Analyte separator with electrohydrodynamic Taylor cone jet blotter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126264-B2
Application number	US-201514791023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed that analyze a biological or other fluid sample using an electrophoresis or other separation method and then emit the fluid sample with separated constituents using an electrohydrodynamic spray to form a Taylor cone and jet, without dispersion into droplets, onto a substrate that moves with respect to the emitter. Electrodes can be shared between the electrophoresis and electrospray elements, and an adjunct fluid can help draw the separated sample into the Taylor cone. A micro-machined capillary channel on a chip can supply multiple lines to a substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for separating and blotting a fluid sample, the apparatus comprising:
a separator with a separator fluid path filled with a separation matrix, the separator fluid path having an input end and an output end, the input end of the separator fluid path having an opening configured to accept a fluid sample for separation;
an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) electrode in connection with and proximate to the output end of the separator fluid path;
a substrate positioned across an air gap from the output end, wherein the gap is a distance of about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm;
a substrate electrode connected with the substrate; and
a motor connecting the substrate to the separator, the motor configured to laterally and continuously move the substrate and separator with respect to each other,
wherein the EHD electrode is configured for imparting an electric charge to a fluid sample within the separator fluid path and creating a Taylor cone and stream of charged fluid across the air gap to the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third electrode proximate to the input end of the separator fluid path,
wherein the third electrode and EHD electrode are configured to apply an electric field within the separator fluid path for electrophoresis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjunct fluid path with an output in fluidic contact with the output end of the separator fluid path, the adjunct fluid path configured to present a second fluid at the output end of the separator fluid path and entrain an output of the separation matrix with the second fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the separator fluid path includes a lumen of a capillary tube, and the adjunct fluid path includes a sheath surrounding a portion of the capillary tube and having an end aligned with an end of the capillary tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , the apparatus further comprising:
a pump configured to pump the second fluid through the adjunct fluid path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap is configured to be greater than a height of a Taylor cone of charged fluid from the output end and less than that in which the stream of charged fluid begins to disperse into droplets.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separator is selected from the group consisting of a capillary tube and a micro-fabricated chip.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage source operatively connected with at least one of the electrodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid sample within the separator fluid path.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation matrix is selected from the group consisting of nanoparticles, beads, a gel, and macromolecules in solution.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the separation matrix comprises nanoparticles, and the nanoparticles comprise silica spheres between about 1 nm and about 2000 nm in diameter arranged in a crystal structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the gel is selected from the group consisting of cross-linked polymers, an acrylamide gel, and an agarose gel.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separator is adapted to move and the substrate is fixed.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is adapted to move and the separator is fixed.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has an axis of rotation, the axis having a center of rotation displaced from a target area for the charged fluid, the axis being parallel to the gap between the output end and the substrate such that rotating the substrate moves the substrate laterally.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of separator fluid paths with outputs coupled with respective EHD electrodes, the EHD electrodes configured parallel to one another, wherein the substrate is adapted to be moved perpendicular to a line between two of the outputs.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising:
a pump configured to load the fluid sample onto the separator fluid path.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the EHD electrode is located at the output end of the separator fluid path.

Assignees

• Li Cor Inc

Inventors

• Furtaw Michael D

Classifications

• G01N27/44791 Primary

  Microapparatus (sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027) · CPC title

• G01N27/44739

  Collecting the separated zones, e.g. blotting to a membrane or punching of gel spots · CPC title