Cartridges For Detecting Target Analytes In A Sample And Associated Methods

Abstract

A cartridge for detecting a target analyte in a sample includes (a) a capillary channel with a detection region configured for detection of the target analyte, (b) an inlet port configured to hold the sample before entering the capillary channel and including a dried reagents for rehydrating into the sample, the inlet port and the capillary channel being shaped in part by a common structure, and (c) a vent having a frangible seal configured to prevent flow of the sample into the capillary channel until the frangible seal is broken, the capillary channel being airtight between the inlet port and the vent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Cartridge for detecting a target analyte in a sample, comprising:
 a capillary channel with a detection region configured for detection of the target analyte;   an inlet port configured to hold the sample before entering the capillary channel and including dried reagents capable of rehydrating into the sample, the inlet port and the capillary channel being shaped in part by a common structure; and   a vent having a frangible seal configured to prevent flow of the sample into the capillary channel until the frangible seal is broken, the capillary channel being airtight between the inlet port and the vent.   
     
     
         2 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , the inlet port forming an open reservoir capable of receiving the sample while the vent is closed. 
     
     
         3 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , an entrance from the inlet port into the capillary channel being shaped to seal the sample at the entrance and prevent flow of the sample into the capillary channel when the sample is located in the inlet port and the frangible seal is not broken. 
     
     
         4 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising a planar substrate forming (a) a bottom surface of the inlet port and (b) a floor of the capillary channel, the bottom surface having 1-10 millimeters extent in widthwise and lengthwise dimensions, the inlet port being open in direction orthogonal to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         5 . The cartridge of  claim 4 , the inlet port and the outlet port facing in same direction. 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge of  claim 4 , the inlet port having volume capacity greater than volume of the sample required to detect the target analyte. 
     
     
         7 . The cartridge of  claim 6 , the inlet port having hydrophilic surfaces that generate capillary forces to collect the sample when the inlet port, in a downward facing orientation, touches the sample. 
     
     
         8 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , the dried reagents having a rehydration rate determined by reagent formulation and physical dimension that collectively yield spatially uniform reagent-sample interactions within the detection region. 
     
     
         9 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , the detection region having width orthogonal to flow direction of the sample within the capillary channel, the dried reagents being disposed on a bottom surface of the inlet port and evenly distributed in direction along the width to yield spatially uniform distribution of rehydrated dried reagents within the detection region, so as to yield spatially uniform reagent-sample interactions within the detection region. 
     
     
         10 . The cartridge of  claim 9 , further comprising a planar substrate forming the bottom surface and a floor of the capillary channel, the capillary channel having height orthogonal to the floor and the flow direction, the height being sized to restrict flow, of the sample within the capillary channel, to capillary flow. 
     
     
         11 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , the capillary channel having a volume capacity of microliters, the inlet port having a volume capacity greater than the volume capacity of the capillary channel. 
     
     
         12 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , the capillary channel being formed in part by an optically transmissive planar substrate and a planar inner surface of a cartridge body. 
     
     
         13 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising control features disposed to be viewable within the detection region, to permit evaluation of assay validity. 
     
     
         14 . A method for detecting a target analyte in a sample, comprising:
 receiving a cartridge having an inlet port with dried reagents therein, the inlet port being connected with a capillary channel sealed by a vent, the capillary channel being airtight between the inlet port and the vent, the inlet port and the capillary channel being shaped in part by a common structure;   rehydrating the dried reagents into a sample over an incubation period while holding the sample in the inlet port; and   after the step of rehydrating, opening the vent to allow flow of the sample into the capillary channel.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , the step of opening the vent comprising puncturing a frangible seal sealing the vent. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detecting the target analyte through detection, within the capillary channel, of components of the rehydrated dried reagents bound to the target analyte. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , the step of rehydrating comprising holding a sample volume in the inlet port greater than volume of the sample required to detect the target analyte. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising loading the sample into the inlet port by orienting the inlet port in a downward facing direction to touch the inlet port to the sample and collecting the sample using hydrophilic surfaces of the inlet port.