DISPOSABLE FLUIDIC CARTRIDGE AND COMPONENTS
Disclosed are cartridge components, cartridges, systems, and methods for isolating analytes from biological samples. In various aspects, the cartridge components, cartridges, systems, and methods may allow for a rapid procedure that requires a minimal amount of material from complex fluids.
1 . A fluidic cartridge component, comprising:
a. a fluidic channel; and
b. a bubble trap, wherein the bubble trap comprises a reservoir for trapping air bubbles downstream from one or more liquid-holding reservoirs,
wherein the fluidic channel provides an inlet and outlet to the bubble trap, connecting the bubble trap with one or more liquid-holding reservoirs, and
wherein the bubble trap traps air bubbles in the reservoir, but allows fluid to pass through the fluidic channel.
2 .- 75 . (canceled)
76 . A method for assaying analytes or other microparticulates in a fluidic cartridge, the method comprising:
a. introducing a sample to a sample reservoir;
b. applying pressure on an inlet port to drive a sample through a fluidic channel to a reagent reservoir, mixing the sample with reagent to form a sample-reagent mixture; applying further pressure to drive the sample-reagent mixture through the fluidic channel and into the bubble trap;
c. trapping air bubbles if present in the bubble trap;
d. passing the sample-reagent mixture through a detection window; and
e. into a waste reservoir, the waste reservoir having an outlet port for venting;
wherein the height of the fluidic channel controls mixing rate of the sample and reagent.
77 .- 106 . (canceled)