Lab on a chip

Abstract

A Lab On a Chip (LOC) has a Sample Preparation Module (SPM) coupled to a sample inlet, a microchannel coupled to the SPM, and an optic module optically proximate to the microchannel. The optic module holds multiple lenses, each of which has a different effective focal length, such that all fields of focus within the microchannel are covered as objects suspended within the liquid sample pass through the microchannel.

1 . A Lab On a Chip (LOC) comprising:
 a sample inlet for receiving a liquid sample;   a Sample Preparation Module (SPM) coupled to the sample inlet;   a microchannel coupled to the SPM;   a light source;   an optic module optically proximate to the microchannel;   a plurality of lenses within the optic module, wherein each of the plurality of lenses has a different effective focal length for focusing light images of objects suspended within the liquid sample as light from the light source illuminates the objects passing through the microchannel in different strata of the microchannel; and   an image processing component within the optic module, wherein the image processing component generates a digital image of the light images of the objects.   
     
     
         2 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein different effective focal lengths are achieved by reshaping each of the plurality of lenses. 
     
     
         3 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein different effective focal lengths are achieved by each of the plurality of lenses being manufactured of different materials having different indexes of refraction. 
     
     
         4 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lenses all have a same shape and are all made of a same material, and wherein different effective focal lengths are achieved by positioning each of the plurality of lenses in order for each of the plurality of lenses to have a different depth of field in the different strata of the microchannel. 
     
     
         5 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein the SPM comprises:
 a mixing chamber;   a reagent chamber containing a reagent;   a semi-permeable membrane oriented between the mixing chamber and the reagent chamber; and   a tuned energy source, wherein the tuned energy source selectively causes contents of the reagent chamber to expand and pass through the semi-permeable membrane into the mixing chamber to mix the reagent with the liquid sample.   
     
     
         6 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein the SPM comprises:
 a mixing chamber;   a reagent chamber containing a reagent;   a first semi-permeable membrane oriented between the mixing chamber and the reagent chamber;   a pressure chamber containing a non-reagent fluid;   a second semi-permeable membrane oriented between the pressure chamber and the reagent chamber; and   a tuned energy source, wherein the tuned energy source selectively causes the non-reagent fluid in the pressure chamber to expand and pass through the second semi-permeable membrane to pressurize contents of the reagent chamber, and wherein pressurizing the contents of the reagent chamber forces the reagent across the first semi-permeable membrane in order to mix the reagent with the liquid sample.   
     
     
         7 . The LOC of  claim 1 , wherein the SPM comprises:
 a mixing chamber;   a pump coupled to the mixing chamber;   a hydraulic reservoir fluidly coupled to the pump; and   a tuned energy source, wherein the tuned energy source causes contents of the hydraulic reservoir to expand in order to actuate the pump, wherein actuating the pump causes prepared sample contents of the mixing chamber to be pumped into the microchannel.   
     
     
         8 . The LOC of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an effluent reservoir fluidly coupled to the microchannel, wherein the effluent reservoir captures the liquid sample as it leaves the microchannel.   
     
     
         9 . A method of analyzing a test sample on a Lab On a Chip (LOC), the method comprising:
 a sample preparation module in a LOC receiving a fluid sample to create a prepared fluid sample;   passing the prepared fluid sample through a microchannel that is situated between a light source and a lens chamber in the LOC, wherein the lens chamber holds multiple lenses, and wherein each of the multiple lenses have a different effective fixed focal length;   generating an optic image of each of multiple objects suspended within the prepared fluid sample, wherein each optic image is focused by a different lens from the multiple lenses; and   converting each optic image into a digital image in an image processing component of the LOC.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 combining multiple digital images to create a composite image of an object that extends through multiple fields of view of the multiple lenses.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein creating the prepared fluid sample comprises:
 activating a tuned energy source to expand a content of a reagent chamber, wherein the reagent chamber is separated from a mixing chamber in the sample preparation module by a semi-permeable membrane, and wherein expanding the content of the reagent chamber forces a reagent contained within the reagent chamber to pass through the semi-permeable membrane to mix with the fluid sample to create the prepared fluid sample.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein creating the prepared fluid sample comprises:
 activating a tuned energy source to expand a content of a pressure chamber in the sample preparation module, wherein the pressure chamber is separated from a reagent chamber in the sample preparation module by a first semi-permeable membrane, wherein the reagent chamber is separated from a mixing chamber in the sample preparation module by second a semi-permeable membrane, and wherein expanding the content of the pressure chamber forces non-reagent contents of the pressure chamber to pass through the first semi-permeable membrane in order to pressurize contents of the reagent chamber, and wherein pressurizing contents of the reagent chamber forces a reagent contained within the reagent chamber to pass through the second semi-permeable membrane to mix with the fluid sample to create the prepared fluid sample.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the mixing chamber is coupled to a pump, and wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to a hydraulic reservoir, and wherein the method further comprises:
 activating a tuned energy source to expand a fluid content of the hydraulic reservoir, wherein expanding the fluid content of the hydraulic reservoir causes the pump to pump contents of the mixing chamber into the microchannel.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 transmitting the digital image to an external computing device via an Input/Output (I/O) device that is electrically coupled to the image processing component.   
     
     
         15 . A computer program product for analyzing a test sample on a Lab On a Chip (LOC), the computer program product comprising:
 a computer readable storage media;   first program instructions for receiving a fluid sample to create a prepared fluid sample;   second program instructions for passing the prepared fluid sample through a microchannel that is situated between a light source and a lens chamber in the LOC, wherein the lens chamber holds multiple lenses, and wherein each of the multiple lenses have a different effective fixed focal length;   third program instructions for generating an optic image of each of multiple objects suspended within the prepared fluid sample, wherein each optic image is focused by a different lens from the multiple lenses; and   fourth program instructions for converting each optic image into a digital image in an image processing component of the LOC; and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 fifth program instructions for combining multiple digital images to create a composite image of an object that extends through multiple fields of view of the multiple lenses; and wherein   
       the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein creating the prepared fluid sample comprises:
 fifth program instructions for activating a tuned energy source to expand a content of a reagent chamber, wherein the reagent chamber is separated from a mixing chamber in the sample preparation module by a semi-permeable membrane, and wherein expanding the content of the reagent chamber forces a reagent contained within the reagent chamber to pass through the semi-permeable membrane to mix with the fluid sample to create the prepared fluid sample; and wherein   
       the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein creating the prepared fluid sample comprises:
 fifth program instructions for activating a tuned energy source to expand a content of a pressure chamber in the sample preparation module, wherein the pressure chamber is separated from a reagent chamber in the sample preparation module by a first semi-permeable membrane, wherein the reagent chamber is separated from a mixing chamber in the sample preparation module by second a semi-permeable membrane, and wherein expanding the content of the pressure chamber forces non-reagent contents of the pressure chamber to pass through the first semi-permeable membrane in order to pressurize contents of the reagent chamber, and wherein pressurizing contents of the reagent chamber forces a reagent contained within the reagent chamber to pass through the second semi-permeable membrane to mix with the fluid sample to create the prepared fluid sample; and wherein   
       the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber is coupled to a pump, and wherein the pump is fluidly coupled to a hydraulic reservoir, and wherein the method further comprises:
 fifth program instructions for activating a tuned energy source to expand a fluid content of the hydraulic reservoir, wherein expanding the fluid content of the hydraulic reservoir causes the pump to pump contents of the mixing chamber into the microchannel; and wherein   
       the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 fifth program instructions for transmitting the digital image to an external computing device via an Input/Output (I/O) device that is electrically coupled to the image processing component; and wherein   
       the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.