Biological test system data processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12100290-B2
Application number	US-202117244731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 30, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A method includes transmitting, by a set of drive-sense circuits of a plurality of drive-sense circuits of a test system, a set of electrode signals on a set of test container electrodes of a test container of a test container array of the test system. The test container contains a content. The method further includes generating, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a set of sensed signals. The method further includes interpreting, by a processing module of the test system, the set of sensed signals as a plurality of impedance values and generating an impedance map based on the plurality of impedance values and with respect to positioning of the set of test container electrodes. The impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprises:
transmitting, by a set of drive-sense circuits of a plurality of drive-sense circuits of a test system, a set of electrode signals on a set of test container electrodes of a test container of a test container array of the test system, wherein the test container contains a content, and wherein an electrode signal of the set of electrode signals includes a transmit signal component having a unique frequency;
generating, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a set of sensed signals, wherein a sensed signal of the set of sensed signals includes a set of unique frequencies, wherein a first unique frequency of the set of unique frequencies corresponds to a first transmit signal component received by a drive-sense circuit of the set of drive-sense circuits from a first other drive-sense circuit of the set of drive-sense circuits;
interpreting, by a processing module of the test system, the set of sensed signals as a plurality of impedance values, wherein the set of unique frequencies correspond to a set of impedance values of the plurality of impedance values; and
generating, by the processing module, an impedance map based on the plurality of impedance values and with respect to positioning of the set of test container electrodes, wherein the impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content includes:
a solution;
one or more biological cells;
a portion of one or more biological cells; and
a testing substance.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises:
wherein the solution includes one or more of:
a saline solution;
a preservative; and
a cell culture solution; and

wherein the biological material include one or more of:
one or more biological cells; and
a portion of one or more biological cells; and

wherein the testing substance includes one or more of:
a drug;
an allergen;
a food;
a chemical; and
a pesticide.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical characteristics include one or more of:
position;
impedance;
size;
shape;
movement;
density;
excitability; and
potential.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:
when a second content is added to the test container:
transmitting, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a second set of electrode signals on the set of test container electrodes;
generating, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a second set of sensed signals, wherein a sensed signal of the second set of sensed signals includes a second set of unique frequencies;
interpreting, by the processing module, the second set of sensed signals as a second plurality of impedance values, wherein the second set of unique frequencies correspond to a set of impedance values of the second plurality of impedance values; and
generating, by the processing module, a second impedance map based on the second plurality of impedance values and with respect to the positioning of the set of test container electrodes, wherein the second impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content and the second content.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises:
comparing, by the processing module, the impedance map and second impedance map to determine electrical characteristic data of the second content.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprises:
when a third content is added to the test container:
transmitting, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a third set of electrode signals on the set of test container electrodes;
generating, by the set of drive-sense circuits, a third set of sensed signals, wherein a sensed signal of the third set of sensed signals includes a third set of unique frequencies;
interpreting, by the processing module, the third set of sensed signals as a third plurality of impedance values, wherein the third set of unique frequencies correspond to a set of impedance values of the third plurality of impedance values; and
generating, by the processing module, a third impedance map based on the third plurality of impedance values and with respect to the positioning of the set of test container electrodes, wherein the third impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content, the second content, and the third content.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises:
comparing, by the processing module, the second impedance map and the third impedance map to determine electrical characteristic data representative of an effect of the third content on the second content.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the content is a solution, the second content is a biological material, and the third content is a testing substance.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein an impedance value of the plurality of impedance values include one or more of:
an actual impedance value;
a relative impedance value; and
a difference impedance value.

11. A test system comprises:
a test container array including a plurality of test containers;
a plurality of electrodes integrated into the test container array, wherein a set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes is integrated into a test container of the test container array;
a plurality of drive-sense circuits coupled to the plurality of electrodes, wherein a set of drive-sense circuits of the plurality of drive-sense circuits is coupled to the set of electrodes, and wherein, when enabled, and when the test container contains a content, the set of drive-sense circuits:
transmit a set of electrode signals on the set of electrodes, wherein an electrode signal of the set of electrode signals includes a transmit signal component having a unique frequency; and
generate a set of sensed signals, wherein a sensed signal of the set of sensed signals includes a set of unique frequencies, wherein a first unique frequency of the set of unique frequencies corresponds to a first transmit signal component received by a drive-sense circuit of the set of drive-sense circuits from a first other drive-sense circuit of the set of drive-sense circuits; and

a processing module operably coupled to:
interpret the set of sensed signals as a plurality of impedance values, wherein the set of unique frequencies correspond to a set of impedance values of the plurality of impedance values; and
generate an impedance map based on the plurality of impedance values and with respect to positioning of the set of test container electrodes, wherein the impedance map is representative of electrical characteristics of the content.

12. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the content includes:
a solution;
one or more biological cells;
a portion of one or more biological cells; and
a testing substance.

13. The test system of claim 11 further comprises:
wherein the solution includes one or more of:
a saline solution;
a preservative; and
a cell culture solution; and

wherein the biological material include one or more of:
one or more biological cells; and
a portion of one or more biological cells; and

wherein the testing substance includes one or more of:
a drug;
an allergen;
a food;
a chemical; and
a pesticide.

14. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the electrical characteristics include one or more of:
position;
impedance;
size;
shape;
movement;
density;
excitability; and
potential.

15. The test system of claim 11 further comprises:
when a second content is added to the test container:
the set of drive-sense circuits is further operable to:
transmit a second set of electrode signals on the set of test container electrodes;

Assignees

• Sigmasense Llc

Inventors

• Van Ostrand Daniel Keith
• Seger Jr Richard Stuart
• Morrison Gerald Dale
• Gray Patrick Troy
• Huynh Phuong
• Markison Timothy W
• Healy Patricia M

Classifications

• G01N33/4836 Primary

  using multielectrode arrays · CPC title

• G01N27/028 Primary

  Circuits therefor (measuring impedance per se G01R27/02) · CPC title

• G01D21/02

  Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title

• B01L2300/0663

  Whole sensors · CPC title

• B01L2300/0645

  Electrodes · CPC title