Modular point-of-care devices, systems, and uses thereof

• US 10,670,588 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labrador Diagnostics LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Theranos IP Company, LLC
• Inventors: Burd, Tammy, Gibbons, Ian, Holmes, Elizabeth A., Frenzel, Gary, Nugent, Anthony Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Ann Y
• Application Number:
  US15/217,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20170014064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0038 Devices for taking faeces samples; Faecal examination devices anal receptacles A61F5/451
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0058 for taking sperm samples artificial insemination A61B17/43; for animals A61D19/021; genital receptacles for the male member A61F5/453; massage of the genitals A61H19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/007 for taking urine samples measuring urological functions A61B5/20; genital receptacles A61F5/451; urinals for bed-ridden persons A61G9/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/02 Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0074 Vaginal or cervical secretions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0077 Cerebrospinal fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15 Devices for taking samples of blood hypodermic syringes A61M5/178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150755 Blood sample preparation for further analysis, e.g. by separating blood components or by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/151 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of capillary blood, e.g. by lancets , needles or blades
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00283 Reactor vessels with top opening
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00292 in the shape of pipette tips
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00369 in multiple or parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00371 comprising electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00385 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00466 in a slurry
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 : Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00693 : Means for quality control
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00702 : Processes involving means for analysing and characterising the products
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 : Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 : Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 : Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/148 : Specific details about calibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 : Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 : Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• 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 2400/043 : magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 : Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0262 : using touch-off at substrate or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 : for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/527 : for a plurality of reagents
• 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: B01L 7/5255 : by moving sample containers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/543 : for disposable pipette tips, e.g. racks or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/38 : Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 : Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00851 : process control parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 : network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0097 : monitoring reactions as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1032 : Dilution or aliquotting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1034 : Transferring microquantities of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1048 : using the transfer device for another function
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/4737 : C-reactive protein
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/475 : Assays involving growth factors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/71 : for growth factors; for growth regulators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/912 : transferring phosphorus containing groups, e.g. kinases (2.7)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/91205 : Phosphotransferases in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/9129 : Transferases for other substituted phosphate groups (2.7.8)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/26 : Infectious diseases, e.g. generalised sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/60 : Complex ways of combining multiple protein biomarkers for diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5302 : Apparatus specially adapted for immunological test procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5304 : Reaction vessels, e.g. agglutination plates for solid-phase systems G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54326 : Magnetic particles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 : Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54386 : Analytical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56966 : Animal cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57484 : involving compounds serving as markers for tumor, cancer, neoplasia, e.g. cellular determinants, receptors, heat shock/stress proteins, A-protein, oligosaccharides, metabolites
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6803 : General methods of protein analysis not limited to specific proteins or families of proteins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/94 : involving narcotics or drugs or pharmaceuticals, neurotransmitters or associated receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00732 : Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 : Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 : having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/10 : Devices for transferring samples or any liquids to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices G01N35/0099 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1065 : Multiple transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1074 : arranged in a two-dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 : for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 : Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention provides devices and systems for use at the point of care. The methods devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device are modular to allow for flexibility and robustness of use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical applications.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a volume of a liquid sample, comprising:

reacting a known quantity of a control analyte in the liquid sample with a reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte; and

comparing the detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte with an expected signal,

wherein the expected signal is indicative of an expected volume of the liquid sample, and

wherein the comparison provides a measurement of the volume of the liquid sample being measured.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control analyte is normally not present in the liquid sample in a detectable amount.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the volume of the liquid sample when the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample is within about 50% of the expected volume of the liquid sample.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reacting the liquid sample containing a target analyte with a second reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the target analyte; and

measuring the quantity of the target analyte in the liquid sample based on the detectable signal indicative of the target analyte and the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid sample comprises a bodily fluid sample.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the control analyte does not react with the target analyte in the liquid sample.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reacting a second liquid sample containing a target analyte with a second reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the target analyte; and

measuring the quantity of the target analyte in the second liquid sample based on the detectable signal indicative of the target analyte and the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control analyte is selected from the group consisting of:

albumin, fluorescein, IgG, protein C, fluorescein-labeled albumin, fluorescein labeled IgG, anti-fluorescein, antidigoxigenin, digoxigenin-labeled albumin, digoxigenin-labeled IgG, biotinylated proteins, and non-human IgG.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing, by a fluid transfer device, the liquid sample in an addressable reagent unit of a removable cartridge to create a control solution, the addressable reagent unit including the control analyte;

transferring, by the fluid transfer device, the control solution to an addressable assay unit having a reaction site, wherein the reagent is disposed on the reaction site; and

detecting, by a detection assembly, the detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte.

10. A method of measuring a volume of a liquid sample using a bench-top, point-of-care system including an assay assembly, a fluid transfer device, and a detection assembly, the method comprising:

reacting a known quantity of a control analyte in the liquid sample with a reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte; and

comparing the detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte with an expected signal, wherein the expected signal is indicative of an expected volume of the liquid sample; and

determining the volume of the liquid sample based on comparing the expected signal and the detectable signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reacting the known quantity of the control analyte in the liquid sample, comprises:

placing, by the fluid transfer device, the liquid sample in an addressable reagent unit of a removable cartridge to create a control solution, the addressable reagent unit including the control analyte;

transferring, by the fluid transfer device, the control solution to an addressable assay unit having a reaction site, wherein the reagent is disposed on the reaction site; and

detecting, by the detection assembly, the detectable signal indicative of the quantity of the control analyte.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the control analyte is normally not present in the liquid sample in a detectable amount.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising verifying the volume of the sample when the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample is within about 50% of the expected volume of the liquid sample.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

reacting the liquid sample containing a target analyte with a second reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the target analyte; and

measuring the quantity of the target analyte in the liquid sample based on of the detectable signal indicative of the target analyte and the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control analyte does not react with the target analyte in the liquid sample.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising

reacting a second liquid sample containing a target analyte with a second reagent to yield a detectable signal indicative of the target analyte;

and

measuring the quantity of the target analyte in the second liquid sample based the detectable signal indicative of the target analyte and the measurement of the volume of the liquid sample.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the control analyte is selected from the group consisting of:

albumin, fluorescein, IgG, protein C, fluorescein-labeled albumin, fluorescein labeled IgG, anti-fluorescein, antidigoxigenin, digoxigenin-labeled albumin, digoxigenin-labeled IgG, biotinylated proteins, and non-human IgG.