Contactless conductivity detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228977-B2
Application number	US-201113311315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2011
Priority date	Aug 7, 2008
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A portable electrophoretic contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) system for analysis on a microfluidic chip houses in one embodiment a fluidic compartment for receiving the microfluidic chip, and four detection electrodes: first and second emitting electrodes, and first and second receiving electrodes. The first emitting electrode and the first receiving electrode are adjacent to a first channel wall of the microfluidic chip, and the second emitting electrode and the second receiving electrode are adjacent to a second channel wall, where the second channel wall is opposite to the first channel wall. In an embodiment, the electrodes are provided as portions of a removable cartridge cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electrophoretic capacitive coupled contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) system for electrophoresis analysis on a microfluidic chip having a channel defined by channel walls, the system comprising:
(i) a housing, including a fluidic compartment having a chip stage for receiving the microfluidic chip;
(ii) a cartridge detection cell releasably attached to the housing, releasable attachment of the cartridge cell to the housing causing electrical contact between the cartridge cell and the housing, the cartridge cell comprising:
first and second emitting electrodes and
first and second receiving electrodes; and
wherein the first emitting electrode and the first receiving electrode are configured to be positioned adjacent to a first channel wall of said channel walls of the microfluidic chip, and
the second emitting electrode and the second receiving electrode are configured to be positioned adjacent to a second channel wall of said channel walls of the microfluidic chip, the second channel wall being opposite the first channel wall;
wherein the cartridge cell is releasably attached to an electronic circuit of the housing via a plurality of self latching connectors.

2. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the self latching connectors are selected from plugs and jacks or pins.

3. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the detection system is powered via a battery source.

4. The detection system of claim 3 , wherein the battery source is selected from ±5 Volt or ±15 Volt batteries.

5. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the system is in communication with a computing device.

6. The detection system of claim 5 , wherein the system is in wireless communication with the computing device.

7. The detection system of claim 1 in which the computing device is a laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or a portable meter.

8. The detection system of claim 1 , wherein the system is handheld and includes an electronic compartment housing power components, battery components, an oscillator circuit and signal acquisition and processing components.

9. The detection system of claim 1 in which the cartridge cell comprises a first portion including the first emitting electrode and the first receiving electrode, and a second portion including the second emitting electrode and the second receiving electrode, the first and second portions of the cartridge cell being adapted for positioning to sandwich a microfluidic chip in the housing.

10. The detection system of claim 9 in which the upper and lower portions of the cartridge cell are hinged together.

11. The detection system of claim 9 in which, when the first and second portions of the cartridge cell are positioned to sandwich a microfluidic chip in the housing, the first and second emitting electrodes are aligned facing each other, and the first and second receiving electrodes are aligned facing each other.

12. The detection system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover integrated on a surface of the housing and configured to secure the cartridge cell between the cover and the housing, and the cover being selected from a group consisting of: a pivotable cover and a detachable cover.

13. The detection system of claim 1 in which the cartridge cell further comprises; a ground plane located between the two emitting electrodes and the two receiving electrodes.

14. The detection system of claim 1 in which the cartridge cell further comprises:
a grounded metal housing; and
a Faraday cage surrounding the plurality of the detection electrodes inside the grounded metal housing;
wherein Faraday cage and the grounded metal housing shield the plurality of detection electrodes and the microfluidic chip from external fields.

15. The detection system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of detection electrodes are embedded in a polymer.

16. A capacitive coupled contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) cartridge cell for electrophoresis analysis on a microfluidic chip having a channel, the cell comprising:
a plurality of detection electrodes comprising two emitting electrodes and two
receiving electrodes, the two emitting electrodes being arranged for positioning adjacent to a first side of the microfluidic chip, and the two receiving electrodes being arranged for positioning adjacent to an opposite side of the microfluidic chip;
a detection area formed between the two emitting electrodes and two receiving electrodes located within the housing, the two emitting electrodes being arranged to be placed one on top and one at the bottom of the channel, and being configured to act as electrostatic images of each other and to transmit signals into the detection area, the receiving electrodes being arranged to be placed one on top and one at the bottom of the channel, and being configured to act as electrostatic images of each other and to receive the transmitted signals from the detection area; and
connection elements for releasably mechanically and electronically connecting the cartridge cell to a housing having an electronic circuit for supplying electrical signals to the cartridge cell and receiving signals from the receiving electrodes.

17. The cartridge cell of claim 16 , wherein the connecting elements are sockets to receive pins, the sockets and pins cooperating as self latching connectors.

18. The cartridge cell of claim 16 further comprising;
a ground plane located between the two emitting electrodes and the two receiving electrodes.

19. The cartridge cell of claim 16 further comprising:
a grounded metal housing; and
a Faraday cage surrounding the plurality of the detection electrodes inside the grounded metal housing; and
wherein the Faraday cage and the grounded metal housing shield the plurality of detection electrodes and the microfluidic chip from external fields.

20. The cartridge cell of claim 16 wherein the plurality of electrodes are embedded in a polymer.

21. The cartridge cell of claim 16 in which the cartridge cell comprises a first portion including the first emitting electrode and the first receiving electrode, and a second portion including the second emitting electrode and the second receiving electrode, the first and second portions of the cartridge cell being adapted for positioning to sandwich a microfluidic chip in the housing.

22. The cartridge cell of claim 21 in which the upper and lower portions of the cartridge cell are hinged together.

23. The cartridge cell of claim 21 in which, when the first and second portions of the cartridge cell are positioned to sandwich a microfluidic chip in the housing, the first and second emitting electrodes are aligned facing each other, and the first and second receiving electrodes are aligned facing each other.

24. A portable electrophoretic contactless conductivity detection (C 4 D) system comprising the cartridge cell of claim 16 , and a housing for receiving the cartridge cell.

25. A portable electrophoretic contactless conductivity detection system comprising a plurality of cartridge cells of claim 16 , and a housing for receiving any one of the cartridge cells, the plurality of cartridge cells having different dimensions.

Assignees

• Mahabadi Kambiz Ansari
• Rodriguez Fernandez Isabel
• Lim Chee Yen
• Yuen Jasmine Shu Ying
• Agency Science Tech & Res

Inventors

• Mahabadi Kambiz Ansari
• Rodriguez Fernandez Isabel
• Lim Chee Yen
• Yuen Jasmine Shu Ying

Classifications

• G01N27/44791 Primary

  Microapparatus (sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027) · CPC title

• G01N27/4473 Primary

  by electric means · CPC title