Sample preparation and loading module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9459186-B2
Application number	US-201313858156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	Apr 12, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

The device has a fluid inlet; a filtering compartment, connected to the fluid inlet and accommodating a filtering matrix in presence of adsorption agents; a fluidic circuit connected downstream of the filtering compartment and including a discharge circuit and a loading circuit; a discharge chamber, connected downstream of the discharge circuit; a preparation outlet, connected downstream of the loading circuit; and suction pumps, connected to the fluidic circuit and configured so as to fluidically connect the filtering compartment alternatively to the discharge circuit or to the loading circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for preparing biologic samples, comprising:
a fluid inlet;
a filtering compartment, connected to said fluid inlet and accommodating a filtering matrix and an adsorption agent and including a partial diaphragm, a perimeter, and an outlet opening, the partial diaphragm extending from a side wall of the filtering compartment and dividing the filtering compartment into a conveying duct that extends above the partial diaphragm and a matrix compartment that extends underneath the partial diaphragm, the partial diaphragm defining a fluidic connection opening for fluidically connecting the conveying duct and the matrix compartment, the fluidic connection opening and the outlet opening being arranged in opposite areas of the perimeter of the filtering compartment;
a fluidic circuit connected downstream of said filtering compartment and including a discharge circuit and a loading circuit;
a discharge chamber, connected downstream of said discharge circuit;
a preparation outlet, connected downstream of said loading circuit; and
a chip of semiconductor material having at least one well facing said preparation outlet.

2. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising pumping units connected to said fluidic circuit and configured to fluidically connect said filtering compartment alternatively to said discharge circuit or to said loading circuit.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said pumping units comprise a first pumping unit connected to the discharge circuit and a second pumping unit, connected to said loading circuit.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second pumping units are suction units formed by a respective piston mobile in a respective piston housing chamber and by a respective ringnut designed for fine movement of said respective piston of said respective suction unit.

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first valve means, arranged along said loading circuit, for selectively fluidically connecting the filtering compartment to said preparation outlet and a second valve means, arranged along said discharge circuit, for selectively fluidically connecting the filtering compartment to said discharge chamber.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein said first and second valve means comprise electrically controlled valves connected to an external control module.

7. The device according to claim 5 , wherein said first valve means comprise first and second abutment elements and a first ball movable within said loading circuit . . . and a second ball movable within said discharge circuit between the third and fourth abutment elements.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a body that is at least partially transparent, said fluid inlet, said filtering compartment, said fluidic circuit, said discharge chamber, and said preparation outlet being formed within said body.

9. The device according to claim 8 , comprising a cartridge including a support that houses said chip.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein said body is arranged above said cartridge, the device further comprising fixing means for fixing said body and said cartridge together.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, said fluid inlet opening on the top surface and said preparation outlet opening on the bottom surface, said filtering compartment is arranged underneath the fluid inlet and said fluidic circuit is arranged underneath said filtering compartment.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein said fluid inlet comprises:
at least one syringe chamber configured to accommodate an injection syringe and arranged above said filtering compartment; and
a perforatable diaphragm, said syringe chamber and said filtering compartment being separated by the perforatable diaphragm.

13. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said body is flat, and said fluid inlet, said filtering compartment, said fluidic circuit, said preparation outlet, and said discharge chamber are arranged laterally side-by-side.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein said body accommodates the chip of semiconductor material comprising at least one well facing the preparation outlet.

15. An apparatus for conducting biological analyses, comprising:
a device including:
a fluid inlet;
a filtering compartment, connected to said fluid inlet and accommodating a filtering matrix and an adsorption agent;
a fluidic circuit connected downstream of said filtering compartment and including a discharge circuit and a loading circuit;
a discharge chamber, connected downstream of said discharge circuit;
a preparation outlet, connected downstream of said loading circuit;
a chip of semiconductor material having at least one well facing said preparation outlet;

a suction chamber fluidically coupled to the preparation outlet, and including a partial diaphragm, a perimeter, and an outlet opening, the partial diaphragm extending from a side wall of the suction chamber and dividing the suction chamber into an air chamber that extends above the partial diaphragm and a preparation-conveying chamber that extends underneath the partial diaphragm, the partial diaphragm defining a fluidic connection opening for fluidically connecting the air chamber and the preparation-conveying chamber, the loading circuit and the fluidic connection opening being arranged in opposite areas of the perimeter of the suction chamber; and
an electronic control unit;
at least one reservoir connected to the fluid inlet by an electrically controllable injection module, an electrically controllable actuator for advancing fluids, and an electrically controllable fluid detecting means for verifying the presence of fluid within said discharge circuit and said loading circuit,
said electronic control unit being connected to, and exchanging instructions and information with, the injection module, the actuators, and the fluid detecting means.

16. The device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a body that is at least partially transparent, said fluid inlet, said filtering compartment, said fluidic circuit, said discharge chamber, and said preparation outlet being formed within said body.

17. The device according to claim 15 wherein said body is flat, and said fluid inlet, said filtering compartment, said fluidic circuit, said preparation outlet, and said discharge chamber are arranged laterally side-by-side.

18. The device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
pumping units connected to said fluidic circuit and configured to fluidically connect said filtering compartment alternatively to said discharge circuit or to said loading circuit.

19. A device for preparing biologic samples, comprising:
a fluid inlet;
a filtering compartment connected to said fluid inlet;
a filtering matrix and an adsorption agent accommodated in the filtering compartment;
a fluidic circuit connected downstream of said filtering compartment and including a discharge circuit and a loading circuit;
a discharge chamber connected downstream of said discharge circuit;
a preparation outlet connected downstream of said loading circuit;
a suction chamber fluidically coupled to the preparation outlet, and including a partial diaphragm, a perimeter, and an outlet opening, the partial diaphragm extending from a side wall of the suction chamber and dividing the suction chamber into an air chamber that extends above the partial diaphragm and a preparation-conveying cha

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Mastromatteo Ubaldo
• Villa Flavio Francesco
• Barlocchi Gabriele

Classifications

• B01L2300/0829

  Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates · CPC title

• G01N1/405

  by adsorption or absorption · CPC title

• B01L3/502 Primary

  with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures · CPC title

• C12Q1/6806

  Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay (C12Q1/6804 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01L2300/0864

  comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting · CPC title