Microfluidic tissue biopsy and immune response drug evaluation devices and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11852626-B2
Application number	US-202117334431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure describes microfluidic tissue biopsy and immune response drug evaluation devices and systems. A microfluidic device can include an inlet channel having a first end configured to receive a fluid sample optionally containing a tissue sample. The microfluidic device can also include a tissue trapping region at the second end of the inlet channel downstream from the first end. The tissue trapping region can include one or more tissue traps configured to catch a tissue sample flowing through the inlet channel such that the fluid sample contacts the tissue trap. The microfluidic device can also include one or more channels providing an outlet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic device comprising:
a substrate defining:
an inlet channel having a first end configured to receive a fluid sample optionally containing a tissue sample;
a tissue trapping region at a second end of the inlet channel downstream from the first end, the tissue trapping region including one or more tissue traps configured to catch the tissue sample flowing through the inlet channel such that the fluid sample contacts the tissue trapping region; and
one or more channels providing an outlet and comprising one or more suction channels downstream of the one or more tissue traps and configured to hold the tissue sample in place within the one or more tissue traps.

2. A microfluidic device comprising:
a substrate defining:
an inlet channel having a first end configured to receive a fluid sample optionally containing a tissue sample;
a tissue trapping region at a second end of the inlet channel downstream from the first end, the tissue trapping region including one or more tissue traps configured to catch the tissue sample flowing through the inlet channel such that the fluid sample contacts the tissue trapping region; and
one or more channels providing an outlet, wherein the tissue trapping region comprises a ribbed channel coupling the inlet channel to the one or more channels providing the outlet.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the one or more tissue traps is defined by sidewalls of ribs of the ribbed channel and a bottom wall positioned at a lowest depth of the ribbed channel.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 2 , wherein at least one tissue trap of the one or more tissue traps is defined by sidewalls of ribs of the ribbed channel and a bottom wall positioned at a lowest depth of the ribbed channel.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one tissue trap further comprises at least a second tissue trap and a third tissue trap.

6. A microfluidic device comprising:
a substrate defining:
an inlet channel having a first end configured to receive a fluid sample optionally containing a tissue sample;
a tissue trapping region at a second end of the inlet channel downstream from the first end, the tissue trapping region including one or more tissue traps configured to catch the tissue sample flowing through the inlet channel such that the fluid sample contacts the tissue trapping region, the tissue trapping region comprising a circuitous channel having a first curved portion coupled to the second end of the inlet channel, wherein at least one of the one or more tissue traps is positioned at a center of the first curved portion such that the fluid sample flows along the first curved portion past the tissue trapping region; and
one or more channels providing an outlet.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the one or more channels providing the outlet comprise a suction channel coupling to the at least one of the one or more tissue traps and configured to carry the fluid sample downstream from the at least one of the one or more tissue traps.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 6 , wherein the circuitous channel further comprises a second curved portion coupled to a downstream end of the first curved portion and a second tissue trap positioned at a center of the second curved portion such that the fluid sample flows along the second curved portion past the second tissue trap.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 8 , wherein a downstream end of the second curved portion is coupled to the one or more channels providing the outlet.

Assignees

• Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc
• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Beckwith Ashley Lynne
• Borenstein Jeffrey
• Moore Nathan
• Doty Daniel
• Velasquez-Garcia Luis

Classifications

• G01N33/5008 Primary

  for testing or evaluating the effect of chemical or biological compounds, e.g. drugs, cosmetics · CPC title

• B01L3/502761 Primary

  specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads or physically stretching molecules · CPC title

• C12M23/12

  Well or multiwell plates (C12M25/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N33/5082

  Supracellular entities, e.g. tissue, organisms · CPC title

• B01L2200/027

  for microfluidic devices · CPC title