Two-Part Fluid Assembly for Rapid Valve-Free Diagnostic Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diagnostic testing methods are hindered by long response times, high costs, and the need for extensive laboratory equipment and trained personnel, with point-of-care solutions often limited in sensitivity and reproducibility.
Innovation Solution
A device assembly comprising a first portion with a fluidic pathway, fluid actuator, and introducer, and a second portion with wells containing materials, allowing for movable parts to facilitate sample handling and analysis, enabling two-way fluid flow and random access to wells for versatile testing protocols without the need for valves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional diagnostic testing methods are used, then measurement precision is improved, but response time increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate portions: a first portion containing the fluidic pathway and actuator, and a second portion containing the well with material. This segmentation allows for optimized design of each component and enables rapid exchange of the second portion with an external instrument, reducing response time while maintaining detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion is designed to be moveable relative to the first portion, allowing dynamic configuration and rapid exchange with an external instrument. This dynamic design enables the system to transition quickly between testing cycles, significantly reducing response time while maintaining measurement precision through consistent fluidic pathways.
2Measurement precision
If traditional diagnostic testing methods are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second portion containing the material is extracted as a separate, exchangeable component that can be loaded from an external instrument. This extraction eliminates the need for complex integrated storage and management systems within the main device, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision through controlled material delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The first portion with the fluidic pathway and actuator is designed as a universal platform that can work with different second portions containing various materials. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized devices, simplifying the overall system while maintaining detection accuracy across different testing scenarios.
3Loss of time
If point of use solutions are used, then response time is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid actuator replaces complex mechanical pumping systems with a simpler fluid-driven mechanism that propels samples and reagents through the fluidic pathway. This substitution reduces device complexity and enables point-of-use deployment while maintaining measurement precision through consistent fluid flow and controlled delivery to the sensor.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate systems are used for each point of use test, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first portion serves as a universal platform that can interface with different second portions containing various materials for different testing protocols. This universality provides adaptability across multiple applications while avoiding the complexity of integrating multiple separate systems, as each test requires only a different second portion rather than a different entire device.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A device that includes a first portion, the first portion including at least one fluid channel; a fluid actuator; and an introducer; a second portion, the second portion including at least one well, the well containing at least one material, wherein one of the first or second portion is moveable with respect to the other, wherein the introducer is configured to obtain at least a portion of the material from the at least one well and deliver it to the fluid channel, and wherein the fluid actuator is configured to move at least a portion of the material in the fluid channel.