Method for irradiating a sample with focused acoustic energy including a fully solid coupler

Abstract

A method for irradiating a sample with focused acoustic energy is provided. The generated acoustic energy is transmitted from the source to the sample via a completely dry propagation path. At least two different focal regions are generated with the source for generating acoustic energy.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of irradiating a sample with focused acoustic energy to treat the sample, the method comprising the following steps:
 providing a cartridge with a fully solid coupler;   placing the sample in a chamber of the cartridge;   inserting the cartridge into an instrument having a single source for generating acoustic energy so that a completely dry coupling of the acoustic energy between the source and the cartridge is provided, wherein the cartridge and the instrument are separable; and   generating at least two different focal regions with the single source for generating acoustic energy.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the at least two different focal regions includes one or more of the following:
 using said source for generating acoustic energy and a hybrid lens for focusing the acoustic energy onto the sample; using said source for generating acoustic energy with different roughness zones; exciting said source for generating acoustic energy differently at different positions of said source; and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the lens is selected from the group consisting of: a lens being a physically separate component placed between the source and the cartridge, a lens being part of the source, the source with a focusing shape being the lens, an array of sources that yield to focused acoustic energy, a lens being part of the cartridge, a lens made out of a polymer having a low acoustic attenuation characteristic, a metal lens, a ceramic lens, a polypropylene lens, an aluminum lens, a hybrid lens, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said source for generating acoustic energy is configured so that the acoustic energy is high intensity focused ultra sound (HiFu). 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
 inserting the cartridge into the instrument such that a propagation path for transmitting the acoustic energy from the source to the sample is formed, said propagation path consisting only of non-fluidic matter.   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the propagation path has a gradient of an acoustic impedance that is monotonously decreasing in a direction from the source to the sample. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fully solid coupler comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: solid gel, rubber, elastic foil, polymer based material, thermoplastic polymers, polymer having a low acoustic attenuation characteristic, metal, semiconductor, ceramic, polypropylene, aluminum, and a stack of these materials. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein inserting the cartridge into the instrument causes the fully solid coupler to be physically contacted with an acoustic window of the cartridge, said acoustic window made of a flexible material. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the fully solid coupler has a first contact surface for contacting the acoustic window, the cartridge has a second contact surface for contacting the acoustic window, and at least one of the first contact surface, the second contact surface and the acoustic window has a surface roughness value selected from the group consisting of smaller than 0.5 micrometers, smaller than 1 micrometers, and smaller than 2 micrometers. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
 irradiating the sample in one single chamber of the cartridge with focused acoustic energy to apply pretreatment and lysis thereto,   wherein the pretreatment is a method selected from the group consisting of mixing with a reagent, circulation, release of a cell, pathogen and matrix from a swab, release of a cell, pathogen and matrix from a brush, liquefaction, incubation of the sample with a reagent at room temperature or elevated temperature, shaking, mixing; stifling, extraction, NA extraction, flow generation, sample homogenation, separating by centrifuging, and any combination thereof, and   wherein lysis is a method selected from the group consisting of mixing with a reagent, circulation, lysis of microorganisms, incubation of the sample with a reagent at room or elevated temperature, and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fully solid coupler is made out of a polymer based material having a glass transition temperature T g  selected from the group consisting of: T g ≧−30° C.; T g ≧−10° C., T g ≧−5° C.; T g ≧20° C.; T g ≧40° C.; T g ≧60° C.; T g ≧80° C.; T g ≧100° C.; T g ≧120° C.; T g ≧130° C.; T g ≧140° C.; T g ≧150° C.; and T g ≧160° C. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the polymer based material has been cured at a curing temperature T c  selected from the group consisting of: T c ≧20° C.; T c ≧40° C.; T c ≧60° C.; T c ≧70° C.; T c ≧80° C.; T c ≧90° C.; T c ≧100° C.; T c ≧110° C.; T c ≧120° C.; T c ≧130° C.; T c ≧140° C.; T c ≧150° C.; T c ≧160° C.; T c ≧170° C.; and T c ≧180° C. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
 applying at least one measurement to the sample selected from the group consisting of: optical measurements, magnetic measurements, thermal measurements, electrical measurements, chemical measurements, sonic measurements, and any combination thereof.