Optical transmission sample holder and analysis, particularly for hemoglobin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955334-B2
Application number	US-201816771502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

Among other things, the present invention is related to devices and methods for improving optical analysis of a thin layer of a sample sandwiched between containing between two plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first plate, a second plate, a light guiding spacer (LGS), a sampling region, and a reference region, wherein:
(i) the first plate and second plate are configured to sandwich a sample, this is for an optical transmission analysis by light, into a thin layer between the plates, and each plate has a sample contact area on its inner surface that contacts the sample;
(ii) the light-guiding spacer (LGS) has a pillar shape, is sandwiched between the two plates with each end of the light-guiding spacer (LGS) in direct contact to one of the plates forming a LGS-plate contact area, and is configured to allow the light to transmit from the first plate, through the LGS, to the second plate without going through a sample,
(iii) the sampling region is the region that the light can go through, in sequence, the first plate, the sample, and the second plate, wherein the sampling region does not have the LGS; and
(iv) the reference region is the region that the light transmits through, in sequence, the first plate, the light-guiding spacer, and the second plate, without going through the sample;

wherein the LGS-plate contact areas and a lateral cross-section of the LGS are larger than the wavelength of the light,
wherein the light-guiding spacer is surrounded by or near the sample; and
wherein the sample in the sampling region has a thickness of 500 um or less.

2. An apparatus for sample analysis, comprising:
a device of claim 1 , a light source, a camera; and an adaptor, wherein
(i) the light source is configured to emit light in the wavelength range that is configured to go through the reference region;
(ii) the camera is configured to image the reference region and the sampling region;
(iii) the adaptor is configured to position the device, the light source, and the camera relative to each other, so that the light from the light source goes through the reference region and the sampling region and is imaged by the camera.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a processor, which is configured to process the images captured by the camera, and determine a property of the analyte in the sample based on comparing light transmissions from the reference region and the sampling region.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the camera and the processor are parts of a single mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the light source and the processor are parts of a single mobile device.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the light source, the camera, and the processor are parts of a single mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

8. A method for sample analysis using an transmitted light,
comprising the steps of:
(a) having a device of claim 1 ;
(b) depositing the sample at the open configuration of the device, wherein the sample is suspected of containing an analyte;
(c) bringing the device into the closed configuration;
(d) having a light source that has a wavelength that is configured to go through the reference region of the device;
(e) having an imager that is configured to image the reference region and the sampling region of the device;
(f) having an adaptor that is configured to position the device, the light source, and the camera relative to each other, so that the light from the light source goes through the reference region and the sampling region and is imaged by the camera;
(g) determining a property of the analyte by comparing the light transmission from the sampling region and the reference region.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the analyte is hemoglobin.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the analyte is type of cells.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the sample layer is regulated by plates and the light-guiding spacers and is substantially the same as the uniform height of the light-guiding spacers.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the analyte is red blood cells.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the analyte is white blood cells.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reference region and the sampling region have a same size.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reference region is within a corresponding area of the cross section of the light-guide spacer.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reference region is less than 0.1 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 0.2 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 0.5 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 1 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 2 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 5 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 10 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 20 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 50 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 100 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 200 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 500 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 1000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 2000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 5000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 10000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 20000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 50000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 100000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 200000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 500000 um{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 1 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 2 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 5 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 10 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, less than 20 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, or less than 50 mm{circumflex over ( )}2, or in a range between any of the two values.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of light guiding spacers that have substantially uniform height, and wherein at least one of the light-guiding spacers is inside the sample contact area.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of light guiding spacers that have substantially uniform height, wherein the distance between two neighboring light guiding spacers are known, and wherein at least one of the light-guiding spacers is inside the sample contact area.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of light guiding spacers that have substantially uniform height, wherein the distances between two neighboring light guiding spacers are known and are substantially constant (i.e. the light guiding spacers are substantially a periodic array), and wherein at least one of the light-guiding spacers is inside the sample contact area.

20. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the light guiding spacer is fixed on the inner surface of one of the plates by molding the light guiding spacer on the inner surface of the plate.

21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the light guiding spacer is fixed on the inner surface of one of the plates and is made of the same material as the inner surface.

22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the light guiding spacer is fixed on the inner surface of one of the plates, and is made of the same material as the inner surface, and the bottom surface of the light guiding spacer has no interface with on the inner surface of the plate.

23. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength of the light is longer than 300 nm, and wherein the wavelength of the light is also less than 20 μm, less than 15 μm, less than 10 μm, less than 5 μm, less than 4 μm, less than 3 μm, less than 2 μm, less than 1 μm, less than 800 nm, less than 750 nm, less than 700 nm, less than 650 nm, less than 600 nm, less than 5

Assignees

• Essenlix Corp

Inventors

• Chou Stephen
• Ding Wei
• Qi Ji
• Tian Jun
• Chou Wu

Classifications

• G01N33/72

  involving blood pigments, e.g. haemoglobin, bilirubin {or other porphyrins; involving occult blood} · CPC title

• G01N21/01 Primary

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title

• C12Y305/02006

  Beta-lactamase (3.5.2.6) · CPC title

• C12N2310/3515

  Lipophilic moiety, e.g. cholesterol · CPC title

• C12N2310/127

  DNAzymes · CPC title