Centrifugal force based microfluidic system and method for the automated analysis of samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9442109-B2
Application number	US-78147310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2010
Priority date	May 18, 2009
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Centrifugal force based microfluidic systems for the automated analysis of fluids involving the use of magnetically responsive particles and methods thereof are disclosed. A magnet is fixed to a supporting device of the system in correspondence to a retention zone of the system so as to rotate therewith and to generate a magnetic field which magnetically manipulates the magnetically responsive particles contained in a reaction chamber of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A centrifugal force based microfluidic system for the automated analysis of samples containing at least one analyte involving the use of magnetically responsive particles which interact with said analyte, said system comprising:
at least one rotatable supporting device;
at least one microfluidic device directly fixed to said supporting device so as to rotate therewith and provided with at least one microfluidic structure having at least one inlet zone, at least one reaction chamber which receives one of said samples and which is in fluid communication with said at least one inlet zone comprising at least a first retention zone and a second retention zone in fluid communication with said first retention zone which retain said magnetically responsive particles;
at least one first magnet directly fixed to said supporting device in correspondence to said at least one first retention zone so as to rotate therewith and to generate a magnetic field which retains said magnetically responsive particles in said first retention zone; and
at least one second magnet directly fixed to said supporting device in correspondence to said at least one second retention zone so as to rotate therewith and to generate another magnetic field which retains said magnetically responsive particles in said second retention zone.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one recess which accommodates said at least one first magnet so as to reduce a distance between said first retention zone and said at least one first magnet.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one recess which accommodates said at least one second magnet so as to reduce a distance between said second retention zone and said at least one second magnet.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said system further comprises
at least one third magnet separated from said supporting device so that said supporting device rotates with respect to said at least one third magnet.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one first recess which accommodates said at least one first magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one first magnet and said at least one first retention zone, and at least one second recess which accommodates said at least one second magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one second magnet and said at least one second retention zone.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one second retention zone is provided with at least one guiding face which accumulates said magnetically responsive particles within said at least one second retention zone.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one first recess which accommodates said at least one first magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one first magnet and said at least one first retention zone, and at least one second recess which accommodates said at least one second magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one second magnet and said at least one second retention zone.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one magnetic flux concentrator which concentrates a magnetic flux of one said magnets so as to increase magnetic interaction with said magnetically responsive particles.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one second retention zone is provided with at least one guiding face which accumulates said magnetically responsive particles within said at least one second retention zone.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic structure has a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber, said first reaction chamber comprising said first retention zone and said second reaction chamber comprising said second retention zone.

11. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one waste zone which receives waste fluid and which is in fluid communication with said at least one reaction chamber.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said microfluidic device is removably fixed to said supporting device.

13. A centrifugal force based microfluidic system for the automated analysis of samples containing at least one analyte involving the use of magnetically responsive particles adapted to specifically interact with said analyte, comprising:
at least one rotatable supporting device;
at least one microfluidic device removably fixed to said supporting device so as to rotate therewith and provided with at least one microfluidic structure having at least one inlet zone, at least one reaction chamber for receiving one of said samples in fluid communication with said at least one inlet zone comprising at least a first retention zone and a second retention zone in fluid communication with said first retention zone adapted for the retention of said magnetically responsive particles;
at least one first magnet directly fixed to said supporting device in correspondence to said first retention zone so as to rotate therewith for generating a magnetic field, and
at least one second magnet directly fixed to said supporting device in correspondence to said second retention zone so as to rotate therewith for generating a magnetic field,
wherein said at least one first magnet for generating a magnetic field acting on said magnetically responsive particles is configured to retain said magnetically responsive particles in said first retention zone and said at least one second magnet for generating a magnetic field acting on said magnetically responsive particles is configured to retain said magnetically responsive particles in said second retention zone.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one recess adapted for accommodating said at least one first magnet so as to reduce a distance between said first retention zone and said at least one first magnet.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one recess adapted for accommodating said at least one second magnet so as to reduce a distance between said second retention zone and said at least one second magnet.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said system further comprises
at least one third magnet separated from said supporting device so that said supporting device can be rotated with respect to said at least one third magnet.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said microfluidic device is provided with at least one first recess adapted for accommodating said at least one first magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one first magnet and said at least one first retention zone and with at least one second recess adapted for accommodating said at least one second magnet so as to reduce a distance between said at least one second magnet and said at least one second retention zone.

18. The system according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one magnetic flux concentrating means adapted for concentrating a magnetic flux of one said magnets so as to increase magnetic interaction with said magnetically responsive particles.

19. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said second retention zone is provided with at least one guiding face adapted for accumulating said magnetically responsive particles within said at least one second retention zone.

Assignees

• Oosterbroek Rijk Edwin
• Curcio Mario
• Korner Stephan
• Niederberger Brigitte
• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Oosterbroek Rijk Edwin
• Curcio Mario
• Korner Stephan
• Niederberger Brigitte

Classifications

• B01L2400/0409

  centrifugal forces · CPC title

• B01L3/502761

  specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads or physically stretching molecules · CPC title

• G01N33/54326 Primary

  Magnetic particles · CPC title

• B01L2300/0803

  Disc shape · CPC title

• B01L2400/043

  magnetic forces · CPC title