Rotatable cartridge with a metering chamber for analyzing a biological sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868120-B2
Application number	US-201615352680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

An automatic analyzer cartridge, spinnable around a rotational axis, has aliquoting and metering chambers, a connecting duct there between, and a vent connected to the metering chamber and nearer to the rotational axis than the metering chamber. The metering chamber has side walls that taper away from a central region. Capillary action next to the side walls is greater than in the central region. A circular arc about the rotational axis passes through a duct entrance in the aliquoting chamber and a duct exit in the metering chamber. The cartridge has a downstream fluidic element which is part of a fluidic structure for processing a biological sample into the processed biological sample. A valve connects the metering chamber to the fluidic element, which is fluidically connected to the fluidic structure. The fluidic structure receives the biological sample and has a measurement structure for enabling measurement of the processed biological sample.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing a measurement of a processed biological sample using a cartridge, wherein the cartridge is operable for being spun around a rotational axis, wherein the cartridge comprises:
an aliquoting chamber;
a metering chamber, wherein the metering chamber has side wall regions and a central region, wherein the side wall regions are narrower than the central region in a cross sectional view of the metering chamber, wherein capillary action next to the side wall regions of the metering chamber is greater than in the central region of the metering chamber,
a connecting duct for connecting the metering chamber with the aliquoting chamber, wherein the connecting duct comprises a duct entrance in the aliquoting chamber, wherein the connecting duct further comprises a duct exit in the metering chamber, wherein a circular arc about the rotational axis passes through both the duct entrance and the duct exit;
a downstream fluidic element, wherein the downstream fluidic element is connected to the metering chamber via a valve;
a fluidic structure for processing a biological sample into the processed biological sample, wherein the fluidic structure comprises the downstream fluidic element, wherein the downstream fluidic element is fluidically connected to the fluidic structure, wherein the fluidic structure comprises a measurement structure for enabling measurement of the processed biological sample, wherein the fluidic structure is configured for receiving the biological sample;

wherein the method comprises the steps of:
placing the biological sample into the fluidic structure;
controlling the rotational rate of the cartridge to process the biological sample into the processed biological sample using the fluidic structure;
filling the aliquoting chamber with a fluid;
decreasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to permit the fluid in the aliquoting chamber to flow into the connecting duct and to fill the metering chamber a first time;
increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to transfer a first part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve and to transfer a first remaining part back into the aliquoting chamber;
decreasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to permit the fluid in the aliquoting chamber to flow into the metering chamber and to fill the metering chamber a second time;
increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to transfer a second part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve and to transfer a second remaining part back into the aliquoting chamber;
performing the measurement using the measurement structure and using a measurement system; and
a vent, wherein the vent is connected to the metering chamber, wherein the vent is nearer to the rotational axis than the metering chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to transfer the first part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve comprises increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to a first rotational rate to transfer the first remaining part of the fluid back to the aliquoting chamber and increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to a second rotational rate to transfer the first part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve; and/or wherein the step of increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to transfer a second part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve comprises increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to the first rotational rate to transfer the second remaining part of the fluid back to the aliquoting chamber and increasing the rotational rate of the cartridge to the second rotational rate to transfer the second part of the fluid from the metering chamber through the valve.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge further comprises a fluid chamber for receiving the fluid, wherein the cartridge further comprises a fluid chamber duct connecting the fluid chamber and the aliquoting chamber, wherein filling the aliquoting chamber comprises:
filling the fluid chamber with the fluid; and
controlling the rotational rate of the cartridge to transport the fluid from the fluid chamber to the aliquoting chamber via the fluid chamber duct.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge further comprises an excess fluid chamber connected to the aliquoting chamber via a fluidic connection, wherein the fluidic connection comprises a fluidic connection entrance, wherein the fluidic connection entrance is further away from the rotational axis than the circular arc that passes through both the duct entrance and the duct exit.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aliquoting chamber has a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the lower portion is further from the rotational axis than the upper portion, wherein a cross sectional profile of the lower portion tapers away from the upper portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connecting duct is operable for causing fluid to flow from the aliquoting chamber to the metering chamber using capillary action.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the areas next to the side wall regions of the metering chamber are operable for filling with the fluid before the central region to prevent the formation and/or adherence of bubbles in the metering chamber.

8. A cartridge for an automatic analyzer, wherein the cartridge is operable for being spun around a rotational axis, wherein the cartridge comprises:
an aliquoting chamber;
a metering chamber, wherein the metering chamber has side wall regions and a central region, wherein the side wall regions are narrower than the central region in a cross sectional view, wherein capillary action next to the side wall regions of the metering chamber is greater than in the central region of the metering chamber;
a connecting duct for connecting the metering chamber with the aliquoting chamber, wherein the connecting duct comprises a duct entrance in the aliquoting chamber, wherein the connecting duct further comprises a duct exit in the metering chamber, wherein a circular arc about the rotational axis passes through both the duct entrance and the duct exit;
a downstream fluidic element, wherein the downstream fluidic element is connected to the metering chamber via a valve;
a fluidic structure for processing a biological sample into the processed biological sample, wherein the fluidic structure comprises the downstream fluidic element, wherein the downstream fluidic element is fluidically connected to the fluidic structure, wherein the fluidic structure comprises a measurement structure for enabling measurement of the processed biological sample, wherein the fluidic structure is configured for receiving the biological sample; and
a vent, wherein the vent is connected to the metering chamber, wherein the vent is nearer to the rotational axis than the metering chamber.

9. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the cartridge further comprises an excess fluid chamber connected to the aliquoting chamber via a fluidic connection, wherein the fluidic connection comprises a fluidic connection entrance, wherein the fluidic connection entrance is further away from the rotational axis than the circular arc that passes through both the duct entrance and the duct exit.

10. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the aliquoting chamber has a lower portion and an upper portion, wherein the lower portion is further from the rotational axis than the upper portion, wherein a cross sectional profile of the lower portion tapers away from the upper portion.

11. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the aliquoting chamber has an aliquoting chamber surface,

Assignees

• Roche Diagnostics Operations Inc

Inventors

• Boehm Christoph
• Lutz Sascha
• Spinke Juergen

Classifications

• G01N35/00069 Primary

  whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk · CPC title

• B01L2300/0672

  Integrated piercing tool · CPC title

• B01L2400/0409

  centrifugal forces · CPC title

• B01L2300/0803

  Disc shape · CPC title

• B01L2400/0694

  vents used to stop and induce flow, backpressure valves · CPC title