the housing fluidically coupling the first channel to the second opening; and

a third channel in the housing fluidically coupling the first channel to the sample distributor;

wherein the first channel and second channel define an unfiltered fluid pathway between the first opening and the second opening that does not pass through the separation material;

wherein the first channel, the third channel, the sample distributor, the separation material, and the sample collector define a filtered fluid pathway between the first opening and the third opening.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the sample distributor is in direct contact with at least one portion of the first surface of the separation material.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the separation material has first filter region and a second filter region of the separation material having pore spacing smaller than pore spacing of the first filter region.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the sample distributor comprises a plurality of distributor channels arranged in a pattern wherein at least portions of the channels are parallel to one another.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein each of the distributor channels is fluidically coupled to the third channel.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of vents, wherein each of the distributor channels is coupled to one of the vents.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a first portion of separation material in the housing is under compression and at least a second portion of separation material in the housing is under less compression than the first portion.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation material comprises an asymmetric porous membrane.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation material comprises a mesh.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the separation material comprises a polyethersulfone.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the separation material comprises an asymmetric polyethersulfone.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the separation material comprises polyarylethersulfone.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the separation material comprises an asymmetric polyarylethersulfone.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of separation material comprises a polysulfone.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation material comprises an asymmetric polysulfone.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation material comprises a polysulfone membrane.