Automated Blood Sample Preparation for Immune Activation Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preparing and analyzing blood samples in clinical settings face challenges in reproducibility, reliability, and user error, particularly in determining immune activation states, which are crucial for diagnosing conditions like sepsis and other immune-related disorders.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sample preparation module, measurement module, and computing system that automates the process of preparing blood samples, including lysing, quenching, washing, and suspending white blood cells, while maintaining precise temperature control and minimizing user interaction to enhance reproducibility and accuracy in immune activation state determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual blood sample preparation and analysis is performed, then user interaction and flexibility are maintained, but reproducibility and reliability deteriorate due to user error and variability
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the blood sample preparation and analysis process is performed autonomously by the system itself. The automated module handles sample processing, cell separation, and analysis without requiring manual user interaction, thereby eliminating user error and improving reproducibility while maintaining the ability to perform complex immunological assays.
2Measurement precision
If complex manual preparation procedures are used, then sample analysis capability is maintained, but user error and variability increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical manual procedures with an automated system that uses magnetic field-based cell separation and automated fluid handling. The automated module substitutes manual manipulation of samples and reagents with programmed mechanical and magnetic fields, thereby maintaining measurement precision while eliminating the variability introduced by complex manual procedures.
3Reliability
If standardized automated processing is implemented, then reproducibility is improved, but adaptability to different sample types may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The automated module is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple sample types including whole blood, plasma, and serum. The system uses magnetic beads that can bind to various immune cells and pathogens, and the automated processing protocol can be adjusted to accommodate different sample matrices, thereby maintaining high reproducibility across diverse sample types without sacrificing adaptability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system significantly improves reproducibility and reliability of blood sample analysis, reduces user error, and enables timely and accurate diagnosis of immune activation states, such as sepsis, by standardizing sample preparation and analysis processes.
Implementation Method 1
The sample preparation module can include a magnetic separation step to isolate white blood cells
Implementation Method 2
The sample preparation module can include a centrifugation step to separate white blood cells
Data Source
AI summary
A method and/or system can include processing a blood sample of a patient by degrading red blood cells of the blood sample using a lysing solution, quenching the degradation of the red blood cells after a threshold lysing time, centrifuging and aspirating the quenched solution to remove degraded red blood cell debris and concentrate white blood cells of the blood sample, and suspending the concentrated white blood cells in a buffer solution; within a threshold transfer time, deforming white blood cells, of the suspended white blood cells, within a microfluidic chip; and determining a probability that the patient is in an immune activation state based on images of the white blood cells acquired while deforming the white blood cells.