US 10,093,963 B2 · System and method for processing biological samples

Abstract

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem including an actuation substrate, and a set of pins interacting with the actuation substrate, and a spring plate configured to bias at least one pin in a configurations, the valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; and a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for processing and detecting nucleic acids using a cartridge with a fluidic pathway, the system comprising:

a cartridge platform configured to receive the cartridge, the cartridge platform comprising an access region configured to align with the fluidic pathway;
a valve actuation subsystem comprising:
a pin comprising a first end, a second end, and a displacement region, the pin actuatable along a displacement axis extending through the first end, the second end, and the access region;
a spring, coupled to the displacement region of the pin, that biases the pin along the displacement axis;
and
an actuation substrate comprising a groove and a protrusion, the actuation substrate translatable along an actuation axis perpendicular to the displacement axis;
wherein the system is operable between:
a closed configuration, wherein the groove is aligned with the displacement region and the first end of the pin extends through the access region;
and
an open configuration, wherein the protrusion is aligned with the displacement region and the first end of the pin is displaced away from the access region.

7 more elements

A system for processing a biological sample with a cartridge comprising a set of fluidic pathways, each fluidic pathway comprising an occlusion region, the system comprising:

a pin comprising a first end and a second end, the pin actuatable along a displacement axis between a first pin position and a second pin position, wherein the first end of the pin occludes the occlusion region of a fluidic pathway of the cartridge in the first pin position, and the first end of the pin does not occlude the access region of the fluidic pathway of the cartridge in the second pin position;
an actuation substrate comprising a first substrate feature and a second substrate feature, the actuation substrate actuatable between a first substrate position and a second substrate position;
and
a pin-substrate interface aligning and energetically coupling at least one of the first substrate feature and the second substrate feature with the second end of the pin;
wherein the system is operable between:
a closed state, wherein the actuation substrate is in the first substrate position, the first substrate feature is aligned with the second end of the pin at the pin-substrate interface, and the pin is in the first pin position;
and
an open state, wherein the actuation substrate is in the second substrate position, the second substrate feature aligned with the second end of the pin at the pin-substrate interface, and the pin is in the second pin position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for processing biological samples

Life of this patent

System and method for processing biological samples

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20