Patent ID: 8765062

Claim:
A system, comprising: a microfluidic sample analyzer comprising: a housing; an opening in the housing configured to receive a cassette having at least one channel with a fluid sample therein and at least one microfluidic channel having a cross-sectional dimension of less than 1 mm, wherein the housing includes a component configured to interface with a mating component on the cassette to detect the cassette within the housing; a pressure-control system positioned within the housing, the pressure-control system configured to pressurize the at least one channel in the cassette to move the sample through the at least one channel, wherein the pressure-control system includes a vacuum source, a manifold coupling the vacuum source to the at least one channel in the cassette, a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure in the manifold, and a valve positioned between the vacuum source and the at least one channel; an optical system positioned within the housing, the optical system including a plurality of light sources and a plurality of detectors spaced apart from the plurality of light sources, wherein the light sources are configured to pass light through the cassette when the cassette is inserted into the sample analyzer and wherein the detectors are positioned opposite the light sources to detect the amount of light that passes through the cassette; wherein the plurality of light sources includes at least a first light source and a second light source adjacent the first light source, wherein the first light source is configured to pass light through a first measurement zone of the cassette and the second light source is configured to pass light through a second measurement zone of the cassette adjacent the first measurement zone; and a cassette configured to be inserted into the housing of the analyzer, the cassette including a first channel including an inlet and an outlet and a second channel including an inlet and an outlet, the cassette comprising a connecting unit adapted and arranged to be attachably coupled to the cassette, the connecting unit including a fluid path configured to fluidly connect the first and second channels of the cassette when the connecting unit is coupled to the cassette, wherein the first and second channels of the cassette are not in fluid communication with one another absent connection via the connecting unit, and wherein at least one channel of the cassette has a diameter of between approximately 50 μm and approximately 500 μm.