Microfluidic system for amplifying and detecting polynucleotides in parallel
Inventors
Handique, Kalyan • Brahmasandra, Sundaresh N. • Ganesan, Karthik • Williams, Jeff
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11959126-B2
Publication Date
2024-04-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present technology provides for an apparatus for detecting polynucleotides in samples, particularly from biological samples. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The apparatus includes a microfluidic cartridge that is configured to accept a plurality of samples, and which can carry out PCR on each sample individually, or a group of, or all of the plurality of samples simultaneously.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a microfluidic PCR/detection system that performs amplification of polynucleotides within amplification regions of a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge. Each lane comprises an amplification region in which amplification of polynucleotides is carried out, and the system is configured to perform amplification while the cartridge is received in an instrument. The instrument is designed for parallel processing by using multiple lanes of the cartridge and associated amplification regions.
The instrument architecture includes a frame and a drawer configured to move relative to the frame. The drawer comprises an area configured to receive the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge, a registration member configured to facilitate placement of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge into the drawer in a single orientation, and a cutaway configured to facilitate removal of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge from the drawer after analysis. Electrical connectors transmit electrical signals to a plurality of separately controllable heat sources during analysis.
The core control concept is the use of separately controllable heat sources that deliver localized heat to selected regions of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge at specific times. One or more processors control the plurality of separately controllable heat sources, and a heat source directs heat to the amplification region of a lane of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge when the cartridge is received. The controlled localized heating is used to perform amplification of polynucleotides within the amplification region of the cartridge lanes.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 covers an instrument-and-method arrangement that combines a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge with a drawer-based instrument using separately controllable, localized heat sources controlled by processors and synchronized to deliver heat to amplification regions. The coverage is grounded on these inventive features: cartridge lane amplification regions, single-orientation cartridge registration with a removal cutaway, and time-specific localized heating delivered via separately controllable heat sources under processor control via electrical connectors.
Multi-lane microfluidic cartridge with lane amplification regions
Providing a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge, each lane comprising an amplification region within which amplification of polynucleotides is carried out.
Drawer with single-orientation cartridge registration and removal cutaway
Providing an instrument, the instrument comprising a frame and a drawer configured to move relative to the frame, wherein the drawer comprises an area configured to receive the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge, a registration member configured to facilitate placement of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge into the drawer in a single orientation, and a cutaway configured to facilitate removal of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge from the drawer after analysis.
Separately controllable localized heat sources delivered to selected regions at specific times
Providing an instrument, the instrument comprising a plurality of separately controllable heat sources configured to deliver localized heat to selected regions of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge at specific times, and electrical connectors configured to transmit electrical signals to the plurality of separately controllable heat sources during analysis.
Processor-controlled localized heating directed to lane amplification regions when received
One or more processors configured to control the plurality of separately controllable heat sources, a heat source of the plurality of separately controllable heat sources configured to direct heat to an amplification region of a lane of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge when the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge is received in the instrument; and controlling the plurality of separately controllable heat sources to perform amplification of polynucleotides within the amplification region of the multi-lane microfluidic cartridge.
Overall, the independent claim covers parallel polynucleotide amplification in a multi-lane microfluidic cartridge using an instrument drawer that places the cartridge in a single orientation and removes it after analysis. The claim’s inventive thrust is the use of plurality of separately controllable heat sources delivering localized heat to selected regions at specific times, under processor control via electrical connectors, with heat directed to amplification regions of lanes when the cartridge is received.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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