Vented converging capillary biological sample port and reservoir
Inventors
Cauley, III, Thomas H. • Rolfe, David Alexander • Serra, Marc Valer
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10898895-B2
Publication Date
2021-01-26
Expiration Date
Abstract
This disclosure relates to an assembly for loading a sample liquid. The assembly comprises an entry port comprising an inlet and a gas vent, and a reservoir. The reservoir comprises a distal wall, a fin, and a continuous fluidic pathway. The fin comprises first and second surfaces and extends from the inlet towards the distal wall. The continuous fluidic pathway comprises a converging channel that is in fluidic communication with the inlet and is defined by the second surface of the fin, and a diverging channel that is defined by the first surface of the fin and is in fluidic communication with the gas vent. At a distal end of the fin, a width of the converging channel at most equals a width of the diverging channel, and the width of the converging channel at most equals a distance between the distal end of the fin and the distal wall.
Core Innovation
Disclosed is a vented microfluidic assembly that concentrates a sample liquid in a distal reservoir region using a fin-defined continuous fluidic pathway from a proximal entry port. The entry port includes an inlet opening and a first gas vent, and a first fin extends from a first lateral edge of the inlet toward a distal wall.
The continuous fluidic pathway includes a converging channel defined in part by a second surface of the first fin and a first diverging channel defined in part by a first surface of the first fin. The converging channel is in fluidic communication with the inlet, and the first diverging channel is in fluidic communication with the first gas vent.
At a distal end of the first fin, the width of the converging channel is substantially equivalent to, or less than, the width of the first diverging channel. The distance between the distal end of the first fin and the distal wall is substantially equivalent to, or less than, the width of the converging channel at the distal end of the first fin, thereby constraining the distal-region fluidic geometry and concentrating the sample liquid at the distal region.
Claims Coverage
The disclosed independent claim is directed to a vented microfluidic assembly with an entry port, a distal reservoir, and a continuous fluidic pathway formed by a fin that includes both a converging channel and a diverging channel in fluidic communication with a gas vent. It includes two key inventive dimensional constraints at the distal end of the fin: the converging-channel width relative to the diverging-channel width, and the spacing between the fin tip and the distal wall relative to the converging-channel width.
Vented proximal entry port feeding a fin-defined continuous fluidic pathway
An assembly with an entry port at a proximal region that includes an inlet defining an opening and a first gas vent, and a reservoir at a distal region. A first fin extends from a lateral edge of the inlet toward a distal wall, and a continuous fluidic pathway is defined by the first fin and provides fluidic communication from the inlet toward the gas vent and distal region.
Converging channel constrained by distal fin-tip width relative to diverging channel
A continuous fluidic pathway comprising a converging channel defined in part by a second surface of the first fin and a first diverging channel defined in part by a first surface of the first fin, where the converging channel is in fluidic communication with the inlet and the diverging channel is in fluidic communication with the first gas vent. At a distal end of the first fin, the width of the converging channel is substantially equivalent to, or less than, a width of the first diverging channel.
Fin-to-distal-wall spacing constrained by distal fin-tip converging-channel width
A constraint at the distal end of the first fin where a distance between the distal end of the first fin and the distal wall is substantially equivalent to, or less than, the width of the converging channel at the distal end of the first fin. This configuration defines the distal reservoir-region geometry together with the fin-defined channels.
Overall claim coverage focuses on a vented microfluidic assembly in which a fin creates both converging and diverging channels connected to an inlet and a gas vent, with distal-end dimensional constraints that make the converging-channel width and the fin-to-distal-wall spacing substantially equivalent to, or less than, the corresponding diverging-channel width and converging-channel width, respectively.
Stated Advantages
Concentrates the sample liquid at the distal region.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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