Patent ID: 9146234
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A disease detection system, comprising: an electrophoresis apparatus including: (a) a transport passage; (b) a plurality of separation passages, each of the separation passages having a separation passage overlapping portion that overlaps a different portion of the transport passage, each intersection of each of the separation passages with the transport passage has a staggered configuration of the transport passage having an elongated separation passage portion that forms the respective separation passage overlapping portion where the transport passage and the separation passages connect at two separate and distinct points, the plurality of separation passages being separate and independently communicable upstream of the respective overlapping portions with a biomarker separation buffer supply or with a supply of a biomarker elution buffer or solution; (c) a different biomarker concentrator in each of the passage overlapping portions that isolates and concentrates at least one different biomarker from a specimen from an animal introduced into an inlet end of the transport passage; each set of the different biomarkers in each individual said biomarker concentrator or in the plurality of biomarker concentrators being associated with at least one predetermined disease, each of the biomarker concentrators includes at least one affinity ligand capable of attracting the respective different biomarker from the specimen wherein the at least one affinity ligand is an antibody which specifically binds to the biomarker; (d) a valve system for controlling the flow of the specimen in the transport passage from the inlet end of the transport passage to an outlet end of the transport passage, and for independently controlling a microenvironment to perform either a concentration of one or more of the biomarkers of interest or a biochemical microreaction, the valve system controlling the flow of a biomarker separation buffer in the separation passages introduced from the biomarker separation buffer supply or a plug of a biomarker elution buffer or solution in the separation passages introduced from the biomarker elution buffer supply in a sequential order from an inlet end of the respective separation passages to an outlet end of the respective separation passages, the valve system comprises a first valve in the transport passage upstream of one of the staggered configurations, a second valve in the transport passage downstream of the one of the staggered configurations, a third valve in the separation passage associated with the one of the staggered configurations and upstream of the one of the staggered configurations and a fourth valve in the separation passage and downstream of the one of the staggered configurations, the valve system independently controlling the microenvironment of the biomarker concentrator to control timing and temperature to optimize the concentration of one or more of the biomarkers of interest or to optimize one or more biochemical reactants in a microreaction within the biomarker concentrator-microreactor; and a biomarker detector that detects the presence of the different biomarkers which were concentrated by the biomarker concentrators, released from the biomarker concentrators separate, independently, and sequentially, and delivered to the biomarker detector via the separation passages, wherein the apparatus and the biomarker detector together form a portable apparatus and the valves are mechanical micro-valves.