Methods for segregating particles using an apparatus with a size-discriminating separation element having an elongate leading edge
AssigneeANGLE North America, Inc.
InventorGeorgi Hvichia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to an apparatus for segregating particles on the basis of their ability to flow through a stepped passageway. At least some of the particles are unable to pass through a narrower passageway bounded by a segregating step, resulting in segregation of the particles. The breadth of the leading edge of at least one step of the apparatus is significantly greater than the overall width of the passageway in which the step occurs, permitting high and rapid sample throughput. The apparatus and methods described herein can be used to segregate particles of a wide variety of types. By way of example, they can be used to segregate circulating tumor cells from a human blood sample.
Claims14
A method of segregating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood cells in a fluid sample, wherein said method employs a device comprising:
- a body and
- a cover that define a void therebetween, the void containing
- a separation element that segregates an inlet region and an outlet region of the void, the separation element defining, together with a surface of the void,
- a channel that fluidly connects the inlet and outlet regions by way of a separating portion into which the separation element projects, the channel having
- an overall width at the separating portion and
- a height defined by the distance between the separation element and the surface of the void,
- at least one of the body, the cover or the separation element bearing a segregating step disposed within and having a leading edge extending substantially completely across the separating portion of the channel, whereby the channel is divided into an upstream portion on the inlet side of the leading edge and a substantially lamellar downstream portion on the outlet side of the leading edge, the upstream portion of the channel being also lamellar in a region between the inlet region and the separation element;
- the height of the upstream portion being sufficient to facilitate passage therethrough of both said CTCs and said blood cells,
- the height of the downstream portion being sufficiently large to facilitate passage therethrough of said blood cells and sufficiently small to inhibit passage therethrough of said CTCs, and
- the leading edge having a length greater than the overall width of the channel at the separating portion;
- and said method comprises
- urging said fluid sample through said channel of said device from the inlet region whereby CTCs will be segregated from said blood cells due to their characteristics and inability to traverse said segregating step along the separating portion of the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.