Platform and method for testing antibiotic sensitivity of a polymicrobial infection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359156-B2
Application number	US-202318131620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2023
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A platform and method for testing antibiotic sensitivity of a polymicrobial infection is provided. The platform includes a body defining a plurality of sets of chambers and a plurality of wells. Each set of chambers has a plurality of chambers adapted for culturing microbes of the polymicrobial infection therein. Each well is associated with a corresponding set of chambers and has an input in fluidic communication with the outlets of the plurality of chambers in the corresponding set of chambers. Selected antibiotic therapies may be received in the wells which fluidically connect the plurality of chambers in a corresponding set of chambers such that microbes cultured in the plurality of chambers in the corresponding set of chambers are in soluble factor contact.

First claim

We claim:

1. A platform for testing antibiotic sensitivity of a polymicrobial infection, comprising:
a body defining:
a first plurality of chambers, each chamber of the first plurality of chambers being adapted for receiving a corresponding microbe of the polymicrobial infection therein;
a first well having a plurality of outlets, each outlet in fluidic communication with a corresponding chamber of the first plurality of chambers, the first well adapted for receiving a first selected antibiotic therapy therein;
a second plurality of chambers, each chamber of the second plurality of chambers being adapted for receiving a corresponding microbe of the polymicrobial infection therein; and
a second well having a plurality of outlets, each outlet in fluidic communication with a corresponding chamber of the second plurality of chambers, the second well adapted for receiving a second selected antibiotic therapy therein;

wherein:
the first selected antibiotic therapy received in the first well fluidically connects each of the first plurality of chambers such that microbes received in the first plurality of chambers are in soluble factor contact;
the second selected antibiotic therapy received in the second well fluidically connects each of the second plurality of chambers such that microbes received in the second plurality of chambers are in soluble factor contact;
a first chamber is one of the first plurality of chambers and one of the second plurality of chambers, such that the first well and the second well are in fluid communication with the first chamber;
the first chamber shares a partition wall with one of the first plurality of chambers and one of the second plurality of chambers;
the body includes upper and lower surfaces, each of the first and second plurality of chambers having an opening communicating with the upper surface of the body; and
the first well is partially defined by a closed surface within the body, the closed surface being generally parallel to the lower surface of the body.

2. The platform of claim 1 wherein the body further includes a well inlet extending between the closed surface of the first well and the lower surface of the body, the well inlet allowing for access to the first well for loading the selected antibiotic therapy therein.

3. The platform of claim 2 wherein the body further includes an air outlet extending between the closed surface of the first well and the lower surface of the body, the air outlet allowing for the purging of air from the first well during the loading of the selected antibiotic therapy therein.

4. A platform for testing antibiotic sensitivity of a polymicrobial infection, comprising:
a body defining:
a plurality of sets of chambers, each set of chambers having a plurality of chambers adapted for receiving microbes of the polymicrobial infection therein; and
a plurality of wells, each well:
associated with a corresponding set of chambers of the plurality of sets of chambers;
having an input in fluidic communication with each chamber of the plurality of chambers in the corresponding set of chambers; and
being adapted for receiving a selected antibiotic therapy therein;

wherein:
a chamber of the plurality of chambers of a first set of chambers of the plurality of sets of chambers is one of the plurality of chambers of a second set of chambers of the plurality of sets of chambers; and
the selected antibiotic therapy received in the well associated with a corresponding set of chambers fluidically connects the plurality of chambers in the corresponding set of chambers such that microbes received in the plurality of chambers in the corresponding set of chambers are in soluble factor contact.

5. The platform of claim 4 wherein the body further includes a permeable membrane disposed between the outlets of the plurality of chambers of the plurality of sets of chambers and the inputs of corresponding wells of the plurality of wells.

6. The platform of claim 5 wherein the permeable membrane is a porous polycarbonate membrane.

7. The platform of claim 4 wherein the body includes upper and lower surfaces, each of the plurality of chambers of the plurality of sets of chambers has an opening communicating with the upper surface of the body.

8. The platform of claim 7 wherein each well of the plurality of wells is partially defined by a closed surface within the body, the closed surface being generally parallel to the lower surface of the body.

9. The platform of claim 8 wherein the body further includes a plurality of well inlets, each well inlet:
extending between the closed surface of a corresponding well and the lower surface of the body; and
allowing for access to the corresponding well for loading the selected antibiotic therapy therein.

10. The platform of claim 8 wherein the body further includes a plurality of air outlets, each air outlet:
extending between the closed surface of the corresponding well and the lower surface of the body; and
allowing for the purging of air from the corresponding well during the loading of the selected antibiotic therapy therein.

Assignees

• Beebe David J
• Barkal Layla J
• Yu Jason
• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Beebe David J
• Barkal Layla J
• Yu Jason

Classifications

• C12Q1/18 Primary

  Testing for antimicrobial activity of a material · CPC title

• C12M23/12

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

• C12M23/16 Primary

  Microfluidic devices; Capillary tubes (integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; microreactors B01J19/0093) · CPC title