System and Method For Detecting Multiple Molecules in One Assay

• US 20130203627A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MBio Diagnostics, Inc. (Mars Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MBio Diagnostics, Inc. (Mars Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moll, Kevin D., Vogel, Kurt R., Delaney, Marie J., Lochhead, Michael J., Myatt, Christopher J., Rowley, Keagan B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,212,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/9
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5023 with a sample being transported to, and subsequently stored in an absorbent for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence

Abstract

A rapid diagnostic system that delivers a panel of serologic assay results using a small amount of blood, serum, or plasma is described. The system includes a disposable cartridge, including an integral lens portion coupled to a planar waveguide, and a reader instrument, based on planar waveguide imaging technology. The cartridge incorporates a microarray of recombinant antigens and antibody controls in a fluidic channel, providing multiple parallel fluorescence assay results for a single sample.

Claims

1. A system for performing an assay on a sample, the system comprising:

a cartridge having

a planar waveguide with upper and lower planar surfaces defining an optical axis therebetween, the optical axis being perpendicular to a normal vector of the upper and lower surfaces, the upper planar surface having a plurality of capture molecules bound thereto,

an integral portion, coupled to the planar waveguide, for focusing a light beam, propagating parallel to but offset from the optical axis, to the planar waveguide such that focusing light within the integral lens portion and incident on the upper planar surface has a non-zero, internal propagation angle β

relative to the upper planar surface, and

a sample chamber for receiving and containing the sample such that the sample comes into contact with the plurality of capture molecules; and

a reader instrument including

a receiving mechanism for positioning the cartridge therein,

the light source for providing the light beam at an angle parallel to the optical axis,

a detector for detecting a light signal from a portion of the planar surface on which the plurality of capture molecules is bound, and

an analysis module for receiving and analyzing the light signal from the detector.

2. The system of claim 1,

the integral lens portion being a cylindrical lens portion having

a thickness t defining a distance parallel to the normal angle of the planar waveguide from the upper planar surface to an apex of the cylindrical lens portion, the thickness t characterized in that, the light beam focuses at a horizontal distance L from a circle center defining by a curved surface of the cylindrical lens portion,

an index of refraction n,

and a radius R characterized in that, for a light beam diameter D, a range of the internal propagation angle β

provides uniform evanescent field strength within a detection region of the sample chamber, while remaining outside a critical angle for total internal reflection,

the light source capable of providing the light beam such that a center of the light beam is offset by a distance y defining a distance parallel to the normal angle of the planar waveguide from an apex of the cylindrical lens portion to the center of the light beam;

wherein the cylindrical lens portion is characterized by the equations

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical lens portion is truncated such that it does not extend beyond the distance L.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capture molecules include at least one molecule selected from the group consisting of a peptide, a polypeptide, a protein, an antibody, an antigen, a polysaccharide, sugar, an oligonucleotide, a polynucleotide, a synthetic molecule, an inorganic molecule, an organic molecule, and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the planar waveguide is formed of an optically transparent material selected from the group consisting of cyclic olefin polymer, cyclic olefin copolymer, polyolefin, polystyrene, acrylic, polymethylmethacrylate, and polycarbonate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the upper planar surface is modified using a process selected from the group consisting of plasma activation, chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase deposition, and surface polymerization of an activation chemistry, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sample contains an antibody and an antigen, wherein the cartridge and the reader instrument are configured to cooperate so as to detect both the antibody and the antigen in the sample.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of capture molecules are arranged as an array including at least two reaction sites, each of the at least two reaction sites being formed by printing a composition onto the upper planar surface, the composition comprising at least one of the capture molecules.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least two reaction sites contain different compositions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least two reaction sites include capture molecules selected from the group consisting of HIV antigens p17, p24, p31, gp41, p51, p55, p66, gp120, gp160, p41 Type O, p36 of HIV-2, antibodies against HIV antigen p24, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader instrument further comprises a beam homogenizer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader instrument further comprises a beam shaping element for truncating at least a portion of the light beam.

13. The system of claim 1, the light source mounted on a vertical translation stage for altering the location of incidence of the light beam on the cylindrical lens portion.

14. A method for performing an assay on a sample, the method comprising:

providing a cartridge, which cartridge includes

a planar waveguide with upper and lower planar surfaces defining an optical axis therebetween, the optical axis being perpendicular to a normal vector of the upper and lower surfaces, the upper planar surface having a plurality of capture molecules bound thereto,

an integral lens portion, coupled to the planar waveguide, for focusing a light beam, propagating parallel to but offset from the optical axis, to the planar waveguide such that focusing light within the integral lens portion and incident on the upper planar surface has a non-zero, internal propagation angle β

relative to the upper planar surface, and

a sample chamber for receiving and containing the sample such that the sample comes into contact with the plurality of capture molecules;

introducing the sample into the sample chamber of the cartridge;

providing a reader instrument, which reader instrument includes

a receiving mechanism for positioning the cartridge therein,

the light source for providing the light beam,

a detector for detecting a light signal from a portion of the planar surface on which the plurality of capture molecules is bound, and

an analysis module for receiving and analyzing the light signal from the detector;

inserting the cartridge, containing the sample, into the reader instrument;

using the light source, illuminating a portion of the planar waveguide, via refraction of the light beam by the integral lens portion, at which the plurality of capture molecules are bound such that, if the sample includes a target analyte, the target analyte interacts with the plurality of capture molecules so as to produce a light signal;

capturing the light signal; and

analyzing the light signal.

15. The method of claim 14,

the integral lens portion being a cylindrical lens portion having

a thickness t defining a distance parallel to the normal angle of the planar waveguide from the upper planar surface to an apex of the cylindrical lens portion, the thickness t characterized in that, the light beam focuses at a horizontal distance L from a circle center defining by a curved surface of the cylindrical lens portion,

an index of refraction n,

and a radius R characterized in that, for a light beam diameter D, a range of the internal propagation angle β

provides uniform evanescent field strength within a detection region of the sample chamber, while remaining outside a critical angle for total internal reflection,

the light source illuminating the portion of the planar waveguide via the cylindrical lens portion such that a center of the light beam is offset by a distance y defining a distance parallel to the normal angle of the planar waveguide from an apex of the cylindrical lens to the center of the light beam;

wherein the cylindrical lens portion is characterized by the equations

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of capture molecules include at least one molecule selected from the group consisting of a peptide, a polypeptide, a protein, an antibody, an antigen, a polysaccharide, sugar, an oligonucleotide, a polynucleotide, a synthetic molecule, an inorganic molecule, an organic molecule, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying the planar surface using a process selected from the group consisting of plasma activation, chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase deposition, and surface polymerization of an activation chemistry, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 14, the sample containing an antibody and an antigen, the method further comprising detecting both the antibody and the antigen in the sample.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of capture molecules are selected from the group consisting of HIV antigens p17, p24, p31, gp41, p51, p55, p66, gp120, gp160, p41 Type O, p36 of HIV-2, antibodies against HIV antigen p24, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the reader instrument further comprises homogenizing the light beam before the light beam is optically coupled to the planar waveguide.