• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    EXTRACTION 5 The present invention relates to an analysis system comprising a cartridge and an instrument intended to operate the cartridge. The cartridge comprises a chamber that is sealed by a film that can project when the chamber is pressurized. The instrument comprises an analysis window and a detection portion which is intended to be traversed by a signal transmitted from the chamber to the instrument when the chamber is positioned opposite the detection portion. The instrument further comprises connecting means for placing the chamber opposite the detection section, so that when the chamber is pressurized, the foil protrudes towards the detection section. The analysis system is characterized in that it further comprises spacer means to ensure that when the cartridge is connected to the instrument via the connecting means and the chamber is pressurized, said spacer means provide a gap between the foil and detection portion. Figure 1 BE2015 / 5347
    公开号:BE1022658B1
    申请号:E2015/5347
    申请日:2015-06-04
    公开日:2016-06-29
    发明作者:Robin Müller；Gil José De；Raphaël Tornay；Mathieu Gaillard
    申请人:Mycartis Nv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    ANALYSIS SYSTEM WITH REMOTE PRODUCTS. The present invention relates to an analysis system that comprises a cartridge and an instrument adapted to operate the cartridge and its use. The present invention also relates to remote means and to the instrument for implementing the analysis system.
    In the last few years, a field of medicine focused on the future has focused on personalized medicine to provide new levels of proteomics and genomics information, paving the way for new, tailor-made medical services. Personalized medicine aims at predicting, diagnosing or following illness (s) at the level of the individual, in contrast to the "standard approach". Personalized medicine generally involves detection assays that are intended to detect and quantify one or more target biomarker (s) in a sample of a patient.
    When a detection assay is performed, the sample is usually located in an assay chamber of a cartridge that is processed by a detection device. The detection device usually comprises an observation window coupled to an optical system intended for optically reading out the contents of the assay chamber. In this regard, the assay chamber is suitably placed opposite the observation window. When one or more target biomarkers are detected in the sample, one or more signals are sent from the assay chamber through the observation window to the optical system of the detection device.
    Typically, the detection of one or more target biomarkers is based on biochemical interactions between capture molecules and one or more target biomarkers, which makes it possible to transmit one or more signals detected by the optical system. For example, the optical system can detect a fluorescent signal that is emitted when an antibody recognizes a target protein.
    However, the applicant has found that when the cartridge is processed with such a detection device, often optical effects occur that create shadows on the observation window. These shadows significantly impair the transmission of the signal through the observation window and the homogeneity of said signal, so that the data provided by the detection assay is degraded by these optical effects.
    Therefore, when it comes to detecting and quantifying target biomarkers, the existing detection device fails to provide reliable and accurate data.
    The present invention has for its object to remedy all or a part of the aforementioned disadvantages.
    The present invention accomplishes these objects by providing an analysis system comprising a cartridge and an instrument adapted to operate the cartridge, the cartridge comprising a chamber formed by a cavity in a portion of the cartridge, which chamber is sealed by a foil extending along said portion, which foil can protrude when the chamber is pressurized, the instrument comprising an analysis window which is transparent to electromagnetic signals, which analysis window comprises a detection section which is intended to be traversed by a the chamber signal sent to the instrument when the chamber is positioned opposite the detection section, the instrument further comprising connecting means for attaching the cartridge to the instrument in order to place the chamber opposite the detection section so that the film bulges towards the detection section when the chamber pressure is applied wherein the analysis system is characterized in that it further comprises spacer means to ensure that said spacer means provide a gap between the film and the detection portion when the cartridge is coupled to the instrument via the connecting means and the chamber is pressurized.
    The invention also relates to spacer means for carrying out the analysis system according to the present invention, wherein said spacer means comprise a fitting piece.
    The invention further relates to an instrument for implementing the analysis system according to the present invention.
    The invention also relates to the use of an analysis system according to the present invention for detecting at least one target component.
    Thus, the present invention solves the problem by providing an analysis system that further comprises spacer means for providing a gap between them. vfo lie of a> carteidge and a detection part of an instrument that operates said cartridge.
    The applicant has discovered that the optical effects observed on the detection portion of the instrument according to the prior art are at least partially caused by the contact between the foil sealing the cartridge and the detection portion of the instrument. "When" the instrument operates the cartridge and pressurizes the chamber, the film protrudes toward the detection section and contacts said detection section. Due to frictional forces, the film does not form a uniform layer, but tends to generate the aforementioned optical effects, i.e. the shadows, also called wrinkles.
    The applicant has therefore discovered that when the chamber is pressurized, the spacers of the analysis system according to the present invention ensure a gap between the film and the detection portion. Thus, the spacers prevent any contact between the film and the detection portion, so that the optical effects observed in the prior art are avoided.
    The applicant has furthermore discovered that in the prior art analysis system, when the chamber is pressurized and the film contacts the detection section, the number of transmission media traversed by a signal from the chamber to the instrument between a first point and a second point of the detection portion varies. As a result, with the analysis system according to the known technique: - the signal "n" traverses transmission media at the first point of the detection section, where the foil makes contact with the detection section; - while at the second point, where the film does not make contact with the detection part, there is a space between the film and the detection part so that the signal traverses an additional transmission medium, namely the space, so that it traverses the signal at said second point transmission medium is "n + 1".
    Unlike the prior art analysis system, the spacers of the present invention prevent contact between the film and the detection portion when the chamber is pressurized, so that the number of transmission media at each point of the detection portion is constant. Thus, the distance means of the analysis system of the present invention allows the number of transmission media traversed by the signal from the chamber to the instrument to be constant at every point of the detection portion.
    Moreover, it has been discovered in the prior art analysis system that when the film contacts the detection portion at a contact point of the instrument and thereby creates the aforementioned optical effects, the transmission of the signal traversing the detection portion at said touch point decreases ( usually with 20%). In the present invention, the distance means prevents the point of contact and hence the decrease of the transmission of the related signal. Thus, the spacing means of the analysis system according to the present invention allows improvement of the sensitivity of the analysis system by detecting the signal that an analysis system according to the prior art would not have detected. In this regard, the spacer means also allows for an improvement in the detection efficiency by preventing any contact point and hence the decrease in the transmission of the related signal. The quantification is also being improved.
    According to an embodiment, the spacing means are separable from the analysis system. The spacer means can thus be installed on an instrument according to the known art.
    In one embodiment, the instrument further comprises a carrier which comprises a recess which is shaped such that it can receive the analysis window and the spacing means, said recess further comprising an opening opposite said analysis window.
    In one embodiment, the instrument further comprises a heating element, which heating element can transfer heat to the spacer means. Thus, when the instrument is operating the cartridge, a first part of the cartridge that contacts the instrument can be at the same temperature as a second part of the cartridge that contacts the spacer means. Thus, the temperature variation between the first part of the cartridge and the second part of the cartridge remains limited to the minimum.
    According to an embodiment, the distance (d) between said detection portion and said film is between about 1 micron and about 250 micron, preferably between about 5 micron and about 100 micron, more preferably between about 10 micron and about 50 micron when the cartridge via the connecting means is connected to the instrument and the chamber is pressurized.
    In one embodiment, the instrument comprises the spacer means.
    In another embodiment, the spacer means cooperate with the analysis window.
    According to a technical characteristic, the spacers are intended to be placed opposite the analysis window.
    According to an embodiment, the adapter has a thermal conductivity between approximately 300 W / m K and approximately 1000 W / m K at 20 ° C. Thus, the heat is transferred to the part of the cartridge that makes contact with the adapter when the adapter is heated.
    The spacer means, in particular the fitting piece, can be made of or comprise any material. In one embodiment, the adapter is made of or includes metal, more specifically, the adapter is made of copper or includes that.
    In one embodiment, the adapter further comprises releasable mounting means for attaching the adapter to the instrument. The k fitting thus forms an integral part with the instrument when the fitting is attached to the fastening means. Furthermore, the cartridge forms an integral part with the fitting piece when the cartridge is coupled to the instrument via the connecting means and the fitting piece is attached to the instrument via the fixing means. Moreover, the fixing means ensure the positioning of the adapter relative to the analysis window in order to maintain the gap between the detection portion and the foil of the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the instrument.
    In one embodiment the fastening means comprise a first part and a second part, the first part comprising a lip extending from the periphery of the fitting piece and the second part comprising a cavity formed in the instrument, so that when the lip falls into the cavity , the adapter is attached to the instrument.
    According to an embodiment, the fitting piece is intended to be placed on the analysis window.
    In one embodiment, the adapter and the carrier are in the same plane when the adapter is placed opposite the analysis window, which means that the adapter rises with the carrier. In this embodiment, the support comprising the analysis window and the adapter define a flat surface on the support. Thus, the cartridge lies flat on the flat bearing surface of the instrument when the instrument is operating the cartridge. Therefore, if the cartridge is heated by the instrument, for example via the heating element, the heat loss between the instrument and the cartridge is kept to a minimum.
    In another embodiment, said adapter defines a surface on the analysis window that corresponds to the detection portion of the analysis window when the adapter is positioned opposite the analysis window.
    The spacer means, in particular the fitting piece, can have any shape. According to an embodiment, the adapter piece is U-shaped.
    In one embodiment, the adapter has a thickness between about 50 microns and about 250 microns, preferably between about 100 microns and about 200 microns, more preferably between about 130 microns and about 170 microns.
    The present invention is further elucidated in the following detailed description as set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent an exemplary and explanatory embodiment of an analysis system according to the present invention:
    Figure 1 illustrates a top view of an analysis system according to the present invention;
    Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the analysis window of the instrument of the analysis system when said instrument operates the cartridge.
    An analysis system 1 according to the present invention, as partially illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, comprises an instrument 2 and a disposable cartridge 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The cartridge 3 and the instrument 2 are separable. The analysis system 1 according to the present invention can be used to perform an analysis of a fluid solution comprising a sample from a patient. To this end, the liquid solution is introduced into the disposable cartridge 3. Typically, the purpose of the analysis is to detect and quantify a biomarker or a panel of biomarkers from the sample in order to diagnose a disease, e.g. cardiovascular disease. In this regard, the sample may be whole blood or a component thereof, such as plasma or serum.
    The cartridge 3 comprises a chamber 4 which is formed by a cavity 5 in a portion 6 of the cartridge 2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the chamber 4 is formed by a channel 7 that extends along the axis A of the cartridge 3. The channel 7 is connected to pressure increasing means (not shown in the figures) which are intended to pressurize the chamber 4 and thereby allow a flow of the liquid solution through the channel 7. The chamber 4 further comprises microparticles (not shown in figures) that are functionalized to transmit electromagnetic signals to the instrument when the target biomarker is detected in the sample. For example, the surface of said microparticles can be inoculated with antibodies intended to recognize the biomarker and to provide a fluorescent signal thereon. The chamber 4 is sealed by a foil 8 which extends along the part 6 of the cartridge 3. The film 8 is made of or comprises a deformable material, whereby the volume of the chamber 4 can be adjusted depending on the pressure exerted on the chamber 4 by the pressure-increasing means, while the chamber 4 remains sealed. In the present embodiment, the film comprises 8 cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the foil 8 protrudes when the chamber 4 is pressurized.
    The instrument 2 of the embodiment presented in figures 1 and 2 comprises a carrier 9 which is intended to be placed opposite the cartridge 3. In the embodiment presented in Figures 1 and 2, the carrier 9 has a rectangular shape and furthermore comprises heating element A 10 and heating element B 11 which are screwed onto the carrier 9. The instrument further comprises a recess 12, which recess further comprises an opening 13. The recess 12 is formed to receive at least one analysis window 14, which analysis window 14 is placed opposite the opening 13. The analysis window 14 is transparent to electromagnetic signals and further comprises a detection part 16 which is intended to be traversed by the signal transmitted from the chamber 4. In the figures. 1 and 2, the analysis window 14 is a sapphire window 15 and the detection portion 16 is intended to be traversed by the fluorescent signal that the microparticle contained in the chamber 4 emits upon detection of the target biomarkers. The instrument further comprises connecting means for attaching the cartridge 3 to the instrument 2. For example, the connecting means comprise a slot and a plug (not shown in the figures) so that when the cartridge 3 is coupled into the connecting means, the chamber 4 is placed opposite the detection portion 16. Thus, the film 8 protrudes from the chamber 4 towards said detection section 16 when the chamber 4 is pressurized during the assay.
    The analysis system 1 further comprises spacer means to ensure that when the cartridge 3 is coupled to the instrument 2 via the connecting means and the chamber 4 is pressurized, said spacer means provide a gap between the foil 8 and the detection section 16. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the spacer means ensure that the gap, being the distance (d), between the film 8 and the detection portion 16 is at least 10 micrometers. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spacer means comprise a fitting piece 17, which fitting piece 17 is formed such that it at least partially surrounds the detection part 16. In the present case, the adapter piece 17 is 150 micrometers thick. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the adapter piece 17 is U-shaped. When the fitting piece 17 is placed on the analysis window 14, said U-shaped fitting piece 17 defines a surface on the analysis window corresponding to the detection portion 16 of the analysis window 14.
    The fitting piece 17 is made of copper because copper has a suitable thermal conductivity (385 W / (m K) at 20 ° C) to ensure the heat transfer between the heating element B 11 and the cartridge 3. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the fitting piece 17 further comprises a lip 18 extending from the periphery of the fitting piece 17, which lip 18 is intended to fall into a cavity 19 of the heating element B11 in order to fit the fitting piece 17 to the heating element B 11 to confirm.
    Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the description and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and the examples are intended to be regarded as examples only, the following claims indicating the true scope and spirit of the invention.
    权利要求:
    Claims (6)
    [1]
    CONCLUSIONS
    An anysis system (1) 4 comprising a cartridge (3) and an instrument (2) intended to operate the cartridge (3), the cartridge (3) comprising a chamber (4) passing through a cavity (5) is formed in a portion (6) of the cartridge (3), said chamber (4) being sealed by a foil (8) extending along said portion (6), wherein said film (8) can bulging out when the chamber (4) is pressurized, the instrument (2) comprising an analysis window (14) which is transparent to electromagnetic signals, which analysis window (14) comprises a detection section (16) intended to be traversed by a signal transmitted from the chamber (4) to the instrument (2) when the chamber (4) is positioned opposite the detection section (16), the instrument (2) further comprising connecting means for connecting the cartridge (3) to the instrument (2) ) to engage the chamber (4) opposite the detection portion (16) so that when the comb (4) is pressurized, the film (8) protrudes towards the detection section (16), the analysis system (1) being characterized in that it further comprises spacing means to ensure that when the cartridge (3) passes through the connecting means to the instrument (2) is coupled and the chamber (4) is pressurized, said spacing means provide a gap between the foil (8) and the detection part (16).
    [2]
    An analysis system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the spacing means are separable from the analysis system (1).
    [3]
    An analysis system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the instrument (2) further comprises a carrier (9) comprising a recess (12) formed to receive the analysis window (14) and the spacing means, which recess ( 12) further comprises an opening (13) opposite said analysis window (14).
    [4]
    An analysis system (1) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the instrument (2) further comprises a heating element (10, 11), which heating element (10, 11) can transfer heat to the spacer means.
    [5]
    An analysis system (1) according to any of claims 1-4, wherein when the cartridge (3) is coupled to the instrument (2) via the connecting means and the chamber (4) is pressurized, the distance, (d) between said detection portion (16) and said film (8) is between about 1 micron and about 250 micron, preferably between about 5 micron and about 100 micron, more preferably between about 10 micron and about 50 micron.
    [6]
    Use of an analysis system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5 for detecting at least one target component. »
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    法律状态:
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    EP15163221.3|2015-04-10|
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