Patent ID: 6989130

Claim:
An automated microfluidic system that detects a protein in a biological sample, the system comprising: a cartridge reservoir part including: a plurality of compressed-air inlets; a sample reservoir; a dye reservoir; and a plurality of control reservoirs that contain control solutions of protein of interest; wherein each of sample reservoir, the dye reservoir, and the control reservoirs has a hydrophobic upper barrier connected to a corresponding one of the compressed-air inlets and a hydrophobic lower barrier connected to a separate liquid outlet; a cartridge with a microfluidic channel, the cartridge with a microfluidic channel including: a sample detection part; a plurality of control detection parts; and a dye/buffer inlet part connected to the sample detection part and control detection parts, wherein each of the sample detection part and the control detection parts has an inlet, an outlet, and an antibody immobilized on an inner surface, the inlets of the sample detection part and the control detection parts being connected to the liquid outlets of the sample reservoir and control reservoirs, respectively; and wherein the dye/buffer inlet part has a dye inlet and a buffer inlet port, the dye inlet being connected to a liquid outlet of the dye reservoir, and both the dye inlet and buffer inlet port being connected to the inlets of the sample detection part and the control detection parts; a compressed-air storage tank connected to the compressed-air inlet by valves; a buffer storage tank connected to the buffer inlet ports of the dye/buffer inlet part by a valve; and a reader that measures the degrees of antigen-antibody reactions in the sample and control detection parts based on variations in dye color.