Pico-Droplet Biological Particle Analysis With Sequential Fluorescence Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional biological particle analysis methods face challenges in streamlining various processes, including staining, capturing, washing, and characterization, leading to difficulties in achieving continuity and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A biological particle analysis method involving fluorescence staining, real-time imaging, pico-droplet generation, capturing, and multiple rounds of washing and staining to obtain fluorescence images for characterization, using a biochip to enrich and determine target biological particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate processes (staining, capturing, washing, characterization) are used for biological particle analysis, then comprehensive analysis capability is achieved, but process complexity and difficulty in achieving continuity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate processes (staining, capturing, washing, and characterization) into a single integrated microfluidic device. The device features a continuous microfluidic channel that allows all operations to be performed sequentially on the same biological particle without manual intervention or transfer between separate systems, thereby achieving comprehensive analysis while reducing process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The microfluidic device performs multiple functions within a single system: it stains biological particles with fluorescent dyes, captures target particles using capture arms, washes them to remove excess dye, and characterizes them through imaging. This multi-functional integration resolves the contradiction by providing comprehensive analysis capability while maintaining a relatively simple continuous process
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional separate processes are used for biological particle analysis, then various biological characteristics can be examined, but continuity between processes is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous action by designing a microfluidic system where biological particles flow continuously through the device, undergoing staining, capture, washing, and characterization in an unbroken sequence. The capture arms and fluorescent staining remain active throughout the process, eliminating idle time and ensuring continuous useful action from sample input to analysis output
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 method enables efficient enrichment and characterization of target biological particles by capturing and imaging them in pico-droplets, facilitating accurate evaluation and determination through multiple fluorescence expressions.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element configured to vibrate the container for enabling the biological particles in the container to be arranged along a predetermined path
Implementation Method 2
fluorescence staining a liquid specimen having a plurality of biological particles so that at least one of the biological particles becomes a fluorescence color
Data Source
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AI summary
A biological particle analysis method (S100) is provided and includes the following steps: fluorescence staining a liquid specimen (200) through a fluorescence staining process so as to enable a target biological particle (201a) in the liquid specimen (200) to becomes a fluorescence; accommodating the liquid specimen (200) into a pico-droplet generator (21) and using a camera device (23) to take a real-time image of the liquid specimen (200); using the pico-droplet generator (21) to output a target pico-droplet (202a) having the target biological particle (201a) onto a biochip (22) according to the real-time image; removing the fluorescent color of the target biological particle (201a) in the target pico-droplet (202a) through a washing process; and fluorescence staining the target biological particle (201a) captured by the biochip (22) at multiple times through the fluorescence staining process and the washing process, so as to obtain a plurality of fluorescence images respectively corresponding to multiple kinds of biological characterization expressions.