Micro-devices for disease detection and treatment

Abstract

Among others, the present invention provides micro-devices for detecting or treating a disease, each comprising a first micro sensor for detecting a property of the biological sample at the microscopic level, and an interior wall defining a channel, wherein the micro sensor is located in the interior wall of the micro-device and detects the property of the biological sample in the microscopic level, and the biological sample is transported within the channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for detecting or treating a disease, comprising:
 a first micro device configured to change a property of a biological sample at a microscopic level, wherein the first micro device comprises:
 a probe including a probe tip, wherein the probe tip is configured to contact the biological sample and apply a disturbing signal to the biological sample and change the property of the biological sample, and 
   a second micro device configured to measure at least one property of the biological sample in response to the disturbing signal.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing signal is configured to:
 be detected by receptors on surfaces of a cell of the biological sample, and wherein the cell is configured to encode the disturbing signal into a biologically comprehensible message to modify the cell and regulate cell behavior.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the disturbing signal is further configured to:
 cause a change in cell behavior corresponding to at least one of cell division or cell death.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second micro device is configured to contact an outer surface of the biological sample, and wherein the biological sample comprises blood from a subject, and
 wherein the probe tip of the first micro device is configured to penetrate the outer surface of the biological sample and contact an inner portion of the biological sample and apply the disturbing signal to change the property of the biological sample,   wherein the disturbing signal comprises at least one of an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, piezo-electrical, piezo-photronic, piezo-electro photronic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-physical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electro-chemical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical, or mechanical signal.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the probe tip of the first micro device is configured to interface with at least one of a major groove or a minor groove of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double helix and change the property of the biological sample. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing signal is configured to be encoded by a cell of the biological sample into a biologically comprehensible message. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing signal is configured to modify at least one property of the DNA of the biological sample, and wherein the biological sample comprises blood from a subject. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein when modifying the at least one property, the disturbing signal is configured to modify a spatial property of the DNA of the biological sample. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein when modifying the at least one property, the disturbing signals is configured to repair a defect in the DNA of the biological sample. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the disturbing signal is configured to control cellular communications of the biological sample. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of other micro devices configured to measure the at least one property of the biological sample.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first micro device further comprises a base, wherein the base is configured to:
 receive a voltage, and   move the probe tip toward the biological sample in response to the voltage.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of other micro devices spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the plurality of other micro devices is configured to measure a same property of the biological sample at different times.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 compare output from the plurality of other micro devices, and 
 determine how the biological sample reacts with a surrounding environment based on the comparison. 
   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of other micro devices configured to apply disturbing signals to a plurality of biological samples and change properties of the biological samples; and   a plurality of detectors configured to measure one of the at least one property.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one property comprises at least one of an electrical property, a chemical property or a biological property. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second micro device is further configured to:
 measure the at least one property for a disease-free biological sample, wherein a difference between the measured at least one property of the biological sample and a measured property of the disease-free biological sample is used to detect disease.   
     
     
         18 . A method for treating a disease in a subject using the apparatus of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining a biological sample from a subject;   placing the biological sample in a biocompatible media;   analyzing the biological sample to measure a property at a microscopic level with a micro device;   wherein the micro device comprises a first micro sensor for detecting a property of the biological sample at the microscopic level, and an interior wall defining a channel,   wherein the first biological sample is transported within the channel, and   wherein the micro sensor is located in the interior wall of the micro device and detects the property of the biological sample at the microscopic level; and   applying a disturbing signal to the biological sample, wherein applying the disturbing signal changes a property of the biological sample.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the biological sample comprise blood and the property comprises at least one of an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, thermal, optical, acoustical, biological, chemical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, electro-optical, electro-thermal, electro-chemical-mechanical, bio-chemical, bio-mechanical, bio-optical, bio-thermal, bio-physical, bio-electro-mechanical, bio-electrochemical, bio-electro-optical, bio-electro-thermal, bio-mechanical-optical, bio-mechanical thermal, bio-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-optical, bio-electro-mechanical optical, bio-electro-thermal-optical, bio-electro-chemical-mechanical, physical or mechanical property.