US 7,582,259 B2Granted

Blood analysis device and blood analysis method

AssigneeJapan Science and Technology Agency

InventorsHiroki Ogawa, Yasuhiro Horiike

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Abstract

A blood analysis device for centrifugally separating plasma in a channel, wherein conveyance of blood, plasma and calibration liquid is effected within the device without using a pump or the like. The calibrator solution is reliably discharged from a sensor portion so as to make high precision analysis possible. A sensor section is provided in a plasma separating section and disposed on the side associated with a first centrifugal pressing direction as seen from a blood reservoir and a calibrator solution reservoir, while a calibrator solution waste reservoir is disposed in a second centrifugal pressing direction as seen from the plasma separating section (sensor section). The calibrator solution is conveyed to the sensor section by centrifugal operation in the first centrifugal direction. After sensor calibration, the calibrator solution can be reliably discharged from the sensor section by effecting centrifuging in the second centrifugal direction. After the calibrator solution discharge, centrifuging is effected again in the first centrifugal direction, thereby conveying the blood in the blood reservoir to the sensor section and effecting separation of blood cells and plasma. In the case of providing a plurality of sensors, a blood introducing channel from the blood reservoir is branched downwardly of a sensor groove for communication, with the blood cells being fractionated in the branch section. The individual sensors can be isolated from each other by blood cell fraction, making higher precision analysis possible.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A blood analysis device which separates a plasma from a whole blood sample by centrifugation and analyzes a component to be analyzed in blood liquid components, comprising:

(a) a substrate comprising a sensor for analyzing the component to be analyzed in the blood liquid components;
(b) a plasma separating section formed in said substrate, and having a sensor groove for housing the sensor, the plasma being separated in the sensor groove when a centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in a first centrifugal direction;
(c) a blood introducing channel for communicating with said plasma separating section so that a blood sample is introduced into said plasma separating section when the centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in the first centrifugal direction;
(d) a calibrator solution introducing channel for communicating with said plasma separating section so that a calibrator solution is introduced into said plasma separating section, when the centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in the first centrifugal direction;
(e) a calibrator solution waste reservoir for communicating with said plasma separating section and allowing the calibrator solution in said plasma separating section to move therein, when the centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in a second centrifugal direction;
and
(f) a calibrator solution discharge channel which allows said plasma separating section to communicate with said calibrator solution waste reservoir, and discharges the calibrator solution in said plasma separating section to said calibrator solution waste reservoir, when the centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in the second centrifugal direction;
wherein said sensor groove is positioned to discharge the calibrator solution from the sensor groove by action of the centrifugal force in the second centrifugal direction;
and
wherein said calibrator solution waste reservoir is positioned and said calibrator solution discharge channel is disposed so that the calibrator solution contained in the calibrator solution waste reservoir does not flow back into said plasma separating section when the centrifugal force is applied to the substrate in the first centrifugal direction.

7 more elements

A blood analysis method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a blood analysis device comprising a substrate provided with a sensor;
a plasma separating section disposed in the substrate, having a sensor groove which houses the sensor, and separating a plasma in the sensor groove;
a blood introducing channel which introduces a blood sample into the plasma separating section;
a calibrator solution introducing channel which introduces a calibrator solution into the plasma separating section;
a calibrator solution waste reservoir;
and a calibrator solution discharge channel which connects the plasma separating section to the calibrator solution waste reservoir, and discharges the calibrator solution in the plasma separating section to the calibrator solution waste reservoir;
(b) supplying the calibrator solution to said calibrator solution introducing channel;
(c) applying a centrifugal force to the substrate in a first centrifugal direction in such a manner that said plasma separating section is disposed in a centrifugal force pressurizing direction, so as to introduce the calibrator solution in the calibrator solution introducing channel into said sensor groove of the plasma separating section;
(d) calibrating said sensor;
(e) rotating said substrate with positioning the substrate in a second centrifugal direction to centrifuge the substrate in such a manner that said calibrator solution reservoir is disposed in the centrifugal force pressurizing direction, and discharging the calibrator solution in the sensor groove to the calibrator solution waste reservoir;
(f) introducing a blood sample into said blood introducing channel;
(g) applying the centrifugal force to the substrate in the first centrifugal direction in such a manner as to dispose the plasma separating section in the centrifugal force pressurizing direction, whereby the blood sample is transferred to the plasma separating section with allowing the plasma separating section to separate blood cells from the plasma, so as to introduce the separated plasma into the sensor groove;
and
(h) analyzing a liquid component of the plasma in the sensor groove by the sensor.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/546,447Filed 18 Feb 2004
Priority: JP 2003-04048119 Feb 2003
Published: US 2006/0078873 A113 Apr 2006
Granted: 1 Sep 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G01N 33/491
Blood: by separating the blood components
B01L 3/502753
By integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g.…
B01L 2200/10
Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus: integrating sample preparation and analysis in single…
B01L 2200/148
Process control and prevention of errors: specific details about calibrations