Device and method for the detection of target entities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016003771-A1
Application number	US-201414768986-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for the detection of target entities, the device including: a fluidic channel to conduct a liquid sample containing at least one type of target entity to be detected; and mutually spaced electrodes disposed along the fluidic channel; wherein the mutually spaced electrodes are functionalised to selectively bond to the at least one type of target entity and are configured to electro-hydrodynamically pump the liquid sample along the fluidic channel on application of a signal to the electrodes, such that selectivity of attachment of the at least one type of target entity to the electrodes is determined by at least one parameter of the signal.

First claim

1 . A device for the detection of target entities, the device including:
a fluidic channel to conduct a liquid sample containing at least one type of target entity to be detected; and mutually spaced electrodes disposed along the fluidic channel; wherein the mutually spaced electrodes are functionalised to selectively bond to the at least one type of target entity and are configured to electro-hydrodynamically pump the liquid sample along the fluidic channel on application of a signal to the electrodes, such that selectivity of attachment of the at least one type of target entity to the electrodes is determined by at least one parameter of the signal.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal applied to the electrodes is a DC signal, and the selectivity is determined by the voltage of the signal.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the signal applied to the electrodes is an AC signal, and the selectivity is determined by the amplitude and frequency of the signal.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the selectivity has a maximum as a function of the frequency of the AC signal applied to the electrodes.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the mutually spaced electrodes are arranged in mutually spaced pairs of said electrodes, the electrodes of each said pair being mutually spaced and of different spatial dimensions so as to electro-hydrodynamically pump the liquid sample when the signal is applied across the electrodes.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the spacing between the pairs of said electrodes is constant.

7 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the spacing between the pairs of said electrodes changes with distance along the fluidic channel.

8 . The device of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the electrodes of each pair has a non-planar surface.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the non-planar surface is micromachined or textured to increase the surface area of the corresponding electrode and to improve mixing of the liquid sample.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the non-planar surface includes features projecting into the fluidic channel.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the micromachined features are generally conical.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of target entity includes at least one type of biological entity.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one type of biological entity includes at least one type of cell, DNA, RNA, and/or protein biomarker.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one type of biological entity includes at least one type of circulating tumor cell.

15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the efficiency of capture of the at least one type of target entity is dependent upon the voltage and/or amplitude of the signal applied to the electrodes.

16 . A method for the detection of target entities, the method including:
introducing a liquid sample containing at least one type of target entity to be detected into a fluidic channel; wherein mutually spaced electrodes are disposed along the fluidic channel and are functionalised to selectively bond to the at least one type of target entity, the mutually spaced electrodes being configured to electro-hydrodynamically pump the liquid sample along the fluidic channel on application of a signal to the electrodes, such that a selectivity of attachment of the at least one type of target entity to the electrodes is determined by one or more parameters of the signal applied to the electrodes; selecting at least one of the one or more parameters of the signal to provide enhanced selectivity of the at least one type of target entity; and applying a signal having the selected one or more parameters to the electrodes to pump the liquid sample along the fluidic channel, and to selectively bond the at least one type of target entity to the functionalised electrodes.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal applied to the electrodes is a DC signal, the selectivity is determined by the voltage of the signal, and the step of selecting at least one of the one or more parameters includes selecting a voltage of the DC signal to provide enhanced selectivity of the at least one type of target entity.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the signal applied to the electrodes is an AC signal, and the selectivity is determined by the amplitude and frequency of the AC signal.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the selectivity has a maximum as a function of the frequency of the AC signal applied to the electrodes, and the step of selecting at least one of the one or more parameters includes selecting a frequency of the AC signal to provide enhanced selectivity of the at least one type of target entity.

20 . The method of claim 19 , including selecting at least one parameter of the AC signal other than frequency to further enhance the selectivity of the at least one type of target entity.

21 . The method of claim 17 , including selecting at least one parameter of the signal to selectively remove a selected entity from the electrodes.

22 . The method of claim 17 , including controlling at least one parameter of the signal to correspondingly control shear forces near the electrodes.

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one type of target entity includes at least one type of biological entity.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one type of biological entity includes at least one type of cell, DNA, RNA, and/or protein biomarker.

25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one type of biological entity includes at least one type of circulating tumor cell.

26 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the selected at least one parameter of the signal increases the efficiency of capture of the at least one type of target entity.

Assignees

• Univ Queensland

Inventors

• Trau Matt
• Shiddiky Muhammad Johirul Alam
• Rauf Sakandar
• Pudhukode Vaidyanathan Ramanathan

Classifications

• F04B19/006

  Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01L2300/0645

  Electrodes · CPC title

• C07K1/26

  Electrophoresis · CPC title

• G01N33/4836

  using multielectrode arrays · CPC title

• B01L2400/0415

  electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic · CPC title