Microfluidic assay apparatus and methods of use
Patent Number: US9518977
Executive Summary:
General Description:
Drug prediction in cancer patients is currently often inaccurate, does not account for the tumor microenvironment or requires surgical extraction of large tumors. This invention provides a microfluidic apparatus to establish a histopathologic diagnosis for drug prediction. Tissue is obtained by needle core biopsy, allowing the collection of multiple data points from a single tissue sample. A large number of drugs can be applied to the tumor biopsy material at the time of diagnosis. This may help provide an accurate prediction of drug responses and tumor chemosensitivity to help guide the choice of therapy.
Strengths:
Patent Status:
Inventor Bio: Albert Folch
https://bioe.uw.edu/portfolio-items/folch/
Executive Summary:
- Invention Type: Diagnostic
- Patent Status: Active
- Patent Link: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9518977/
- Research Institute: University of Washington
- Disease Focus: Drug prediction in cancer patients
- Basis of Invention: Microfluidic chip
- How it works: A microfluidic apparatus consisting of a plate, multiple wells, microchannels and a sample platform. The apparatus maintains tissue architecture and tumor microenvironment. A porous membrane is disposed on top of the sample platform and a multitude of drugs and control media can be perfused in the microchannels through the porous membrane and into the tissue sample via evaporative pumping
- Lead Challenge Inventor: Albert Folch
- Inventors: Albert Folch, Raymond Monnat, Chi-Ting Chang, Lisa Horowitz, Christopher Sip, Robert Rostomily
- Development Stage: Pre-clinical (human sample data)
- Novelty:
- “Organ on a chip”
- Personalized medicine
- Clinical Applications:
- Prediction of drug efficiency in cancer patients
General Description:
Drug prediction in cancer patients is currently often inaccurate, does not account for the tumor microenvironment or requires surgical extraction of large tumors. This invention provides a microfluidic apparatus to establish a histopathologic diagnosis for drug prediction. Tissue is obtained by needle core biopsy, allowing the collection of multiple data points from a single tissue sample. A large number of drugs can be applied to the tumor biopsy material at the time of diagnosis. This may help provide an accurate prediction of drug responses and tumor chemosensitivity to help guide the choice of therapy.
Strengths:
- Minimally invasive
- Permits a large number of drugs to be tested
- User friendly
- Accurate prediction of drug responses
Patent Status:
- Filing date: 2013-10-19
Inventor Bio: Albert Folch
https://bioe.uw.edu/portfolio-items/folch/
