Matrix droplet extruder, sample holder and sample analysis system

Abstract

A matrix droplet extruder includes a casing; one or a plurality of reagent containers; a plurality of pneumatic connectors on the casing that are each configured to be connected to a pneumatic actuator to provide controlled pneumatic pressure to one or more of said plurality of the pneumatic connectors; a droplet matrix extrusion surface with one or a plurality of printing zones, each printing zone comprising an array of perforations; and a liquid management chip for dispensing one or more reagents from said one or a plurality of reagent containers through the array of perforations of said one or a plurality of printing zones, so as to repeatedly generate a matrix of droplets when applying the pneumatic pressure to said one or more reagents.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A sample holder comprising:
 a casing with a pocket;   a removable sample slide with one or a plurality of substrate patches configured to be inserted into or removed from the pocket;   a sample channel for introducing a liquid sample into one or a plurality of sealed spaces between the sample slide and a section of the casing, so as to allow the sample liquid to be absorbed in said one or more substrate patches.   
     
     
         10 . The sample holder of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate patches comprise a membrane. 
     
     
         11 . The sample holder of  claim 10 , wherein the membrane comprises material selected from the group of materials consisting of: nitrocellulose, fiberglass, nano-mesh, plastic and glass. 
     
     
         12 . The sample holder of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of pneumatic connectors on the casing that are each configured to be connected to a pneumatic pressure or vacuum actuator to provide controlled pneumatic pressure or vacuum to one or more of said plurality of the pneumatic connectors to obtain laminar flow of the sample or other liquids into said one or a plurality of sealed spaces. 
     
     
         13 . The sample holder of  claim 12 , further comprising one or a plurality of liquid containers containing one or more kinds of the other liquids. 
     
     
         14 . The sample holder of  claim 9 , further comprising a lock for locking the sample slide when fully inserted inside the pocket. 
     
     
         15 . A sample analysis system comprising:
 a pneumatic actuator;   one or a plurality of sample holders comprising:
 a casing with a pocket; 
 liquid containers; 
 a removable sample slide with a substrate comprising one or a plurality of substrate patches, configured to be inserted into or removed from the pocket; and 
 a sample channel for introducing a liquid sample into one or a plurality of sealed spaces between the sample slide and a section of the casing, so as to allow the sample liquid to be absorbed in said one or more substrate patches; and 
   a controller that is configured to control the pneumatic actuator so as to sequentially cause one or more liquids from one or more of the liquid containers to flow to or away from the sample slide in that sample holder; and   an analysis module for examining the sample slide after contact of the sample with a plurality of dots of one or more reagents that are printed onto the substrate.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a transport mechanism to transport each of said one or a plurality of the sample holders sequentially to a station of a plurality of stations along the transport mechanism, the controller further configured to control the transport mechanism so as to cause the transport mechanism to move said one or a plurality of sample holders such that each of the one or plurality of sample holders is sequentially moved from a current station of the plurality of stations to a next station of the plurality of stations. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the transport mechanism comprises a rotatable carousel, the plurality of pneumatic connectors arranged to enable connection of each of said one or a plurality of sample holders at a position on the perimeter of the carousel. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of pneumatic connectors are arranged to enable connection of said one or a plurality of sample holders at equally spaced positions along the perimeter of the carousel. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of stations comprises at least one docking station onto which a matrix droplet extruder is attachable, the docking station comprising a plurality of docking station connectors for connecting to a plurality of docking pneumatic connectors of the matrix droplet extruder, the docking station being controllable by the controller to selectively apply pressure to each of the docking station connectors to control extrusion of liquid droplets from one or more reagent containers of the matrix droplet extruder onto a droplet matrix extrusion surface of the matrix droplet extruder to form the plurality of reagent droplets. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one docking station comprises a mechanism for emptying a canister of a reagent into a reagent container of said one or more reagent containers. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a mechanical system that is controlled by the controller to manipulate the substrate of each of the one or plurality of sample holders to place the substrate in contact with the droplet matrix extrusion surface to enable extrusion of the plurality of reagent dots onto the substrate, and to expose the substrate to the analysis module. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the mechanical system is controlled by pneumatic pressure. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the mechanical system comprises a rinsing chamber that is configured to be placed against the droplet matrix extrusion surface to enable cleaning of the droplet matrix extrusion surface. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the analysis module comprises an optical system for acquiring an image of the substrate or an electronic system to measure an electrical property of the substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate includes said dots of one or more reagents which are pre-extruded onto the substrate. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 15  further including a matrix droplet extruder for printing the plurality of dots of one or more reagents, the matrix droplet extruder comprising:
 a casing; 
 one or a plurality of reagent containers; 
 a second plurality of pneumatic connectors on the casing that are each configured to be connected to the pneumatic actuator to provide controlled pneumatic pressure to one or more of said second plurality of the pneumatic connectors; 
 a droplet matrix extrusion surface with one or a plurality of printing zones, each printing zone comprising an array of perforations; and 
 a liquid management chip for dispensing one or more reagents from said one or a plurality of reagent containers through the array of perforations of said one or a plurality of printing zones, so as to repeatedly generate a matrix of droplets when applying the pneumatic pressure to said one or more reagents. 
 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said one or a plurality of printing zones comprises two printing zones. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising a transfer mechanism for transferring each of said one or a plurality of sample holders to and from a position facing the matrix droplet extruder, and for placing the sample slide of each of said one or a plurality of sample holders onto either of said one or a plurality of printing zones. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a disposal container for disposing used sample holders of said one or a plurality of sample holders.