SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COLLECTING TEAR FILM AND MEASURING TEAR FILM OSMOLARITY

• US 20130175185A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TearLab Research, Inc. (Tearlab Corp.)
• Original Assignee: TearLab Research, Inc. (Tearlab Corp.)
• Inventors: DONSKY, Eric, SULLIVAN, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/779,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175185A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/792
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/165 Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces
• 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: C12Q 1/00 Measuring or testing processes involving enzymes, nucleic acids or microorganisms measuring or testing apparatus with condition measuring or sensing means, e.g. colony counters, C12M1/34; Compositions therefor; Processes of preparing such compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/04 Investigating osmotic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/553 and using surface plasmons fluorescence excitation G01N21/648; enhanced Raman G01N21/658
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/77 by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/487 of liquid biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/68 involving proteins, peptides or amino acids involving lipoproteins G01N33/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6854 Immunoglobulins
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6863 Cytokines, i.e. immune system proteins modifying a biological response such as cell growth proliferation or differentiation, e.g. TNF, CNF, GM-CSF, lymphotoxin, MIF or their receptors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/24 Nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance or other spin effects or mass spectrometry

Abstract

A sample receiving chip comprising a substrate that receives an aliquot volume of a sample fluid and a sample region of the substrate, sized such that the volume of the sample fluid is sufficient to operatively cover a portion of the sample region. The energy imparted into the sample fluid is transduced by the sample region to produce an output signal that indicates energy properties of the sample fluid. The sample receiving chip also includes a channel formed in the substrate, the channel configured to collect the aliquot volume of a sample fluid and transfer the aliquot volume of sample fluid to the sample region.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. A device for determining the presence of an analyte in a fluid sample comprising:

a. a collection chamber containing a hydrophilic polymer;

b. a fluidic channel connected to the collection chamber;

c. a sensing chamber connected to the fluidic channel, wherein the sensing chamber is operably linked to a processor that allows detection of the analyte using electrochemical sensing.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein the processor comprises an electrode system, and wherein the processing of the fluid comprises applying a voltage to the electrode system to induce an electrochemical reaction between the material that specifically detects the analyte and the analyte in the fluid sample and detecting a current produced by the electrochemical reaction.

47. The device of claim 45, wherein detection of the analyte comprises an enzyme modified electrochemical reaction.

48. The device of claim 45, wherein the hydrophilic polymer comprises polyether block amides (PEBA), block-copolyether-esters (PEE), polylactic acid (PLA), polyurethanes (PU) including aliphatic and thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyglycolic acid (PGA) and other polyesters (PE), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyethersulfones (PES), polycarbonate (PC), or a combination thereof.

49. The device of claim 45, wherein the fluid sample is tear fluid.

50. The device of claim 49, wherein volume of the tear fluid is less than 20 μ

l.

51. The device of claim 50, wherein the volume of the tear fluid is between about 1 μ

l to about 5 μ

l.

52. A method of determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample comprising:

a. receiving said fluid in a collection chamber comprising a hydrophilic polymer;

b. transferring the liquid collected in step (a) to the sensing chamber of said device to determine the presence of said analyte in said fluid; and

c. correlating the determined presence of the analyte in said liquid with a concentration of said analyte in said liquid.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the fluid sample is tear fluid.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the receiving said fluid in the collection chamber comprises placing the tip of the collection chamber well near the eye region of a subject.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein volume of the tear fluid is less than 20 μ

l.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the volume of the tear fluid is between about 1 μ

l to about 5 μ

l.