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US 10,864,520 B2Granted
Fluidic devices with freeze-thaw valves with ice-nucleating agents and related methods of operation and analysis
AssigneeThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
InventorsJohn Michael Ramsey, William Hampton Henley, Joseph Carl Gaiteri
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide fluidic devices such as, but not limited to, microfluidic chips, with one or more freeze thaw valves (FTVs) employing one or more ice-nucleating agents (INAs), that can reliably operate to freeze at relatively higher temperatures and/or at faster rates than conventional microfluidic devices with FTV systems.
Claims31
A fluidic analysis device, comprising:
- at least one fluid channel comprising at least one freeze thaw valve and at least one ice nucleating agent (INA), wherein the at least one INA is a carbon-containing INA, and wherein the at least one INA nucleates ice formation,
- wherein the at least one INA comprisese an ice-like lattice structure.
A fluidic analysis device, comprising:
- at least one fluid channel comprising at least one freeze thaw valve and at least one ice nucleating agent (INA), wherein the at least one INA is a carbon-containing INA, and wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-nucleating protein and/or a functional fragment thereof, an ice-nucleating nucleic acid, an ice-nucleating lipid, and/or an ice- nucleating carbohydrate.
A method of analyzing a target analyte, comprising:
- providing a fluidic analysis device with at least one fluidic channel in fluid communication with at least one freeze thaw valve;
- introducing at least one ice nucleating agent (INA) into the at least one fluidic channel, wherein the at least one INA contains a carbon atom, and wherein the at least one INA nucleates ice formation;
- and
- electronically selectively cooling the at least one freeze thaw valve to freeze the at least one freeze thaw valve using the at least one INA, wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-like lattice structure.
1 more element
A method of analyzing a target analyte, comprising:
- providing a fluidic analysis device with at least one fluidic channel in fluid communication with at least one freeze thaw valve;
- introducing at least one ice nucleating agent (INA) into the at least one fluidic channel, wherein the at least one INA contains a carbon atom;
- and
- electronically selectively cooling the at least one freeze thaw valve to freeze the at least one freeze thaw valve using the at least one INA,
- wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-nucleating protein and/or a functional fragment thereof, an ice-nucleating nucleic acid, an ice-nucleating lipid, and/or an ice- nucleating carbohydrate.
2 more elements
A method of preparing a sample, comprising:
- providing a fluidic analysis device comprising a sample metering loop and at least one fluidic channel, wherein the sample metering loop and the at least one fluidic channel are in communication with at least one freeze thaw valve;
- introducing a sample into the sample metering loop, wherein the sample comprises at least one ice nucleating agent (INA) that contains a carbon atom, wherein the at least one INA nucleates ice formation, and wherein the at least one INA comprises an ice-nucleating protein and/or a functional fragment thereof, an ice-nucleating nucleic acid, an ice-nucleating lipid, and/or an ice-nucleating carbohydrate;
- and
- electronically selectively cooling the sample metering loop using the at least one freeze thaw valve to freeze the at least one freeze thaw valve and/or at least a portion of the sample in the sample metering loop.
1 more element
A method of preparing a sample, comprising:
- providing a fluidic analysis device comprising a sample metering loop and at least one fluidic channel, wherein the sample metering loop and the at least one fluidic channel are in communication with at least one freeze thaw valve;
- introducing a sample into the sample metering loop, wherein the sample comprises at least one ice nucleating agent (INA) that contains a carbon atom, wherein the at least one INA nucleates ice formation;
- and
- electronically selectively cooling the sample metering loop using the at least one freeze thaw valve to freeze the at least one freeze thaw valve and/or at least a portion of the sample in the sample metering loop,
- wherein the sample comprises a plurality of cells, and wherein electronically selectively cooling the sample metering loop using the at least one freeze thaw valve to freeze the at least one freeze thaw valve and/or at least a portion of the sample in the sample metering loop lyses at least a portion of the plurality of cells.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.