Lab On a Chip

摘要

A Lab On a Chip (LOC) has a Sample Preparation Module (SPM) coupled to a sample inlet, a microchannel coupled to the SPM, and an optic module optically proximate to the microchannel. The optic module holds multiple lenses, each of which has a different effective focal length, such that all fields of focus within the microchannel are covered as objects suspended within the liquid sample pass through the microchannel.

主权项

1. A Lab On a Chip (LOC) comprising:
a sample inlet for receiving a liquid sample; a Sample Preparation Module (SPM) coupled to the sample inlet, wherein the SPM comprises: a mixing chamber; a reagent chamber containing a reagent; a first semi-permeable membrane oriented between the mixing chamber and the reagent chamber; a pressure chamber containing a non-reagent fluid; a second semi-permeable membrane oriented between the pressure chamber and the reagent chamber; and a tuned energy source, wherein the tuned energy source selectively causes the non-reagent fluid in the pressure chamber to expand and pass through the second semi-permeable membrane to pressurize contents of the reagent chamber, and wherein pressurizing the contents of the reagent chamber forces the reagent across the first semi-permeable membrane in order to mix the reagent with the liquid sample; a microchannel coupled to the SPM; a light source; an optic module optically proximate to the microchannel; a plurality of lenses within the optic module, wherein each of the plurality of lenses has a different effective focal length for focusing light images of objects suspended within the liquid sample as light from the light source illuminates the objects passing through the microchannel in different strata of the microchannel; and an image processing component within the optic module, wherein the image processing component generates a digital image of the light images of the objects.