Self-contained biological assay apparatus, methods, and applications

1. A self-contained, biological assay apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a dispensing platform including a controllably-movable reagent dispensing system, disposed in the housing;

a reagent supply component disposed in the housing;

a pneumatic manifold removably disposed in the housing in a space shared by the dispensing platform, removably coupled to a fluidic transport layer and a plurality of reservoirs, wherein the fluidic transport layer, the reservoirs, and a test sample to be introduced therein are disposed in the housing in the space separate from the dispensing platform;

a pneumatic supply system removably coupled to the pneumatic manifold in the housing in a space separate from the dispensing platform; and

a control system coupled to at least one of the dispensing platform and the pneumatic supply system, disposed in the housing,

wherein the apparatus is characterized as a self-contained, fully automated biological assay-performing apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing platform further comprises:

a motion control system operatively coupled to the reagent dispensing system,

wherein the reagent dispensing system includes a reagent dispenser component having a distal dispensing end; and

a camera connected to the reagent dispensing system having a field of view that includes at least a selected region of interest of the reservoirs.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reagent dispenser component is an elongate needle structure having a length, L, and a selected bore size.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the reagent dispenser component is an elongated needle structures of length, L, having different respective, selected bore sizes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the reagent storage structure is a length of tubing.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reagent dispenser component is a plurality of elongate needle structures of length, L, having different respective, selected bore sizes.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the reagent dispenser component is a plurality of elongated needle structures of length, L, having different respective, selected bore sizes.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reagent dispensing system further includes a plurality of reagent storage structures that are respectively fluidly connected to the plurality of elongated needle structures, wherein each reagent storage structures has a selected dimension that operatively coincides with the respective selected bore size.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , having only two reagent storage structures that are respectively fluidly connected to two reagent dispenser components, wherein one of the reagent dispenser components has a bore diameter b1, 0.003<b1<0.018 inches and the other reagent dispenser component has a bore diameter b2, 0.015<b2<0.030 inches.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic manifold is interfaced with a microfluidic system having at least one assay capacity.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a microfluidic system having at least one assay capacity, wherein the pneumatic manifold is interfaced with the microfluidic system and wherein the microfluidic system further comprises a two-layer monolithic, polymeric, non-elastomeric microfluidic component having a given configuration of microfeatures including a plurality of pneumatically-activated diaphragms.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the pneumatic manifold has a plurality of pneumatic only ports on an underside thereof, and a plurality of pneumatic only channels disposed therein in fluid connection with a plurality of valves in the fluidic transport layer and the plurality of pneumatic only ports, wherein said plurality of pneumatic ports have a fixed configuration, and said plurality of pneumatic only channels have a given configuration specifically corresponding to a given configuration of the plurality of pneumatically-activated diaphragms in the fluidic transport layer.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pneumatic manifold has a plurality of pneumatic only ports on an underside thereof, and a plurality of pneumatic only channels disposed therein in fluid connection with a plurality of pneumatically-activated diaphragm valves in the fluidic transport layer and the plurality of pneumatic only ports, wherein said plurality of pneumatic ports have a fixed configuration, and said plurality of pneumatic only channels have a given configuration specifically corresponding to a given configuration of the plurality of pneumatically-activated diaphragms valves in the fluidic transport layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each multi-layer, monolithic microfluidic component further comprises:

a polymeric, non-elastomeric substrate having a plurality of fluid channels disposed therein, each of the fluid channels having an inlet end and an outlet end;

at least one reagent reservoir of a type capable of holding a reagent material;

at least one bi-directional diaphragm pump comprising at least three non-elastomeric membrane-based diaphragm valve structures; and

a valve disposed in fluid coupling with the at least one reagent reservoir and at least one of the inlet ends,

wherein the valve is adapted to controllably direct a flow of the material from the at least one reagent reservoir to a plurality of reservoirs via at least one of the channels coupled to the valve, further wherein each multi-layer, monolithic microfluidic component consists of a non-elastomeric, polymeric material.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the multi-layer, monolithic microfluidic component further comprises:

a polymeric, non-elastomeric substrate having a plurality of fluid channels disposed therein, each of the fluid channels having an inlet end and an outlet end;

at least one reagent reservoir of a type capable of holding a reagent material;

at least one bi-directional diaphragm pump comprising at least three non-elastomeric membrane-based diaphragm valve structures; and

a diaphragm valve disposed in fluid coupling with the at least one reagent reservoir and at least one of the inlet ends,

wherein the diaphragm valve is adapted to controllably direct a flow of the material from the at least one reagent reservoir to a plurality of reservoirs via at least one of the channels coupled to the diaphragm valve,

further wherein the multi-layer, monolithic microfluidic component consists of a non-elastomeric, polymeric material.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the substrate further comprises at least one analysis reservoir, the at least one analysis reservoir includes an analysis system disposed therein; wherein the analysis system is one of colorimetric, fluorescent colorimetric, chemiluminescent, electrochemical, electrophoretic, lateral flow, protein microarray, nucleic acid microarray, fluorescent.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an analysis membrane in the at least one analysis reservoir, and a securing-ring structure having a plurality of perimeter indentations, wherein the analysis membrane is operatively engaged with the securing-ring structure.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one analysis reservoir has at least a partial inner perimetal shelf upon which the analysis membrane is disposed.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the securing-ring structure comprises two opposing ring structures each having a plurality of perimeter indentations, further wherein the analysis membrane is disposed intermediate the two opposing ring structures.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a heater.

21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising a heatable, magnetically engageable reservoir; wherein the heater is disposed in heating proximity to the heatable, magnetically engageable reservoir.

22. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a plurality of lumens attached to a bottom surface of the substrate each having a proximal end that is fluidly connected to a respective fluid channel and a distal end projecting downwardly perpendicularly from the substrate;

a film layer; and

a respective plurality of amplification/reaction reactors attached to a bottom of the film layer such that the distal end of each lumen is disposed within and substantially at a bottom of a respective amplification/reaction reactor.

23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising at least one heater incorporated into the pneumatic manifold and interfitting with the exterior of the distal ends of the amplification/reaction reactors for elevating a temperature in each of the amplification/reaction reactors.

24. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an operable magnetic assembly disposed under a reservoir or channel in the biological assay apparatus.