Apparatus for pathogen detection
Inventors
Weber, Monika • Lo, Siu Lung • Montanaro Ochoa, Hazael Fabrizio • Yerino, Christopher Daniel • Reed, Mark A.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11198126-B2
Publication Date
2021-12-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
An apparatus for separating an analyte from a test sample, such as bacteria from blood components, based on their dielectric properties, localizing or condensing the analyte, flushing substantially all remaining waste products from the test sample, and detecting low concentrations of the analyte. The module array includes a plurality of microfluidic channels with connecting microfluidic waste channels for directing undesired material away from the analyte. An electric field is applied causing a positive dielectrophoretic force to the analyte to capture the analyte. The electric field is applied to at least one electrode having a plurality of concentric rings or concentric arcs extending radially outwards from a center point, electrically connected to a voltage source such that when voltage is applied to the at least one electrode, the concentric rings or concentric arcs alternate in voltage potential.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention relates to a pathogen-detection filtration system in which a test sample is separated into product to be analyzed and microscaled components to be separated. The separation is performed in a microfluidic separator that includes one or more microfluidic channels containing at least one electrode arranged within the microfluidic channel. An alternating current (AC) electric field is generated so that dielectrophoretic force acts on microscaled components while the product to be analyzed is not attracted to the at least one electrode.
In the microfluidic separator, the at least one electrode includes first and second sets of electrically connected concentric rings or concentric arcs. The concentric rings or concentric arcs of the first set and second set are arranged to alternate and extend radially outwards from a center point. The AC electric field is controlled using a first voltage source coupled to the first set and a second voltage source coupled to the second set to align and hold microscaled components along a curvature of the concentric rings or concentric arcs.
After separation, the invention localizes and condenses the analyte using a dielectrophoretic condenser and then traps and release-manipulates the analyte near a nanoscale sensor for label-free detection. The localized trapping and release are described in terms of a dielectrophoretic condenser electrode and reference-solution flushing to change Re{CM(ω)} and release analyte from the condenser. The sensor is described as a field-effect based biosensor implemented using an ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) and/or nanowire/nanoribbon field-effect sensing structures, and differentiation is described using frequency/medium tuning.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claims describe an apparatus architecture that uses a microfluidic separator with dielectrophoresis generated by alternating voltage potentials applied to concentric-ring or concentric-arc electrode sets, and a second independent claim that specifies a concentric-ring/arc microchannel electrode geometry with alternating voltage potentials. Across the independent claims, the main inventive features are organized into 3 groups: microfluidic separation of product versus microscaled components using controlled AC dielectrophoretic force, the electrode geometry, and voltage-potential arrangement applied to concentric electrodes while the product is not attracted.
Alternating-concentric-electrode AC dielectrophoretic separation
An apparatus in which first and second voltage sources are controlled to generate an alternating current (AC) electric field within the microfluidic channel, wherein the generated AC electric field produces a dielectrophoretic force on the test sample when the test sample traverses the microfluidic channel, causing microscaled components to be separated from the product to be analyzed by aligning and holding the microscaled components to a curvature of a plurality of the concentric rings or concentric arcs while the product to be analyzed is not attracted to the at least one electrode.
Alternating concentric rings or concentric arcs electrode sets
A microfluidic separator in which the at least one electrode comprises a first set of electrically connected concentric rings or concentric arcs and a second set of electrically connected concentric rings or concentric arcs, wherein the concentric rings or concentric arcs of the first set and second set are arranged to alternate and extend radially outwards from a center point.
Substantially circular concentric rings or arcs with alternating voltage potentials
An apparatus in which the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of concentric rings or concentric arcs extending radially outwards from a center point and structured in a substantially circular formation, wherein each of the plurality of concentric rings or concentric arcs terminates at electrode leads that extend radially outwards, the plurality of concentric rings or concentric arcs are electrically connected to at least one voltage source such that when voltage is applied, adjacent rings or arcs alternate in voltage potential between two potentials.
Overall, the independent claims cover dielectrophoresis-based microfluidic separation using controlled AC fields generated by electrodes that include concentric rings or concentric arcs with alternating voltage potentials. The claims require aligning and holding of microscaled components along electrode curvature while the product to be analyzed is not attracted, and they further specify a substantially circular concentric electrode formation with radially extending leads and adjacent alternating voltage potential.
Stated Advantages
High separation performance for separating bacteria from blood components is stated, including ~95% separation of E. coli from RBC/WBC in ~15 s and near-complete separation at ~1 min.
The invention supports label-free, low-concentration detection using a nanoscale field-effect based sensor.
Separation and trapping behavior are described as simulation-supported, including trapping and localization based on dielectrophoretic behavior and differentiation via frequency/medium tuning.
Documented Applications
Pathogen detection in a sample that includes bacteria and blood components, with separation of analyte from RBC/WBC to enable subsequent label-free detection.
Detection of analytes including bacteria such as E. coli, and the document also names organisms including Salmonella and Listeria as relevant analyte examples.
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