Systems and methods for high-efficiency microfluidic analysis of blood
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsSeemantini Kadkarni, Nicholas Daniel Uvanovic
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Abstract
A fluidic cartridge for mixing a fluid sample with a reagent can include a sample reservoir and a reagent reservoir. The fluidic cartridge can also include a plurality of mixing channels and an imaging chamber. The plurality of mixing channels can define a three-dimensional geometry having a plurality of nodes through which the fluid sample and the reagent flow. The imaging chamber is in fluid communication with the plurality of mixing channels and is dimensioned to receive an analyzable mixture of the fluid sample and the reagent.
Claims23
A fluidic cartridge for mixing a fluid sample with a reagent, the fluidic cartridge comprising:
- a sample reservoir dimensioned to receive the fluid sample;
- a reagent reservoir dimensioned to receive the reagent, the reagent reservoir in fluid communication with the sample reservoir;
- a plurality of mixing elements organized in series in fluid communication with the reagent reservoir, the plurality of mixing elements defining a three-dimensional geometry connected via a plurality of nodes through which the fluid sample and the reagent flow and recombine;
- and
- an imaging chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of mixing elements, the imaging chamber dimensioned to receive an analyzable mixture of the fluid sample and the reagent.
A fluidic cartridge for mixing a blood sample with a reagent, the fluidic cartridge comprising:
- a sample inlet in fluid communication with a sample reservoir, a reagent inlet in fluid communication with a reagent reservoir, the reagent reservoir downstream of the sample reservoir;
- a mixing passageway having a series of mixing elements including one or more channels and a plurality of nodes;
- a test chamber configured to receive a mixed solution of the blood sample and the reagent;
- and
- a waste chamber dimensioned to receive excess blood sample and reagent.
A method of mixing blood and a reagent, the method comprising:
- inserting a blood sample into a sample reservoir of a fluidic device;
- inserting the reagent into a reagent reservoir of the fluidic device;
- generating chaotic mixing of the blood sample and the reagent by urging the blood sample and the reagent through a mixing passageway having a plurality of combining and recombining nodes;
- sending a fully mixed solution of the blood sample and the reagent to a test chamber of the fluidic device;
- and
- expelling excess blood sample and reagent not accommodated by the test chamber into a waste passageway.
A method of mixing blood and a reagent, the method comprising:
- inserting a mixing cartridge into a cartridge slot until an initial stop position to align a slider valve to connect an inlet of the mixing cartridge with metering channels of the mixing cartridge;
- inserting a blood sample into an inlet of the mixing cartridge;
- advancing the blood sample, via hydrostatic pressure, into the metering channels;
- advancing the mixing cartridge within the cartridge slot to a final stop position to connect air channels of the mixing cartridge with the metering channels and and mixing channels of the mixing cartridge;
- and
- rapidly purging the blood sample combined with the reagent through the mixing channels and to a test chamber of the mixing cartridge.
The method of mixing blood and a reagent, wherein rapidly purging the blood sample combined with the reagent through the mixing channels includes sending the blood sample combined with the reagent to a plurality of test chambers to be simultaneously tested.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.