Microfluidic systems and methods to denude mammalian oocytes
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsLindong Weng, Gloria Y. Lee, Mehmet Toner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microfluidic systems are configured to process liquid samples that include cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), such as raw follicular fluid, in an automated and continuous manner to produce oocytes separate or “denuded” from surrounding cumulus cells. The systems include a substrate and a channel that can have two or more sub-channels. Each channel includes an inlet, an outlet, and one or more stages arranged in series. Each of the stages includes one or more expansion units and one or more constriction units. At least one stage includes constriction units having jagged internal surfaces, e.g., teeth, that help remove the cumulus cells from the COCs.
Claims17
A system for denuding oocytes from attached cumulus cells, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a channel comprising an inlet, an outlet, and one or more stages arranged in series between the inlet and the outlet,
- wherein each stage is in fluid communication with a subsequent stage,
- wherein each stage comprises one or more expansion units alternating with one or more constriction units, and
- wherein at least one of the stages comprises one or more of the constriction units, wherein each of these constriction units have two opposing walls, wherein each of the two opposing walls comprises a jagged internal surface comprising a plurality of teeth, wherein the plurality of teeth on a first opposing wall are pointed towards the plurality of teeth on a second opposing wall, and wherein all of the plurality of teeth are tilted against a direction of flow through the channel at a tilting angle of from about 30 degrees to less than 90 degrees, wherein the tilting angle is an angle between the direction of flow and a median line of the individual teeth in the plurality of teeth.
A system for denuding oocytes from attached cumulus cells in a liquid sample, comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a channel comprising an inlet, an outlet, and one or more stages arranged in series between the inlet and the outlet,
- wherein each stage is in fluid communication with a subsequent stage,
- wherein each stage comprises one or more rows of a plurality of posts arranged across the channel, wherein posts in a given row are spaced apart from neighboring posts within the row to define a sub-channel between each neighboring pair of posts, and
- wherein each of a plurality of posts in at least one stage includes a pair of walls arranged to face either an opposing wall of a neighboring post within a same row or to face an inner wall of the channel, and wherein at least one of the walls on each of the plurality of posts comprises a jagged internal surface comprising a plurality of teeth, and wherein the plurality of teeth are tilted against a direction of flow through the channel at a tilting angle of about 30 degrees to less than 90 degrees, wherein the tilting angle is an angle between the direction of flow and a median line of the teeth in the plurality of teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.