| CPC B01L 3/502 (2013.01) [B01L 3/00 (2013.01); G01N 35/10 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0684 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0689 (2013.01); B01L 2200/16 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0864 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0478 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0644 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A liquid handling and processing tool for analyzing a biological sample, said tool comprising:
a) a valve body having a longitudinal axis and including, along its longitudinal axis, a fluid displacement chamber, said fluid displacement chamber having a top and a bottom, and an opening at said top and said bottom, respectively;
said fluid displacement chamber further having a piston movable within said fluid displacement chamber and that is configured to draw liquid to and expel liquid from said fluid displacement chamber;
said fluid displacement chamber being centrally located within said valve body and aligned along said longitudinal axis of said valve body;
said valve body further including a first circular sealing plate located at the top of the fluid displacement chamber, and a second circular sealing plate located at the bottom of the fluid displacement chamber;
said first circular sealing plate being fixedly connected to said valve body at the top of the fluid displacement chamber and having a venting port located off-centre of said first circular sealing plate, said first circular sealing plate configured to allow access to said opening of said fluid displacement chamber at said top by means of an opening;
said second circular sealing plate being fixedly connected to said valve body at the bottom of the fluid displacement chamber and having a fluidic port located off-centre of said second circular sealing plate, said second circular sealing plate configured to allow access to said opening of said fluid displacement chamber at said bottom by means of an opening;
said venting port of said first circular sealing plate and said fluidic port of said second circular sealing plate being aligned with each other; said second circular sealing plate further having a channel extending radially from said opening within said second circular sealing plate and ending in said fluidic port located off-centre of said second circular sealing plate; said valve body thus being configured to establish, via said channel, a single fluidic connection with said fluidic port located off-centre of said second circular sealing plate;
b) a housing including a plurality of chambers for holding reagent(s) or receiving liquid(s), said chambers being arranged around a central hollow space, each of said chambers having a top and a bottom, respectively;
a fluidic port in said bottom and, optionally, a venting port in said top; said housing further including at least one interface for fluidically connecting a separate fluid processing module to said housing, said at least one interface comprising a single port;
wherein said single port of said at least one interface for fluidically connecting a fluid processing module to said housing, is not part of any of said plurality of chambers and is configured to allow the attachment of a fluid processing module from outside the housing;
wherein the valve body and the housing are arranged in such a manner that said fluid displacement chamber is located within said central hollow space, the valve body is rotatable within said central hollow space around said longitudinal axis, the first circular sealing plate of said valve body seals said plurality of chambers at their respective tops, the second circular sealing plate of said valve body seals said plurality of chambers at their respective bottoms; and the valve body is configured to establish, via said channel and via the fluidic port in the bottom of said second circular sealing plate, a single fluidic connection from said fluid displacement chamber to a selected chamber of the plurality of chambers, and, optionally, to allow the concomitant venting of the same or another chamber via the venting port of said first circular sealing plate; or the valve body is configured to establish a single fluidic connection, via said channel and via the fluidic port in the bottom of said second circular sealing plate, from said fluid displacement chamber to said at least one interface and. if present, any separate fluid processing module attached to such interface;
said liquid handling and processing tool further comprising at least one fluid processing and detection module for processing a liquid sample and for detecting an analyte in said sample, said fluid processing and detection module being configured to be used in conjunction with said liquid handling and processing tool. and furthermore, configured to be attached to said at least one interface of said liquid handling and processing tool via said single port of said at least one interface, wherein said fluid processing and detection module comprises:
a frame encompassing a volume having at least one wall that is flexible and conformable to an external temperature regulating surface; a rigid wall region that is transparent or otherwise amenable to optical interrogation by means of an external optical sensor;
wherein said rigid wall region is detachable from said frame and is not an integral part of said frame;
an opening by which said fluid processing and detection module is fluidically connectable to said single port of said interface of said liquid handling and processing tool, wherein said opening of said fluid processing and detection module is the only opening of said fluid processing and detection module;
wherein said fluid processing and detection module has a bipartite volume consisting of a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is a first volume directly connected and in communication with said opening of said fluid processing and detection module, wherein in said first volume, processing of sample and detection of a processing reaction takes place, and wherein the second part is a second volume that is only connected to said first part via a connecting tube, but is an otherwise closed volume, wherein said second volume is a volume for receiving overflow of liquid or gas from the first part and is configured to act as a pressure reservoir.
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