Nmr diagnostics by means of a plastic sample container

Abstract

Sample containers and methods for employing the same in in-vitro nuclear magnetic resonance measurements are provided. The sample containers are made of a material that comprises on or more polymeric materials.

1 . A method for obtaining one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters of one or more samples in-vitro using a nuclear magnetic resonance device, the method comprising: containing the one or more samples in a sample container within the nuclear magnetic resonance device, the sample container being made of a material that comprises one or more proton-rich polymeric materials, wherein the sample container comprises at least two separate volumes for containing samples and each of said volumes is, independently, between about 1 μL and about 200 μL. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nuclear magnetic resonance device comprises one or more radiofrequency coils with an associated detection volume and the sample container is shaped and sized to fit, partly or completely, inside of the detection volume. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters is a longitudinal relaxation constant T1 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: delaying sampling by a time delay to reduce acquisition of signal associated with the sample container itself. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the time delay is selected to completely reduce the acquisition of signal associated with the sample container itself. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the time delay is between about 0.01 ms and 3 ms. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one of the one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters is a spin-spin relaxation rate constant T2. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating the nuclear magnetic resonance device at or below about 0.5 T. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nuclear magnetic resonance device comprises one or more radiofrequency coils with an associated detection volume and one or more magnets, the method further comprising: positioning the sample container within the detection volume of the one or more radiofrequency coils; applying a magnetic field provided by the one or more magnets to the sample container; applying a radiofrequency pulse sequence in the presence of the magnetic field to the sample container and one or more samples, resulting in NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and NMR signals associated with the sample container; acquiring the NMR signals to obtain raw data; and processing the raw data to obtain the one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters of the one or more samples in the sample container. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container comprises: delaying the step of acquiring any NMR signals by a time delay selected to reduce, partly or completely, the acquisition of NMR signal associated with the sample container itself. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container is achieved in the processing step by computationally discriminating a contribution from the sample container to the raw data to obtain sample data, partly or completely, free of the contribution from the sample container; and obtaining the one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters from the sample data. 
     
     
         13 . A method for obtaining T2 of one or more samples using a nuclear magnetic resonance device, wherein the nuclear magnetic resonance device comprises one or more radiofrequency coils with an associated detection volume and one or more magnets, the method comprising: positioning a sample container made of a material that comprises one or more proton-rich polymeric materials within the detection volume of the one or more radiofrequency coils; applying a magnetic field provided by the one or more magnets to the sample container; applying a radiofrequency pulse sequence in the presence of the magnetic field to the sample container and one or more samples, resulting in NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and NMR signals associated with the sample container; acquiring the NMR signals to obtain raw data; and processing the raw data to obtain T2 of the one or more samples in the sample container,
 wherein the sample container comprises at least two separate volumes for containing samples and each of said volumes is, independently, between about 1 μL and about 200 μL.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container comprises: delaying the step of acquiring any NMR signals by a time delay selected to reduce, partly or completely, the acquisition of NMR signal associated with the sample container itself. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein discriminating the NMR signals associated with the one or more samples and the NMR signals associated with the sample container is achieved in the processing step by computationally discriminating a contribution from the sample container to the raw data to obtain sample data, partly or completely, free of the contribution from the sample container; and obtaining the one or more nuclear magnetic resonance parameters associated with the one or more samples. 
     
     
         17 . The method of anyone of  claims 13 , wherein the sample is a biofluid. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sample container further contains magnetic particles functionalized with binding moieties, the binding moieties being able to bind to analyte in the sample, the method further comprising the step of exposing the sample container to conditions suitable for the binding moieties and analyte in the biofluid to bind prior to acquisition of the NMR signals. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the analyte comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of a protein, a peptide, a polypeptide, an amino acid, a nucleic acid, an oligonucleotide, a therapeutic agent, a metabolite of a therapeutic agent, RNA, DNA, an antibody, an organism, a virus, a bacteria, a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, glucose, an ion or a small molecule. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the binding moieties are oligonucleotide binding moieties, polypeptide binding moieties, antibody binding moieties or polysaccharide binding moieties or synthetic small molecule binding moieties.