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US 10,537,894 B1Granted
Methods and devices for small volume liquid containment
AssigneeTheranos IP Company, LLC
InventorsGary Frenzel, Samartha Anekal, Daniel Young
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment described herein, a cartridge is provided comprising a cartridge frame; a plurality of diluents each in an expandable container; a plurality of reagents each in an expandable container; and a plurality of mixing vessels comprising empty expandable containers.
Claims20
A cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge frame;
- a plurality of empty expandable containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of said expandable containers has a first non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- a plurality of filled collapsible containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of the filled expandable containers contains at least one reagent, wherein each of said filled collapsible containers has a second non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- at least one opening defined by the cartridge frame for receiving a sample container;
- wherein each of the containers comprises a cover portion defining at least one access port;
- wherein each of said empty expandable containers has at least one rigid side wall and at least one expandable portion, and is expandable from a substantially flat, empty configuration with substantially no interior cavity to a non-flat configuration when filled with liquid therein;
- wherein each of said filled collapsible containers is collapsible from a filled, non-flat configuration to the substantially flat, empty configuration when said liquid is removed.
4 more elements
A cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge frame;
- a plurality of empty expandable containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of said expandable containers has a first non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- a plurality of filled collapsible containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of the filled expandable containers contains at least one reagent, wherein each of said filled collapsible containers has a second non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- at least one opening defined by the cartridge frame for receiving a sample container;
- wherein each of the containers comprises a cover portion defining at least one access port;
- wherein each of said empty expandable containers has at least one rigid side wall and at least one expandable portion, and is expandable from a substantially flat, empty configuration with substantially no interior cavity to a non-flat configuration when filled with liquid therein;
- wherein each of said filled collapsible containers is collapsible from a filled, non-flat configuration to the substantially flat, empty configuration when said liquid is removed;
- wherein the empty expandable containers are each configured to have a neutral bias provided by the expandable container in terms of expelling or drawing liquid into the vessel.
5 more elements
A cartridge comprising:
- a cartridge frame;
- a plurality of empty expandable containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of said expandable containers has a first non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- a plurality of filled collapsible containers coupled to the cartridge frame, wherein each of the filled expandable containers contains at least one reagent, wherein each of said filled collapsible containers has a second non-expanding interface portion for coupling to the cartridge frame;
- at least one opening defined by the cartridge frame for receiving a sample container;
- wherein each of the containers comprises a cover portion defining at least one access port;
- wherein each of said empty expandable containers has at least one rigid side wall and at least one expandable portion, and is expandable from a substantially flat, empty configuration with substantially no interior cavity to a non-flat configuration when filled with liquid therein;
- wherein each of said filled collapsible containers is collapsible from a filled, non-flat configuration to the substantially flat, empty configuration when said liquid is removed;
- wherein each of the empty expandable containers comprises at least one space between an outer vessel and an inner vessel that is configured to be pressurized to compress the inner vessel and direct any liquid out of the inner vessel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.