Apparatus for measuring cholesterol and method thereof
View Patent ↗A microfluidic device and method for measuring a level of cholesterol therewith are provided. The cholesterol measurement apparatus includes a microfluidic device including a plurality of chambers and at least one channel through which the plurality of chambers are interconnected. The plurality of chambers include a reaction chamber which contains a capture binder, a buffer chamber which contains an elution buffer and is connected to the reaction chamber, and at least one detection chamber which contains a cholesterol measurement reagent and is connected to the reaction chamber.
1. A cholesterol measurement apparatus comprising:
a microfluidic device comprising a plurality of chambers and at least one channel through which the plurality of chambers are interconnected,
wherein the plurality of chambers comprise:
a sample chamber;
a separation chamber connected to sample chamber;
a reaction chamber which contains a capture binder;
a metering chamber interconnecting the separation chamber and the reaction chamber;
a buffer chamber which contains an elution buffer and is connected to the reaction chamber; and
at least one detection chamber which contains a cholesterol measurement reagent and is connected to the reaction chamber.
2. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic device further comprises at least one valve which controls transfer of a fluid between the plurality of chambers.
3. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one valve comprises a mixture of a phase transition material and a fluid.
4. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the phase transition material comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of wax, gel and thermoplastic resin.
5. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid comprises carrier oil and micro-heating particles dispersed in the carrier oil, and the micro-heating particles are metal oxide microparticles.
6. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an external energy source which supplies energy to operate the valve.
7. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the external energy source is a laser source.
8. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the capture binder comprises at least one substance selected from a group consisting of antibodies, antigens, receptors, ligands, oligonucleotides, haptens and aptamers.
9. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the capture binder is combined with an Apo-B protein of a lipoprotein in a fluid sample to capture non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) and separate the non-HDL from HDL.
10. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the capture binder is bonded to a solid phase comprising agarose gel or polymer beads.
11. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber comprises a reaction region in which the capture binder is placed and fixed thereto.
12. The cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reaction region is formed of at least one material selected from a group consisting of a porous membrane, a micro-pore and a micro-pillar.
13. A centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus comprising:
a microfluidic device comprising a rotational body including a plurality of chambers and at least one channel through which the plurality of chambers are interconnected,
wherein the plurality of chambers comprise:
a sample chamber;
a separation chamber connected to the sample chamber;
a reaction chamber which contains a capture binder;
a metering chamber interconnecting the separation chamber and the reaction chamber;
a buffer chamber which contains an elution buffer and is connected to the reaction chamber; and
at least one detection chamber which contains a cholesterol measurement reagent and is connected to the reaction chamber.
14. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the microfluidic device further comprises at least one valve which controls transfer of a fluid between the plurality of chambers.
15. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the valve comprises a mixture of a phase transition material and a heating fluid.
16. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the phase transition material comprises at least one material selected from a group consisting of wax, gel and thermoplastic resin.
17. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the heating fluid comprises carrier oil and micro-heating particles dispersed in the carrier oil, and the micro-heating particles are metal oxide microparticles.
18. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising an external energy source which supplies energy to operate the valve.
19. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the external energy source is a laser source.
20. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the capture binder includes at least one substance selected from a group consisting of antibodies, antigens, receptors, ligands, oligonucleotides, haptens and aptamers.
21. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the capture binder is bonded to a solid phase comprising agarose gel or polymer beads.
22. The centrifugal cholesterol measurement apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the reaction chamber comprises a reaction region in which the capture binder is placed and fixed thereto, and
wherein the reaction region is formed of at least one material selected from a group consisting of a porous membrane, a micro-pore and a micro-pillar.
23. A method for measurement of cholesterol, the method comprising:
injecting a blood sample into a microfluidic device;
transporting a supernatant separated from the blood sample into a reaction chamber of the microfluidic device that contains a capture binder;
combining non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the supernatant with the capture binder;
transporting HDL not combined with the capture binder into a first detection chamber of the microfluidic device;
transferring an elution buffer from a buffer chamber of the microfluidic device to the reaction chamber to disassociate the non-HDL from the capture binder;
transporting the non-HDL dissociated from the capture binder into a second detection chamber of the microfluidic device; and
determining a concentration of cholesterol in the blood sample through reaction of a cholesterol measurement reagent contained in each of the first and second detection chambers with the HDL and non-HDL in the first and second detection chambers, respectively.
24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the capture binder comprises at least one substance selected from a group consisting of antibodies, antigens, receptors, ligands, oligonucleotides, haptens and aptamers.
25. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the capture binder is combined with an Apo-B protein of a lipoprotein in the blood sample to capture non-HDL and separate the non-HDL from the HDL.
26. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the capture binder is bonded to a solid phase comprising agarose gel or polymer beads.
27. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the reaction chamber comprises a reaction region in which the capture binder is placed and fixed thereto.
28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the reaction region is formed of at least one material selected from a group consisting of a porous membrane, a micro-pore and a micro-pillar.