Rapid pH measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237113-B2
Application number	US-201816172472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

Among other things, certain embodiments of the present disclosure are related to devices and methods of performing biological and chemical assays, such as but not limited to pH measurement of bio/chemical samples.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for rapid pH measurement, comprising:
a first plate, a second plate, spacers and a pH indicator, wherein:
(a) the plates are movable relative to each other into different configurations, including an open configuration and a closed configuration;
(b) each of the plates has, on its respective inner surface, a sample contact area for contacting a sample;
(c) one or both of the plates comprise the spacers, at least one of the spacers is inside the sample contact area, and the spacers have a predetermined substantially uniform height; and
(d) one or both of the plates comprise, on the respective inner surface, the pH indicator that, upon contacting the sample, exhibits a color indicative of a pH value of the sample;
wherein, in the open configuration, the two plates are partially or entirely separated apart, the spacing between the first plate and the second plate is not regulated by the spacers, and the sample is deposited on one or both of the plates; and
wherein in the closed configuration, which is configured after deposition of the sample in the open configuration: at least part of the sample is compressed by the two plates into a layer of uniform thickness, the layer is confined by the inner surfaces of the plates and has its thickness regulated by the spacers and the plates.

2. A system for rapid pH measurement, comprising:
(a) a device of claim 1 ; and
(b) a detector that detects the color of the pH indicator in the layer of uniform thickness.

3. A smartphone system for a rapid homogenous assay, comprising:
(a) a device of claim 1 ;
(b) a mobile communication device that comprises:
i. one or a plurality of cameras for detecting and/or imaging the sample; and
ii. electronics, signal processors, hardware and software for receiving and/or processing the detected signal and/or an image of the sample and for remote communication; and

(c) an adaptor that is configured to hold the device in the closed configuration and engageable to the mobile communication device;
wherein when engaged with the mobile communication device, the adaptor is configured to facilitate the detection and/or imaging of the sample when the plates are in the closed configuration.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one imager that images a part of the sample that is between the two plates when the two plates are in the closed configuration.

5. A device of claim 1 , further comprising an algorithm for determining the pH value from images of the at least part of the sample by using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

6. A method for performing a rapid homogenous assay, comprising:
(a) obtaining a sample;
(b) obtaining the device of claim 1 ;
(c) depositing the sample on one or both of the plates when the plates are in the open configuration;
(d) after (c), bringing the two plates together and pressing the plates into the closed configuration; and
(e) while the plates are in the closed configuration, detecting and analyzing the color of the pH indicator.

7. A method of analyzing an image for a rapid homogenous assay, comprising:
(a) obtaining an image of a signal in the device of claim 1 at the closed configuration, wherein the image is selected from the group consisting of a bright field image, a dark field image, a fluorescence image, and a phosphorescence image;
(b) analyzing the image, wherein the analyzing comprises (i) identifying beads in the image, and (ii) extracting information of a bead size, a signal intensity of one or more beads, a distance between beads, a distribution of beads, and/or a number of beads; and
(c) determining analyte concentration using the extracted information from step (b) and calculating parameters of the beads.

8. A method of performing a homogenous assay, comprising:
(a) obtaining a sample;
(b) obtaining a first plate and a second plate that are movable relative to each other into different configurations, including an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein:
i. each of the plates has, on its respective inner surface, a sample contact area for contacting the sample,
ii. one or both of the plates comprise spacers, and at least one of the spacers is inside the sample contact area; and
iii. one or both of the plates comprise, on the respective inner surface, a pH indicator that, upon contacting the sample, exhibits color indicative of a pH of the sample;

wherein the spacers have a predetermined substantially uniform height;
(c) depositing the sample on one or both of the plates when the plates are in an open configuration, wherein in the open configuration the two plates are partially or entirely separated apart and the spacing between the plates is not regulated by the spacers;
(d) after (c), bringing the two plates together and pressing the plates into a closed configuration, wherein in the closed configuration: at least part of the sample is compressed by the two plates into a layer of uniform thickness, the uniform thickness of the layer is confined by the inner surfaces of the two plates and is regulated by the spacers and the plates; and
(e) while the plates are at the closed configuration, detecting and analyzing the color of the pH indicator in the layer of uniform thickness.

9. A method comprising:
a. obtaining a sample;
b. obtaining the device of claim 1 ;
c. depositing the sample on one or both of the plates when the plates are in the open configuration;
d. after (c), bringing the two plates together and pressing the plates into the closed configuration; and
e. while the plates are in the closed configuration, detecting and analyzing at least one of the hue and the saturation of the color of the pH indicator to determine a pH of the sample.

10. A method comprising:
a. obtaining a sample;
b. obtaining the device of claim 1 ;
c. depositing the sample on one or both of the plates when the plates are in the open configuration;
d. after (c), bringing the two plates together and pressing the plates into the closed configuration; and
e. while the plates are in the closed configuration, detecting and analyzing both of the hue and the saturation of the color of the pH indicator to determine a pH of the sample.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the analyzing comprises using a correlation between the hue and the saturation to determine the pH of the sample.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the analyzing comprises calculating the volume of a relevant sample volume as a product of the lateral area of the relevant sample volume and the predetermined spacer height.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pH value at a location of the sample that is between the two plates in the closed configuration is determined using the relevant sample volume and by analyzing one or more images taken from the location.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the pH value comprises analyzing an image using artificial intelligence and/or machine learning.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the image is selected from the group consisting of bright field image, dark field image, fluorescence image, and phosphorescence image.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pH indicator is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of Gentian violet (Methyl violet 10B), Malachite green, Thymol blue, Methyl yellow, Bromophenol blue, Congo red, Methyl orange, Methyl Orange-Xylene Cyanol, Screened methyl orange, Bromocresol green, Methyl red, Methyl purple, Azolitmin, Bromocresol purple, Bromothymol blue, Phenol red, Neutral red, Naphtholphthalein, Cresol red, Cresolp

Assignees

• Essenlix Corp

Inventors

• Chou Stephen Y
• Ding Wei
• Zhang Yuecheng

Classifications

• G06T2207/20081

  Training; Learning · CPC title

• G01N2021/7796

  Special mountings, packaging of indicators · CPC title

• G01N2021/036

  transformable, modifiable · CPC title

• G01N21/80 Primary

  Indicating pH value · CPC title

• G06T7/90

  Determination of colour characteristics · CPC title