Centrifuge unit for a microfluidic device for processing liquid samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440853-B2
Application number	US-202017753422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 3, 2019
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A centrifuge unit for a microfluidic device for processing liquid samples includes a centrifuge cup and at least one centripetal force-dependent valve function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic device for processing of liquid samples, comprising:
at least one centrifuge unit comprising:
a centrifuge cup; and
at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement,

wherein the at least one centrifuge cup is mounted rotatably between two layers of the microfluidic device.

2. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement is a reversible valve arrangement.

3. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement includes at least one sealing ring.

4. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least one sealing ring externally surrounds the centrifuge cup and reversibly exposes or closes openings in the centrifuge cup as a function of an acting centripetal force.

5. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement comprises:
at least one opening defined in a wall of the centrifuge cup;
a bolt movably arranged in the at least one opening and passing through the wall, the bolt having a bolt head arranged outside the centrifuge cup and a sealing ring below the bolt head,
wherein, below a predeterminable centripetal force, the bolt is held within the centrifuge cup in a sealing position by a secured compression spring.

6. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the compression spring is secured by a locknut which is mounted in an interior of the centrifuge cup on a thread of the bolt.

7. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement is an irreversible valve arrangement.

8. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the irreversible valve arrangement is actuated at a higher centripetal force than an additional reversible valve arrangement.

9. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge cup is equipped at least partly with surface structures configured for adherence of sample constituents.

10. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one centrifuge cup is configured to be arranged at a tilt angle between 10 and 50° during the processing.

11. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an integration region within the microfluidic device configured to receive the centrifuge unit, the integration region defining a fluidic entry configured for introducing fluids into the microfluidic device independently of the at least one centrifuge unit.

12. The microfluidic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge cup is mounted rotatably between the two layers by a spindle.

13. A method for operating a microfluidic device with a centrifuge unit having (i) a centrifuge cup that is mounted rotatably between two layers of the microfluidic device and (ii) at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement, the method comprising:
after introduction of the sample into the centrifuge cup, rotating the centrifuge cup between the two layers at a first speed in a first phase and rotating the centrifuge cup between the two layers at a second, increased speed in a subsequent second phase, wherein the increased speed causes actuation of the at least one centripetal force-dependent valve arrangement of the centrifuge unit.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
refilling the centrifuge cup repeatedly by flooding the centrifuge cup with a liquid.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
removing cellular constituents of a sample and/or lyzing cellular constituents and/or selectively isolating particular cellular constituents of a sample via the rotation of the centrifuge cup at the first speed and the rotation of the centrifuge cup at the second speed.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Maucher Tanja
• Laermer Franz
• Bott Hannah

Classifications

• F16K99/0063 Primary

  using centrifugal forces · CPC title

• B04B5/00

  Other centrifuges · CPC title

• B01L13/00

  Cleaning or rinsing apparatus · CPC title

• B01L2400/065

  sliding valves · CPC title

• B01L2400/0677

  phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers · CPC title