Capitainer Ab

Gabriel Lenk

Anna Ohlander

Göran Stemme

Niclas Roxhed

Wouter Van Der Wijngaart

Jonas Hansson

A capillary driven microfluidic device with blood plasma separation means that can be used to separate, meter and transfer a blood sample. The blood separation means can be arranged as a capillary pump by the configuration of a porous membrane and the microfluidic device.

Plasma separating microfluidic device

A microfluidic device is configured to sample, meter and collect a metered volume of body fluid for analysis by means of capillary transport. The device comprises: an inlet section, for receiving the body fluid sample, the inlet section comprising an inlet port; a metering section configured to receive body fluid from the inlet section and comprising a metering channel, wherein the metering section is arranged to separate a metered volume of body fluid filled in the metering channel; and an outlet section comprising a cavity between an outlet part of the metering channel and an outlet orifice of the device, a hydrophilic porous bridge element conformable to a shape of the cavity and inserted in the cavity to substantially fill the cavity and the outlet orifice, and a capillary means attached to the outlet section in contact with the hydrophilic porous bridge element.

Microfluidic devices

A microfluidic device configured to sample, meter and collect a metered volume of body fluid for analysis by means of capillary transport, wherein the device comprises: an inlet section for receiving a sample of body fluid, the inlet section comprising an inlet port and a channel system; a filtration membrane configured to separate plasma from blood, wherein the inlet section and the channel system are configured to transport the sample of body fluid to, and to distribute it across the filtration membrane with a stepwise or gradually increasing capillarity from the inlet section to the filtration membrane; a metering function, configured to meter a predefined volume of the received body fluid; and at least one porous medium for receiving the transported sample of body fluid.

A method of manufacturing an outlet section of a microfluidic device configured to sample, meter and collect a metered volume of body fluid for analysis by means of capillary transport; the method comprising: providing a microfluidic device having an outlet section in fluid communication with a metering section comprising a metering channel configured to receive body fluid from an inlet section with an inlet port, wherein the outlet section comprises a cavity between an outlet part of the metering channel and an outlet orifice of the device; providing a hydrophilic porous bridge element arranged to conform to the shape of the cavity; inserting the bridge element into the cavity, such that the bridge element substantially fills the cavity and the outlet orifice; and attaching a capillary means to the outlet section, thereby establishing contact between the capillary means and the bridge element.

A microfluidic device comprising: an inlet section, for receiving a body fluid sample, the inlet section comprising an inlet port arranged to receive a supply of body fluid; a metering function configured to receive body fluid from the inlet section and comprising a first channel; and a sequent section configured to receive the body fluid from the metering function and comprising a second channel, wherein the first channel comprises a capillary stop valve configured to interrupt or reduce flow of the body fluid therethrough, and a means for visual inspection arranged adjacent to the capillary stop valve, wherein a geometry and/or dimension of the inlet port is configured such that when the supply of body fluid to the inlet port is removed, the Laplace pressure of a body fluid meniscus at the inlet port is higher than a threshold pressure of the capillary stop valve.

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Freiburg, Germany

Gabriel Lenk