Device and Method for Indirect Modulation of Detection Environment

• US 20110278258A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Chen, Michael, Chen, Yi Wei, Lang, Christoph, Kavusi, Sam
• Granted Patent: US 9,188,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 216/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54306 Solid-phase reaction mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54393 Improving reaction conditions or stability, e.g. by coating or irradiation of surface, by reduction of non-specific binding, by promotion of specific binding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation

Abstract

A system and method of indirectly modifying an environmental condition at a test site in one embodiment includes providing a test site on a substrate, providing a first activatable stimulant at the test site, providing an actuator configured to activate the first activatable stimulant at the test site, controlling the actuator to activate the first activatable stimulant, and modifying the local chemical environment at the test site with the first activated stimulant.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a test site environment comprising:

providing a test site on a substrate;

providing a first activatable stimulant at the test site;

providing an actuator configured to activate the first activatable stimulant at the test site;

controlling the actuator to activate the first activatable stimulant; and

modifying the local chemical environment at the test site with the first activated stimulant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a first activatable stimulant at the test site comprises providing an amphoteric electrolyte.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing an activatable stimulant at the test site comprises:

preparing a bulk solution including the amphoteric electrolyte; and

introducing the bulk solution to the test site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a first activatable stimulant at the test site comprises providing a first type of microcapsule bead.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing a first activatable stimulant at the test site comprises:

preparing a bulk solution including the first type of microcapsule bead; and

introducing the bulk solution to the test site.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a second activatable stimulant at the test site, the second activatable stimulant including a second type of microcapsule bead, wherein the second type of microcapsule bead has an activation characteristic different from an activation characteristic of the first type of microcapsule bead.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a desired value for a chemical environmental condition at the test site;

sensing the chemical environmental condition at the test site after controlling the actuator to activate the first activatable stimulant;

comparing the sensed chemical environmental condition with the desired value for the chemical environmental condition; and

controlling the actuator to activate the second activatable stimulant based upon the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second activatable stimulant at the test site, the second activatable stimulant having an activation characteristic different from an activation characteristic of the first activatable stimulant.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a desired value for a chemical environmental condition at the test site;

sensing the chemical environmental condition at the test site after controlling the actuator to activate the first activatable stimulant;

comparing the sensed chemical environmental condition with the desired value for the chemical environmental condition; and

controlling the actuator to activate the second activatable stimulant based upon the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the actuator to activate the second activatable stimulant comprises applying power to an electrode on the substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a test site on a substrate comprises providing a test site on a CMOS substrate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate, the method further including:

etching at least one electrode on the glass substrate; and

bonding a poly-ethyleneglycol (PEG) film to the glass slide by silane coupling chemistry.

13. A system for controlling a chemical environmental condition at a test site comprising:

a substrate including at least one test site;

at least one activatable stimulant on the substrate and configured for use at the at least one test site; and

at least one actuator positioned to actuate at least one of the at least one activatable stimulant at the at least one test site.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of command instructions stored within the memory; and

a controller operably connected to the memory and to the at least one actuator and configured to execute the command instructions to control the at least one actuator to actuate the at least one of the at least one activatable stimulant.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a sensor operably connected to the controller and configured to sense a chemical environmental condition at the test site, wherein the controller is further configured to execute the command instructions to control the at least one actuator to actuate the at least one of the at least one activatable stimulant based upon the sensed chemical environmental condition at the test site.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one activatable stimulant comprises a first activatable stimulant and a second activatable stimulant;

the first activatable stimulant is configured to activate in response to a first activation input but not a second activation input; and

the second activatable stimulant is configured to activate in response to the second activation input.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one resonator.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one electrode.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a CMOS substrate.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises:

a test sample receiving area spaced apart from the at least one test site; and

a fluid path including the test sample receiving area and extending to the test site, wherein the at least one activatable stimulant is positioned on the substrate such that fluid received by the test sample receiving are and transported along the fluid path entrains the at least one activatable stimulant and transports the at least one activatable stimulant to the test site.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a reader configured to receive at least the portion of the substrate including the at least one test site, the reader including the memory and the controller.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate comprising:

at least one electrode etched on the glass substrate; and

a poly-ethyleneglycol (PEG) film.