Systems and methods for electrophoretic separation and analysis of analytes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11237131-B2
Application number	US-201615160636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A system for assaying a biological sample for a presence of a target analyte includes an assaying device and a computer controller. The assaying device includes a housing, a receptacle disposed in the housing, and a source of activation energy. The receptacle is configured to accept an electrophoresis cell. The electrophoresis cell has a recess area configured to accept a chip configured to accept the biological sample. The chip includes a polymeric separation medium with activatable functional groups that covalently bond to the target analyte when activated. The source of activation energy is configured to supply activation energy to activate the activatable functional groups. The computer controller is operably coupled to the source of activation energy and is configured to activate the source of activation energy to direct an application of activation energy to the polymeric separation medium to activate the activatable functional groups.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An electrophoresis cell configured to be removably disposed within a receptacle of an assay device to assay a biological sample for a presence of a target analyte, the electrophoresis cell comprising:
a body having an inner surface that defines an inner volume and that forms a recess area;
a chip disposed within the recess area, the chip including a polymeric separation medium with functional groups configured to covalently bond to a target analyte within the biological sample disposed on the chip in response to being activated, a top surface of the polymeric separation medium being substantially flush with a non-recessed area of the inner surface of the body;
a conductive contact pad coupled to the body, the conductive contact pad configured to be electrically connected to a power supply of the assay device when the electrophoresis cell is disposed within the receptacle;
an electrode coupled to the body and disposed within the inner volume, the electrode electrically connected to the conductive contact pad, the electrode configured to produce an electric field across the chip disposed in the recess area in response to a flow of electric current from the power supply when the electrophoresis cell is disposed within the receptacle; and
a weir structure coupled to the body and disposed within the inner volume of the body above and on at least one side of the recess area such that the weir structure is spaced apart from the electrode and is between the at least one side of the recess area and the electrode, the weir structure configured to control a flow of a solution across the chip disposed in the recess area.

2. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a first electrode and the conductive contact pad is a first conductive contact pad, the electrophoresis cell further comprising:
a second electrode disposed within the inner volume of the body and electrically connected to a second conductive contact pad electrically connected to the power supply when the electrophoresis cell is disposed within the receptacle, the first electrode disposed on a first side of the recess area, the second electrode disposed on a second side of the recess area.

3. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the chip is consumable.

4. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric separation medium includes a plurality of microwells formed therein.

5. The electrophoresis cell of claim 4 , wherein each microwell from the plurality of microwells is configured to accommodate a single cell from the biological sample, each microwell from the plurality of microwells having a diameter of less than about 100 microns.

6. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric separation medium is cross-linked.

7. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the functional groups are benzophenone groups.

8. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the functional groups are activated by electromagnetic radiation within the ultraviolet spectrum.

9. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is configured to trap bubbles on a top surface of the chip when the electrophoresis cell is within the receptacle.

10. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is configured to prevent bubbles from floating on a top surface of the chip when the electrophoresis cell is within the receptacle.

11. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is configured to reduce at least one of perturbation in the electric field, blockage of wavelengths generated by a source of activation energy, and fluid motion of buffer solution when the electrophoresis cell is within the receptacle.

12. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the chip includes an identification member, the assay device including a sensor configured to identify the identification member when the electrophoresis cell is inserted into the receptacle.

13. The electrophoresis cell of claim 12 , wherein the identification member includes at least one of a one-dimensional identification barcode, a two-dimensional identification barcode, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) unit.

14. The electrophoresis cell of claim 12 , wherein the assay device determines a set of assay parameters for the assaying the biological sample in response to the sensor identifying the identification member.

15. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the recess area defines a detent configured to facilitate removal of the chip from the recess area.

16. The electrophoresis cell of claim 15 , wherein a size of the detent is configured to limit at least one of bubble trapping in the detent or electric field perturbations.

17. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the body includes at least one wicking break configured to limit wicking of the solution up the electrode.

18. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is removably coupled to the body.

19. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is a first weir structure, the first weir structure is disposed within the inner volume of the body above and on a first side of the recess area, the electrophoresis cell further comprising:
a second weir structure configured to control a flow of the solution across the recess area, the second weir structure is disposed within the inner volume of the body above and on a second side of the recess area.

20. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is disposed between the at least one side of the recess area and the electrode coupled to the body to prevent bubbles generated by the electrode on a first side of the weir structure from flowing across the chip disposed on a second side of the weir structure opposite the first side when the electrophoresis cell is within the receptacle.

21. The electrophoresis cell of claim 1 , wherein the weir structure is disposed between the at least one side of the recess area and the electrode coupled to the body to prevent bubbles resulting from a volume of the solution being poured into the inner volume on a first side of the weir structure from flowing across the chip disposed on a second side of the weir structure opposite the first side when the electrophoresis cell is within the receptacle.

22. An electrophoresis cell configured to be removably disposed within a receptacle of an assay device to assay a biological sample for a presence of a target analyte, the electrophoresis cell comprising:
a body having an inner surface that defines an inner volume and that forms a recess area, the body including a lifter at least partially disposed in the inner volume of the body, the lifter having a first position and a second position, a surface of the lifter being substantially flush with a surface of the recess area when in the first position;
a chip disposed within the recess area, the chip including a polymeric separation medium with functional groups configured to covalently bond to a target analyte within the biological sample disposed on the chip in response to being activated, a top surface of the polymeric separation medium being substantially flush with a non-recess area of the inner surface of the body;
a conductive contact pad coupled to the body, the conductive contact pad configured to be electrically connected to a power supply of the assay device when the electrophoresis cell is disposed within the receptacle;
an electrode coupled to the body and disposed

Assignees

• ProteinSimple

Inventors

• Molho Joshua I
• Gardner Kelly
• Tran Danh C
• Jabart Eric
• Nilson David
• Kouchnir Yuri
• Huston Michael
• Kennedy Colin B
• Roach David John

Classifications

• G01N27/44704 Primary

  Details; Accessories · CPC title

• G01N27/44756 Primary

  Apparatus specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G01N27/44721

  by optical means · CPC title

• G01N27/44726

  using specific dyes, markers or binding molecules · CPC title

• G01N27/4473

  by electric means · CPC title