CONTINUOUS TESTING DEVICE AND CONTINUOUS TESTING SYSTEM

• US 20090272180A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cheng-Hsien Liu, Long Hsu, Raydium Semiconductor Corporation, Yuh-Shyong Yang
• Original Assignee: Cheng-Hsien Liu, Long Hsu, Raydium Semiconductor Corporation, Yuh-Shyong Yang
• Inventors: Tsai, Kun-Hsi, Hsu, Long, Wang, William, Yang, Yuh-Shyong, Chou, Chung-Cheng, Lin, Ming-Yu, Liu, Cheng-Hsien
• Application Number:
  US12/272,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20090272180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.720
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0454 radiation pressure, optical tweezers
• 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: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 5/005 Dielectrophoresis, i.e. dielectric particles migrating towards the region of highest field strength B03C5/02 takes precedence; electrophoresis B01D57/02
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 5/026 using open-gradient differential dielectric separation, i.e. using electrodes of special shapes for non-uniform field creation, e.g. Fluid Integrated Circuit [FIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0325 Cells for testing reactions, e.g. containing reagents
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/058 Flat flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/491 by separating the blood components G01N15/05 takes precedence

Abstract

A continuous testing device for testing the concentration of a target object in a fluid is provided. The continuous testing device includes a first chip, a signal source and a second chip. The first chip includes a separating unit and a reacting unit. The separating unit separates the target object from a non-target object in the fluid. The reacting unit enables the fluid having separated out the non-target object to react with a reagent. The signal source provides a signal passing through the fluid having reacted with the reagent. The second chip disposed at one side of the first chip includes a signal transducing element and a processing unit. The signal transducing element receives the signal passing through the fluid and outputs an electronic signal corresponding to the input signal. The processing unit acquires the concentration of the target object according to the electronic signal.

Claims

1. A continuous testing device for testing the concentration of a target object in a fluid, wherein the continuous testing device comprises:

a first chip, comprising;

a separating unit for separating the target object from a non-target object in the fluid; and

a reacting unit for enabling the fluid having separated out the non-target object to react with a reagent;

a signal source for providing a signal passing through the fluid having reacted with the reagent; and

a second chip disposed at the one side of the first chip, wherein the second chip comprises;

a signal transducing element for receiving the signal passing through the fluid and outputting an electronic signal corresponding to the input signal; and

a processing unit for acquiring the concentration of the target object according to the electronic signal.

2. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the separating unit comprises:

an electrode group for generating a dielectrophoretic force (DEP force) in the fluid to separate the target object from the non-target object in the fluid, wherein the electrode group prevents the target object and the non-target object from being adhered onto the first chip.

3. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the separating unit comprises:

an optical tweezers for providing a focused light in the fluid to separate the target object from the non-target object in the fluid.

4. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the reacting unit comprises:

at least one reaction chamber used for accommodating the fluid and the reagent; and

a plurality of micro-fluidic channels for connecting the at least one reaction chamber.

5. The continuous testing device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one reaction chamber and the micro-fluidic channels are formed on the first chip in a photolithography process.

6. The continuous testing device according to claim 4, wherein the first chip further comprises:

a waste liquid slot connected to the micro-fluidic channels and disposed at the rear of the reacting unit for accommodating the fluid and the reagent which have reacted with each other.

7. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the reacting unit comprises:

at least one reaction channel whose two ends respectively receive the fluid and the reagent, wherein the at least one reaction channel, due to electrowetting effect, controls the fluid and the reagent to enter the at least one reaction channel to react with each other.

8. The continuous testing device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one reaction channel is formed on the first chip in a photolithography process.

9. The continuous testing device according to claim 7, wherein the fluid and the reagent in the at least one reaction channel further form a focusing liquid drop by the electrowetting effect.

10. The continuous testing device according to claim 7, wherein the second chip further comprises:

a function generator for providing a wave signal to the at least one reaction channel to generate the electrowetting effect.

11. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a casing, wherein the first chip, the signal source and the second chip are disposed inside the casing;

wherein the first chip is replaceable disposed inside the casing.

12. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the signal source is a light-emitting element and the signal is a light signal.

13. The continuous testing device according to claim 12, wherein the signal transducing element is a photo-electro transducer.

14. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery coupled to the signal source and the second chip to provide a potential to the signal source and the second chip.

15. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the first chip has a main fluidic channel for connecting the separating unit and the reacting unit to transfer the fluid.

16. The continuous testing device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transducing element and the processing unit are formed on the second chip in an integrated semiconductor manufacturing process.

17. A continuous testing system for testing the concentration of a target object in a fluid, wherein the continuous testing system comprises:

a continuous testing device, comprising;

a first chip, comprising;

a separating unit for separating the target object from a non-target object in the fluid; and

a reacting unit for enabling the fluid having separated out the non-target object to react with a reagent;

a signal source for providing a signal passing through the fluid having reacted with the reagent; and

a second chip disposed at the one side of the first chip, wherein the second chip comprises;

a signal transducing element for receiving the signal passing through the fluid and outputting an electronic signal corresponding to the input signal; and

a processing unit for acquiring the concentration of the target object according to the electronic signal; and

a medicating unit coupled to the processing unit and used for adjusting a medicating concentration or a medicating frequency according to the concentration of the target object.

18. The continuous testing system according to claim 17, wherein the continuous testing system is connected to an external power to provide at least a potential to the signal source and the second chip.