DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF CELLULAR AND NON-CELLULAR BLOOD COMPONENTS

Abstract

A device for the quantification of cellular and non-cellular components in a blood sample including detection electrodes including a first electrode connected with a first input to receive a first signal in input and a second electrode, reference electrodes including a first electrode connected with a second input configured to receive a second signal in input of opposite polarity to the first input signal and a second electrode connected to the second electrode of said detection electrodes, in a common point wherefrom an output signal is picked up, a ferromagnetic concentrator that cooperates with an external magnetic field external to effectuate concentration of said components on said detection electrodes, a substrate configured to house said detection electrodes, reference electrodes, and concentrator; a support configured to collect a blood sample, and a spacer element to confine in the substrate plane the blood sample and to distance said substrate from said support.

Claims

1. A device for the quantification of cell and non-cell components in a solution containing a blood sample comprising: at least one pair of detection electrodes, said at least one pair of detection electrodes comprising at least one first electrode connected with a first input apt to receive a first signal in input (V+) and a second electrode; at least one pair of reference electrodes, said at least one pair of reference electrodes comprising a first electrode connected with a second input configured to receive a second signal in input (V+) of opposite polarity to the first input signal (V+) and a second electrode connected to the second electrode of said at least one pair of detection electrodes, in a common point wherefrom an output signal (Out) is picked up; said device (1) being characterised in that it comprises: at least one concentrator in ferromagnetic material, configured to co-operate with a magnetic field external to the device, in such a way as to cause the concentration of said components on said at least one pair of detection electrodes; a substrate configured for the housing of: said at least one pair of detection electrodes, said at least one pair of reference electrodes and said at least one concentrator; a support configured to receive a sample of blood or of solution containing blood; and at least one spacer element configured to confine in the plane of the substrate the blood sample and to distance said substrate from said support.

2. The device according to the claim 1, wherein: the first electrode of each pair of detection electrodes is connected to the first input by means of a first connection path; the first electrode of each pair of reference electrodes is connected to the second input by means of a second connection path; the second electrode of each pair of detection electrodes is connected to the node wherefrom the output signal (Out) is emitted by means of a third connection path; and the second electrode of each pair of reference electrodes is connected to the node wherefrom said output signal (Out) is emitted by means of a fourth connection path; above each of said connection paths an insulating layer being placed with such dielectric constant and thickness as to make the impedance between said connection paths negligible.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one concentrator is cylindrical in shape, the diameter of the base surface of said concentrators being comprised between 10 and 30 m, the height of said concentrators being comprised between 10 and 30 m and the distance between said concentrators being comprised between 50 and 150 m.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode of said at least one pair of detection electrodes and the second electrode of said at least one pair of detection electrodes are with rectangular section, with base comprised between 10 and 300 nm and height comprised between 1 and 3 m.

5. The device according to the claim, wherein the distance between the first electrode of said at least one pair of detection electrodes and the second electrode of said at least one pair of detection electrodes is comprised between 1 and 5 m.

6. An apparatus for the quantification of corpusculated and non-corpusculated components in a solution containing a blood sample comprising: a device according to any one of the preceding claims; an electronic unit for the generation of the first input signal (V+) and (V) and for the readings and the processing of the output signal (Out); a housing configured for the positioning of said device; a plurality of connectors for the connection between said device and said electronic unit; and means for the generation of a static magnetic field, said means being configured to generate a magnetic field able to cause, in combination with the concentrators, the separation of the components to be quantified from the rest of the solution and the concentration on the detection electrodes.

7. The apparatus according to the claim 6, wherein said means for the generation of a static magnetic field comprise a plurality of permanent magnets positioned so that the field generated by said magnets in combination with the gradient generated by said at least one concentrator is such as to ensure that said components accumulate on the detection electrodes of the substrate, said components being paramagnetic.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for the generation of a static magnetic field comprise a plurality of permanent magnets positioned so that the field generated by said magnets in combination with the gradient generated by said at least one concentrator is such as to ensure that said components accumulate on the detection electrodes of the substrate, said components being diamagnetic.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said magnetic field has an intensity of at least 104 Nm and a gradient of at least 108 A/m2.

10. A method for the quantification of cell and non-cell components in a solution containing a blood sample comprising: separating of at least one cell or non-cell component from the rest of the solution; the separating being caused by a static magnetic field in combination with at least one concentrator in ferromagnetic material, configured to co-operate with said magnetic field; concentrating of said at least one separated component in correspondence of at least one pair of detection electrodes, the concentrating being caused by said static magnetic field in combination with at least one concentrator; measuring of the difference in impedance between said at least one pair of detection electrodes and at least one pair of reference electrodes, producing an output signal proportional to the difference in impedance between said at least one pair of detection electrodes and said at least one pair of reference electrodes; calculating, by means of a processor and comparison with appropriate calibration curve, the number of components separated on the basis of said output signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the cell components, are blood corpuscles whose magnetic properties can be altered by pathologies.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the non-cell components are substances with different magnetic properties from plasma, said substances being absent in physiological conditions, or said substances being present in a concentration which is different between physiological and pathological conditions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 is an overall diagram of an apparatus comprising a device according to the present invention apt to be used for the diagnosis of malaria;

[0046] FIG. 2 is an example diagram of the positioning of the detection and reference electrodes with respect to the concentrators, in a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG. 3a shows a section of a first embodiment of the device of the present invention, said section being along a plane perpendicular to the greater dimension of said at least one concentrator;

[0048] FIG. 3b shows a detail of the section shown in FIG. 3a, relating to said at least one concentrator;

[0049] FIG. 3c shows a detail of the section shown in FIG. 3a, relating to said at least one pair of detection electrodes;

[0050] FIG. 4 is a view from above of a first embodiment of the device of the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 5 is a view from above of a detail of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 6 shows the trend of the percentage resistance variation between the detection electrodes and the reference electrodes as a function of the level of parasitemia generated by the capture of erythrocytes infected by the plasmodium of the malaria, in a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3a, 3b and 3c and 5, the device (1) of the present invention comprises: [0054] a plurality of detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 34, 34), [0055] a pair of reference electrodes (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 37, 37) for each pair of [0056] detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5 6, 6, 34, 34); [0057] a concentrator (10, 10, 10, 14, 14, 14) for each pair of detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6), said concentrator (10, 10, 10) being configured to attract magnetically the components (3, 3, 3) to be quantified and concentrate said components on the detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5t 6, 6t 34, 34); [0058] a substrate (11) configured for the housing of the detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 34, 34), of the reference electrodes (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 37, 37) and of the concentrators (10, 10, 10, 14, 14, 14); [0059] a support (12) configured to receive a sample of blood or of solution containing blood; and [0060] at least one spacer element (13, 13) configured to confine the sample to be analysed and to distance said substrate (11) from said support (12).
Said at least one spacer element (13, 13) can be ring shaped.

[0061] The device (1) of the present invention can be inserted inside an apparatus (100) comprising also: [0062] an electronic unit for the generation of the input signals, the readings of the signals generated by the electrodes (7, 8, 9, 4, 5, 6, 34, 37) and their processing; [0063] a housing configured for the positioning of said device (1); [0064] a plurality of connectors for the connection between said device (1) and [0065] said electronic unit; and [0066] means for the generation of a static magnetic field (101, 102, 103), said means (101, 102, 103) being configured to generate a magnetic field able to cause the separation of the components (3, 3, 3) to be quantified from the rest of the solution.

[0067] In the particular case of malaria, said means (101, 102, 103) for the generation of a static magnetic field are able to generate a field which, preferably, has an intensity of at least 10.sup.4 A/m and a macroscopic gradient of at least 10.sup.8 A/m.sup.2 aimed towards the substrate or exiting therefrom, respectively in the case of paramagnetic or diamagnetic components with respect to the liquid medium in which they are dispersed.

[0068] Said means comprise a plurality of permanent magnets (101, 102, 103) positioned so that the field generated by said magnets (101, 102, 103) overcomes the resultant of the weight force and of that of Archimedes acting on the components of interest at a great distance from the substrate, preventing said components from precipitating on the surface of the support.

[0069] Moreover the field generated by said magnets must be able to magnetise effectively the concentrator elements so that they produce an intense gradient of local magnetic field able to attract selectively and concentrate said components (3, 3, 3) only on the areas of the substrate (11), occupied by the detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6), said components (3, 3, 3) being paramagnetic.

[0070] It is obvious that in the cases wherein the components to be quantified are diamagnetic, said means for the generation of a static magnetic field comprise a plurality of permanent magnets positioned so that the gradient of the field generated by said magnets is exiting from the substrate, such as to overcome the weight force at a great distance. Similarly, the local field gradient produced by the magnetic concentrators must be exiting from the zones with the detection electrodes and ensure that said components accumulate at said detection electrodes, said components being diamagnetic.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 2, in a first embodiment of the present invention each pair of detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6), comprises a first electrode (4, 5, 6) apt to receive a first signal in input (V+) and a second electrode (4, 5, 6). Each pair of reference electrodes (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9) comprises a first electrode (7, 8, 9) apt to receive a second signal in input (V) of opposite polarity to the first input signal (V+) and a second electrode (7, 8, 9) connected to the second electrode (4, 5, 6) of each pair of detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6), in a common point from which the output signal (Out) is picked up.

[0072] Referring to FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, in a first embodiment of the present invention, apt for the diagnosis of malaria, the concentrators (10, 10, 10) are made of ferromagnetic material, such as Ni, Fe, Co, NiFe, CoFe, etc., and have the shape of a parallelepiped with the greater dimension which extends perpendicularly to the plane shown in FIG. 3a. In order to guarantee a sufficient concentration factor for obtaining an adequate signal-to-noise ratio, the dimensions of the concentrators (10, 10, 10) and of the detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) must be, preferably, comprised within the ranges listed in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 h.sub.F is the smaller dimension of the base of a concentrator, w.sub.F is the larger dimension of the base of a concentrator and d.sub.F is the distance between one concentrator and the adjacent concentrator. h.sub.E is the smaller dimension of the base of a detection electrode, w.sub.F the larger dimension of the base of a detection electrode and d.sub.E the distance between two adjacent electrodes at the same concentrator. h.sub.F w.sub.F d.sub.F h.sub.E w.sub.E d.sub.E Component (m) (m) (m) (m) (m) (m) i-RBC 10-30 30-60 30-60 10-300 2-6 2-6 HC 5-10 15-30 15-30 10-300 1-3 1-5

[0073] In the first row of Table 1, the ranges are shown of the dimensions of the concentrators and of the detection electrodes necessary for a correct detection of the erythrocytes infected (i-RBC) by the plasmodium of the malaria. While in the second row of Table 1 the ranges are shown of the dimensions of the concentrators and of the detection electrodes necessary for a correct detection of the free crystals of haemozoin (HC).

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, the substrate (11) and, therefore the actual device (1) of the present invention, the structure of the detection electrodes (4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) and of the reference electrodes (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9) shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c, can be replicated in nine square zones (300, 301, 302) into which the substrate (11) is divided. The division of the active area into several regions with independent readings allows an increase in the ratio between the variation in impedance produced by a single component attracted on the detection electrodes and the overall impedance between the electrodes, improving the signal-to-noise ratio in the case of low concentrations of components to be detected. Since for each zone an output contact is necessary towards the amplifier from which to emit the output signal (Out), while all the output signals (V+) and (V) for detection electrodes and reference electrodes need only two contacts, the total number of contacts to be formed on the chip is equal to 9+2=11. This number is compatible with the positioning of 11 terminals (401, 402, 403) of dimension equal to 400400 m on one side of the substrate (11).

[0075] Referring to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the device of the present invention provides for the use of a matrix of ferromagnetic concentrators of cylindrical shape (14, 14, 14) evenly distributed on the substrate (11). FIG. 5 shows, in particular, six pairs of detection electrodes (34, 34) and six pairs of reference electrodes (37, 37). The first electrode (34) of each pair of detection electrodes (34, 34) is connected to a first input configured for the reception of the first input signal (V+) by means of a first connection path (44). The first electrode (37) of each pair of reference electrodes (37, 37) is connected to a second input configured for the reception of the second input signal (V) by means of a second connection path (47). Similarly, the second electrode (34) of each pair of detection electrodes (34, 34) is connected to the node wherefrom the output signal (Out) is emitted by means of a third connection path (44) and the second electrode (37) of each pair of reference electrodes (37, 37) is connected to the node wherefrom said output signal (Out) is emitted by means of a fourth connection path (47). Above the first connection path (44), the second connection path (47), the third connection path (44) and the fourth connection path (47) an insulating layer (40, 40, 50, 50) is placed for each path, said insulating layer (40, 40, 50, 50) having dielectric constant and thickness such as to make the impedance between said connection paths (44, 44, 47, 37) negligible. The configuration of the concentrators provided by the second embodiment allows a concentration factor to be obtained which is even higher compared to that which can be obtained with respect to the first embodiment. To this end the dimensions of the concentrators (14, 14, 14) and of the detection electrodes (34, 34, 35, 35) must be, preferably, comprised within the ranges listed in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 h.sub.F is the height of a concentrator, w.sub.F is the diameter of the base of a concentrator and d.sub.F is the distance between one concentrator and the adjacent concentrator. h.sub.E is the smaller dimension of the base of a detection electrode, w.sub.F is the larger dimension of the base of a detection electrode and d.sub.E the distance between the first detection electrode finger and the second finger of said detection electrode. h.sub.F w.sub.F d.sub.F h.sub.E w.sub.E d.sub.E Component (m) (m) (m) (nm) (m) (m) i-RBC and HC 10-30 10-30 50-150 10-300 1-3 1-5

[0076] Table 2 shows the ranges of the dimensions of the concentrators and of the detection electrodes necessary for a correct detection both of the erythrocytes infected (i-RBC) by the plasmodium of the malaria and of the free crystals of haemozoin (HC). With these dimensions, supposing a length L of the electrodes equal to 6 m, a concentration factor is obtained

[00001]$F_C=\frac{{\left(d_F+w_F\right)}^2}{L\left(2.Math.w_E+d_E\right)}$

equal to approximately 400.

Example

[0077] The example described here below relates to the calculation of the percentage variation of impedance between the detection electrodes and the reference electrodes in a second embodiment of the present device and with reference to the detection of i-RBC. In the particular case a substrate (11) of area equal to 1 cm.sub.2 was considered.

[0078] The substrate (11) (of dimension 1 cm.sup.2) was divided into nine square zones (as in FIG. 4), each one provided with a matrix of 550 concentrators. At the centre of each concentrator a pair of detection electrodes is placed with length L equal to 6 m, width WE equal to 2 m and distance between the electrodes d.sub.E of 2 m. The containment ring with a plurality of spacer elements (13, 13) is such as to impose a distance between the substrates 11 and 12 of 50 m and the concentrators (10, 10, 10) allow the capture of all the infected erythrocytes which are found in the volume defined by substrate, support and containment ring. By measuring the impedance at a frequency of the order of 1-20 MHz it is possible to obtain the electrical resistance R of the material between the electrodes, given mainly by the solution and by the possible presence of infected erythrocytes i-RBC captured by the magnetic concentrators.

[0079] FIG. 6 shows the percentage resistance variation R/R.sub.0, as a function of the infected erythrocytes i-RBC captured on the surface of the detection electrodes, obtained by means of finite element simulation (FEM) (full squares) and by means of the following formula (empty squares):

[00002]$\frac{.Math..Math.R}{R_0}=\frac{3}{2}.Math.\frac{V_p}{N.Math.\left(w_E+d_E\right).Math.L.Math.H}$

[0080] where Vp represents the total volume occupied by the i-RBC captured on the surface of the electrodes, while N, H are, respectively, the number of pairs of detection electrodes which share a same output, and the height up to which a pair of detection electrodes is sensitive to the presence of the components of interest, equal to approximately 1-2 times the distance between the electrodes d.sub.E. The volume V.sub.p is equal to the volume of a single i-RBC multiplied by the number of erythrocytes captured. The latter is equal to the concentration of infected erythrocytes multiplied by the volume of capture of the concentrators, 1 cm.sup.2.Math.d.sub.capture=5 l.

[0081] R/R.sub.0 is in fact proportional to the fraction of the effective volume, to which the impedentiometric measurement is sensitive, occupied by the components of interest. It should be noted in the case of parasitemia equal to 10 parasites/L (on average 5.5 parasites for each of the nine zones of our geometry), the expected resistance variation, R/R.sub.0, is found to be equal to about 0.4%, corresponding to a resolution required of the reading electronics, in the resistance measurement, equal to approximately 1000 ppm).

[0082] Should the system for magnetic concentration (i.e. the whole constituted by external magnets and concentrators) be able to capture the infected erythrocytes at a distance ten times greater, d.sub.capture=500 m, and the distance between the substrates 11 and 12 increase correspondingly by a factor 10, it would be possible to arrive at a R/R.sub.0 ten times greater with respect to the previous case, at the same concentration of parasites and active area of the substrate but increasing by a factor 10 the volume of the drop of blood. Or, again with d.sub.capture=500 m and height of the container ring with a plurality of spacer elements of 500 m, the volume of the drop could be kept unchanged at 5 microlitres and a R/R.sub.0 equal to that in FIG. 6 obtained, reducing the active area on the chip.