# US 9,433,947 B2 · Centrifugal microfluidic disk and processing method using the same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,433,947 B2
- Document ID: US9433947B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/762,397
- Filed: 2013-02-08
- Published: 2013-08-15
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-02-14
- Assignees: National Taiwan University
- Applicants: National Taiwan University
- Inventors: Andrew Man Chung Wo; Chen-Lin Chen; Cheng-Wei Yang; Wei-Hao Lian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9433947B2

## CPC

- B04B 7/08: Rotary bowls (centrifugal casting machines B22D)
- B01L 3/502753: {characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation}
- B81B 1/00: Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices
- G01N 21/07: Centrifugal type cuvettes (G01N21/09 takes precedence)
- B01L 2200/0652: Sorting or classification of particles or molecules
- B01L 2200/0668: Trapping microscopic beads
- B01L 2300/0806: Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
- B01L 2400/0409: centrifugal forces
- B01L 2400/0487: fluid pressure, pneumatics
- B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N)
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

This invention provides a centrifugal microfluidic disk and methods for separating targets or cells and collecting the targets or cells in the centrifugal microfluidic disk by using the density gradient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A centrifugal microfluidic disk, at least comprising:
a sample inlet, located at a first level for loading a blood or biological sample;
a separation chamber, connected to the sample inlet, wherein the separation chamber contains an arc-shape portion and a density gradient solution is loaded into the separation chamber;
a chemical inlet, located at a second level for loading a chemical;
a collection chamber, connected to the separation chamber;
a conveying channel, connected to the collection chamber; and
a junction extending vertically from the first level to the second level and connecting the conveying channel located at the second level and the separation chamber located at the first level, wherein the chemical inlet and the sample inlet are located at different levels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 1, wherein a flow path of the chemical inlet is located differently to a flow path of the sample inlet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 1, wherein the arc-shape portion of the separation chamber is arranged surrounding a disk center.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 1, further comprising at least a settling chamber, wherein the settling chamber is arranged radially outward from the separation chamber, and the separation chamber and the settling chamber are connected through at least one flow channel there-between.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 1, wherein the collection chamber is located radially outward from the separation chamber and closer to a circumferential edge of the centrifugal microfluidic disk.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 2, further comprising a linking channel connected between the chemical inlet and the collection chamber and at least one waste outlet connected to the collection chamber.

### Claim 7

A centrifugal microfluidic disk, at least comprising:
a sample inlet, located at a first level for loading a blood or biological sample;
a separation chamber, connected to the sample inlet, wherein the separation chamber contains an arc-shape portion and a density gradient solution is loaded into the separation chamber; and
a settling chamber, connected to the separation chamber;
a chemical inlet, located at a second level for loading a chemical;
a collection chamber, connected to the separation chamber;
a conveying channel, connected to the collection chamber; and
a junction extending vertically from the first level to the second level and connecting the conveying channel located at the second level and the separation chamber located at the first level, wherein the chemical inlet is connected to the collection chamber via a linking channel and a first flow path of the sample is different than a second flow path of the chemical, and the chemical inlet and the sample inlet are located at different levels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 7, wherein the first flow path of the sample starts from the sample inlet, along the separation chamber and connected to the collection chamber.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 7, the second flow path of the chemical starts from the chemical inlet, through the linking channel and connected to the collection chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 7, wherein the arc-shape portion of the separation chamber is arranged surrounding a disk center.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 7, wherein the settling chamber is arranged surrounding the separation chamber, and the separation chamber and the settling chamber are connected through at least one flow channel there-between.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The centrifugal microfluidic disk of claim 7, wherein the collection chamber is located outward from the separation chamber and closer to a circumferential edge of the centrifugal microfluidic disk.

### Claim 13

A method for separating a target from a sample, comprising:
providing a microfluidic disk, wherein the microfluidic disk at least comprises:
a sample inlet located at a first level for loading a blood or biological sample;
a separation chamber, connected to the sample inlet, wherein the separation chamber contains an arc-shape portion;
a chemical inlet, located at a second level;
a collection chamber, connected to the separation chamber through at least a flow channel located in-between;
a conveying channel, connected to the collection chamber; and
a junction extending vertically from the first level to a second level and connecting the conveying channel located at the second level and the separation chamber located at the first level, wherein the first and second levels are different levels;
introducing the sample into the sample inlet of the microfluidic disk and loading a density solution into the separation chamber; and
spinning the microfluidic disk to drive the sample flowing outward through the separation chamber, wherein the target is separated from the sample by the density solution in the separation chamber and further flows through the junction and the conveying channel into the collection chamber.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising a settling chamber for receiving a non-target portion of the sample.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising filling a portion of the microfluidic disk with the density gradient solution before introducing the sample.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, during spinning of the microfluidic disk, a centrifugal force drives a non-target portion of the sample flowing into the settling chamber and prevents the target of the sample from entering into the settling chamber.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising drawing out the target from the collection chamber through an outlet connected to the collection chamber of the microfluidic disk.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising injecting a chemical solution into the collection chamber so as to perform labeling or sample preparation in the collection chamber before drawing out the target from the collection chamber.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the chemical solution comprises one or more types of chemicals, fluorescent dyes, antibodies, immuno-markers, quantum dots, magnetic beads, labeling materials or sample preparation materials.