Microfluidic device for simultaneously conducting multiple analyses

Abstract

Provided is a rotatable microfluidic device for conducting simultaneously two or more assays. The device includes a platform which can be rotated, a first unit which is disposed at one portion of the platform and detects a target material from a sample using surface on which a capture probe selectively binds to the target material is attached, and a second unit which is disposed at another portion of the platform and detects a target material included in the sample by a different reaction from the reaction conducted in the first unit.

1 . A microfluidic device for simultaneously conducting two or more assays, the device comprising:
 a platform which can be rotated;   a first assay unit which is disposed at one portion of the platform and detects a first target material from a biological fluid sample, wherein the detecting the target material is carried out using a surface (“capture probe-bound surface”) to which a capture probe which selectively binds to the target material is attached; and   a second assay unit which is disposed at another portion of the platform and detects a second target material in the biological fluid sample by a reaction using a reagent which reacts with the second target material, wherein the reagent is previously loaded in the second assay unit;   wherein each of the first and second units comprises a microfluidic structure which includes a plurality of chambers, a plurality of channels for connecting the plurality of chambers, and a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of a fluid through the channels; and   wherein the plurality of valves comprise at least one phase transition valve comprising a valve material in which heat-generating particles are dispersed in a phase transition material that is in a solid state at a room temperature and in a liquefied state at a temperature higher than the melting point of the phase transition material, and the valve material changing into a molten state, when energy is applied to the heat-generating particles, resulting in opening or closing its corresponding channel path.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the capture probe-bound-surface is provided by at least one of surfaces of microparticles accommodated in the microfluidic structure, a surface of a microarray chip mounted in the microfluidic structure, or an inner surface of at least one of the plurality of chambers. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first assay unit is an immunoassay unit and the second assay unit is a biochemical analysis unit. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first target material is different from the second target material. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first target material is the same to the second target material. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the phase transition material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of wax, gel, and thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating particles have a diameter of 1 nm to 100 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the energy applied to the heat generating particles is electromagnetic beam applied from an external energy source. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the heat generating particles comprise a core which absorbs the electromagnetic beam to change the electromagnetic beam into heat energy, and a shell encompassing the core. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the heat generating particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of polymer beads, quantum dots, Au nanoparticles, Ag nanoparticles, beads with metal composition, carbon particles, and magnetic beads. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the immunoassay unit comprises:
 microfluidic particles which are included within the microfluidic structure and provide the capture probe-bound-surface; and   a detection probe which is included within the microfluidic structure, is selectively binds to the first target material, and includes an optical signal revelation material, wherein   the microfluidic structure allows the microparticles, the biological fluid sample, and the detection probe to react upon mixing them.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the immunoassay unit further comprises
 a reagent which is included in the microfluidic structure, is mixed with the microparticles and reacts with the optical signal revelation material of the detection probe, said detection probe being attached to the first target material, to generate an optical signal.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the phase transition valve comprises:
 an opening valve which is disposed so that a valve plug closes the path at an initial stage, and which, when the valve plug is melted by an application of external energy, flows from its initial position so as to open the path; and   a closing valve which includes a valve chamber connected to the path and a valve material placed in the valve chamber in an initial state, wherein when the valve material is melted and expands by an application of external energy, the valve material enters the path, is solidified and closes the path.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the rotatable platform is disk-shaped; and wherein the microfluidic structure of the immunoassay unit comprises:
 a sample chamber in which the biological fluid sample is accommodated;   a buffer chamber in which a buffer solution is accommodated;   a microfluidic chamber in which a microfluidic solution is accommodated;   a mixing chamber in which a solution for the detection probe is accommodated, and which is connected to the sample chamber, the buffer chamber, and the microfluidic chamber, respectively, through channels, has an outlet disposed radially outward of an inlet of the microfluidic chamber, and performs a reaction of the sample and the microparticles, and a separation of the microparticles using the buffer solution according to operations of valves disposed at the respective channels and outlets, to provide separated microparticles;   a waste chamber which is connected to a portion adjacent to the outlet of the mixing chamber and in which the fluid existing from the mixing chamber is accommodated according to control of the valves disposed at the paths; and   an optical signal revelation chamber which is connected to the outlets of the mixing chamber through the channels, accommodates the separated microparticles, and provides an optical signal generated by the detection probe.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the mixing chamber is disposed radially outward of the sample chamber, the buffer chamber, and the microparticle chamber, and is disposed radially inward of the waste chamber and the optical signal revelation chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein a channel for connecting the mixing chamber and the waste chamber is connected to a position in which a space to receive the microparticles from the mixing chamber is formed between the connection portion of the mixing chamber and the outlet of the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the channel for connecting the mixing chamber and the waste chamber can be opened and closed by the valves. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the channel for connecting the mixing chamber and the waste chamber is constituted so that opening and closing operations are repeatedly performed using valves at least twice. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein channels for connecting the buffer chamber and the mixing chamber are connected to positions of the buffer chamber which each corresponds to different levels of the buffer solution contained in the buffer chamber, and valves that operate separately are disposed at each of the channels. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the microparticles are magnetic beads, and the immunoassay unit is disposed adjacent to the optical signal revelation chamber and includes a magnetic material for collecting magnetic beads within the optical signal revelation chamber by a magnetic force. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the microfluidic structure of the immunoassay unit further comprises a centrifugal separation unit which is connected to the sample chamber and the mixing chamber, centrifugally separates the sample accommodated in the sample chamber to give a supernatant and a precipitate, and provides the supernatant to the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the immunoassay unit further comprises a reagent which is accommodated in the optical signal revelation chamber, is mixed with the separated microparticles, and reacts the optical signal revelation material of the detection probe attached to the first target material to generate an optical signal. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the microfluidic structure of the immunoassay unit further comprises a fixing chamber which is disposed further from the center of the disc-shaped platform than the optical signal revelation chamber and is connected to an outlet of the optical signal revelation chamber, wherein a fixing solution is disposed inside the fixing chamber to stop a reaction of the optical signal revelation material and the reagent. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the rotatable platform is disk-shaped, and the microfluidic structure of the biochemical analysis unit comprises:
 a sample chamber in which a sample is accommodated;   a reaction chamber which is connected to the sample chamber and in which a reagent for detecting the second target material through a biochemical reaction is accommodated; and   a detection chamber in which a reaction resultant of the sample and the reagent is accommodated to be optically detected.   
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the microfluidic structure of the biochemical analysis unit further comprises a centrifugal separator which is connected to the sample chamber and the reaction chamber, centrifugally separates the sample accommodated in the sample chamber to give a supernatant and a precipitate, and provides the supernatant to the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         26 . A microfluidic device for conducting multiple biological assays simultaneously, the device comprising:
 a platform which can be rotated;   a first assay unit which is disposed at one portion of the platform and detects a first target material from a biological sample using a microarray chip having capture probes arranged on its surface; and   a second assay unit which is disposed at another portion of the platform and detects a second target material included in the sample by a reaction of the sample and a previously-loaded reagent which selectively reacts with the second target material, wherein   the first assay unit comprises a microfluidic structure which includes a plurality of chambers, a plurality of channels for connecting the plurality of chambers, and a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of a fluid through the channels by rotation of the platform and the valves, and   the plurality of valves comprise at least one phase transition valve comprising a valve material in which heat-generating particles are dispersed in a phase transition material, in which that the phase transition material is in a solid state at a room temperature and in a liquefied state at a temperature higher than the melting point of the phase transition material, and the valve material changing into a molten state by heat generated due to energy applied to the heat-generating particles, resulting in opening or closing its corresponding channel path.   
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the microarray chip is mounted on the disc-shaped platform so that capture probes bound on its surface are in contact with the sample inside the microfluidic structure. 
     
     
         28 . A disc-shaped microfluidic device for conducting immunoassay and biochemistry analysis simultaneously, the device comprising:
 a disc-shaped platform which can be rotated;   a centrifugal separation unit which is disposed radially inward of all other units provided in the platform and centrifugally separates a biological fluid sample using a centrifugal force generated by rotation of the disc-shaped platform to give a supernatant and a precipitate;   a distribution unit which distributes the supernatant of the sample from the centrifugal separation unit into a plurality of metering chambers in a predetermined amount;   an immunoassay unit which is disposed at one portion of the disc-shaped platform, includes a plurality of chambers, a plurality of channels for connecting the chambers, and a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of a fluid through the channels, immunoassay unit detecting a first target material from the sample supplied by the distribution unit using a capture probe-bound-surface; and   a biochemistry analysis unit which is disposed at another portion of the disc-shaped platform and detects a second target material included in the sample by a biochemical reaction of the sample and a previously-loaded reagent, wherein   the plurality of valves comprise a valve material in which heat-generating particles are dispersed in a phase transition material that is in a solid state at a room temperature and in a liquefied state at a temperature higher than the melting point of the phase transition material, and at least one phase transition valve in which the valve material is changed into a molten state when energy is applied to the heat-generating particles, each phase transition valve opening or closing its corresponding channel path.   
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the distribution unit comprises:
 a distribution channel which is connected to an outlet valve of the centrifugal separation unit, extends along a circumferential direction of the disc-shaped platform, and has a constant fluid resistance over all sections;   a plurality of metering chambers which are disposed radially outward of the distribution channel; and   a plurality of inlet channels which connect the distribution channel to the plurality of metering chambers,   wherein, the distribution unit distributes the supernatant of the sample existing from the centrifugal separation unit to the plurality of metering chambers through the distribution channel using centrifugal force generated by rotation of the disc-shaped platform.