Apparatus and methods for integrated sample preparation, reaction and detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10646875-B2
Application number	US-201816032183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2018
Priority date	Oct 19, 2005
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Cartridges for the isolation of a biological sample and downstream biological assays on the sample are provided, as are methods for using such cartridges. In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sample is isolated from a biological sample and the nucleic acid sample is amplified, for example by the polymerase chain reaction. The cartridges provided herein can also be used for the isolation of non-nucleic acid samples, for example proteins, and to perform downstream reactions on the proteins, for example, binding assays. Instruments for carrying out the downstream biological assays and for detecting the results of the assays are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an isolation module comprising:
a first housing and a second housing, the first housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein:
at least the first chamber is configured to contain a sample;
the second housing comprises a side wall and a puncturable member, the side wall and the puncturable member collectively defining a first volume configured to contain a first substance; and
a portion of the second housing is configured to be disposed within the first housing such that the first volume is in fluid communication with the first chamber when a portion of the puncturable member is punctured;

a reaction module defining a reaction chamber configured to contain a second substance, the reaction module configured to be coupled to the isolation module such that the reaction chamber is in fluid communication with the second chamber of the first housing; and
a transfer mechanism configured to transfer one or more substances from the isolation module to the reaction module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transfer mechanism comprises an actuator disposed within a housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the actuator is a plunger.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reaction module is configured to be removably coupled to the isolation module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the reaction module defines a second volume configured to contain a second substance, the reaction module configured to be coupled to the isolation module such that the reaction chamber and the second volume are each in fluid communication with the second chamber of the first housing; and
the reaction module includes a substrate that at least partially defines a first flow path and a second flow path, the first flow path configured to be in fluid communication with the reaction chamber and the second chamber of the first housing, the second flow path configured to be in fluid communication with the second volume and the second chamber of the first housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second volume comprises second substance comprising reagents to carry out a PCR.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second substance further comprises a reverse transcriptase enzyme.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the one or more substances between the first chamber and the second chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the isolation module includes a valve at least partially disposed within the first housing, the valve configured to transfer the sample between the first chamber and the second chamber while maintaining fluid isolation between the first chamber and the second chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the isolation module includes a plunger at least partially disposed within the first volume of the second housing, the plunger of the isolation module configured to puncture the portion of the puncturable member when moved within the first volume.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the isolation module includes an acoustic coupling member configured to convey ultrasonic energy into the first chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first volume contains a first substance comprising a lysis buffer, nucleic acid isolation reagent or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber comprises a lyophilized PCR master mix.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the reaction chamber further comprises a reverse transcriptase enzyme.

Assignees

• Luminex Corp

Inventors

• Bird Dylan Hilmer
• Ching Jesus
• Johnson Bruce A
• Moravick Keith E
• Richardson Bruce

Classifications

• B01L2200/16

  Reagents, handling or storing thereof · CPC title

• B01L2300/0672

  Integrated piercing tool · CPC title

• B01L2200/026

  Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details · CPC title

• Y10T436/118339

  with formation of a segmented stream · CPC title

• B01L2300/044

  pierceable, e.g. films, membranes · CPC title