CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/138,676 filed March 26, 2015 titled PREPARATION OF LIQUID SAMPLES FOR LASER INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY AND/OR IMAGING ANALYSIS, the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been widely investigated in recent decades for different applications ranging from space exploration to biological specimens. In particular, LIBS can be used in methods to identify biomarkers, such as for diseases such as cancer, present in a biological sample, such as a bodily fluid, by reacting the biomarker with a plurality of element-coded particles each comprising a compound, such as a protein, oligonucleotide, polysaccharide, or lipid, that binds to the biomarker, removing unbound element-coded particles from the sample, detecting the element-coded particles in the sample using a laser-induced breakdown spectrometer, and quantifying the element coded particles in the sample, such as pursuant to the methods described in U.S. Published Pat. App. No. US

20110171636, titled "Mono- and multi-element coded libs assays and methods," listing the present inventor as a co-inventor and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The success of LIBS is due to a set of advantages that makes this analytical technique unique such as multi-element analysis, fast response, remote sensing, little to no sample treatment, the attractive cost of the instrumentation, and its ease of use. Although LIBS was born as a field technique, the improvement in instrumental capabilities and knowledge on fundamental aspects of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy has allowed for a large expansion into laboratory applications. As a result, LIBS is now competing with other conventional laboratory techniques, still holding some of the advantages mentioned above, but at the same time the analytical performance (i.e., accuracy, and laser shot-shot reproducibility) could be improved in order to really be competitive with other well-established techniques. As with any ordinary analytical tool, the laboratory setting introduces the possibility of tighter control of LIBS experimental conditions and the use of more sophisticated analysis protocols and sample treatment.

One of the most widely cited advantages of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is that it does not require sample preparation, but this may also be the biggest factor holding it back from becoming a mature analytical technique like LA- ICP-MS, ICP-OES, or XRF. In general, LIBS performance may be enhanced using two main approaches: a) improving the plasma emission signal and b) modifying the specimens. Until now the LIBS community has primarily focused its efforts on enhancing the plasma emission, which tends to increase cost by adding components (e.g., additional lasers, high performance detectors) and calls for specific expertise in the fields of plasma physical chemistry and laser technology. This approach may not meet the requirements of scientists and operators who want to use LIBS in the same ways as they would use any other classical analytical tool. The manipulation of specimens to make them more suitable for laser ablation and LIBS is gaining interest for two reasons. First, to decrease the limits of detection (LOD) in already established LIBS applications and second, to expand the capability of LIBS to those applications where heterogeneity and/or matrix effects had limited its use. The operational cost of sample treatment can be weighed against the advantage of applying LIBS analysis instead of another analytical technique, keeping in mind that most conventional analytical techniques inherently require significant manipulation of specimens to achieve good results.

While there are certain specimen types that are prone to yield excellent LIBS results without any sample treatment (mostly homogeneous solids such as metals, glass, and polymers), the possible applications of LIBS have been greatly expanded through the use of sample preparation techniques that have resulted in analytical performance (i.e., limits of detection, accuracy, and repeatability) on par with XRF, ICP-OES, and often ICP-MS.

Many LIBS researchers have developed, adapted, and improved upon sample preparation techniques for various specimen types in order to improve the quality of the analytical data that LIBS can produce in a large number of research domains. See, e.g. , Sarah C. Jantzi et al. , "Sample treatment and preparation for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy," Spectrochimica Acta Part B Atomic

Spectroscopy, November 2015, co-authored by the present inventor, and incorporated herein by reference.

Despite the many techniques developed, there is still a need in the art to develop sample preparation techniques that take into account how laser energy affects material ejection and, in turn, ablation efficiency. In particular, use of LIBS systems to analyze liquids, solutions and slurry samples or mixtures thereof may cause laser induced splashing from the liquid sample, making it hard to obtain accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of the samples. Accordingly, there is a particular need in the art for improved sample preparations techniques for "liquids" or "fluid samples," which terms as used herein, except when apparent to the contrary, refer without limitation to any samples comprising at least a liquid fraction, and which may or may not also contain soluble or insoluble components therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention can be broadly characterized as comprising preparing a sample prior to making a LIBS measurement so that the liquid sample to be analyzed is deposited on a well-characterized and defined membrane.

Thus, one aspect of the invention comprises a method of analyzing, preferably by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a fluid sample containing one or more soluble or insoluble components. The method comprises the steps of: (a) filtering the fluid sample through or diffusing the sample into one or more preferably non-magnetic or weakly magnetic membranes having known characteristics; and (b) analyzing the one or more membranes using LIBS to obtain a LIBS spectrum. The fluid sample may comprise, for example, a liquid, solution, melt or slurry, and the soluble or insoluble components may comprise elemental, molecular or biological components. Each of the one or membranes may have at least one different the other membranes, such characteristics including but not limited to porosity (i.e. pore size), pores shape, or materials of construction. The pore sizes for the membranes may be, for example, between 10 nm and 10 mm in some non-limiting embodiments. The one or more membranes may comprise any material that is not chemically reactive with the liquid sample, including but not limited to, for example, glass, or more preferably, hydrophilic glass, filters.

Step (b) preferably comprises quantifying the atomic elements present in the one or more membranes using LIBS for each membrane, and reporting the LIBS analysis along with information regarding the character of the membranes, thereby providing, for example, LIBS analysis information relating to components of the sample having a particular particle size or range of particle sizes. The sample components present in the one or more membranes may be classified and identified by analyzing the LIBS spectrum using a multi-variate analysis method, such as but not limited to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as well as any automatic machine learning techniques for feature selection, such as for example: support vector machines, neural networks, adaptive local hyperplane, K-nearest neighbors, soft independent modeling class analysis, partial least square, and others. The above sample preparation technique may also be applicable to types of analysis other than LIBS analysis.

The method may comprise, preferably prior to step (a), characterizing the one or more membranes by acquiring the LIBS spectra for the one or more membranes. This pre-characterization step may be performed well prior to completing the rest of the method steps, such that when steps (a) and (b) are performed, the characterizations have already been performed and documented. Thus, the method may comprising receiving and using pre-characterized membranes with documented characteristics or performing the characterization close in time to the separation step. The analysis of each of the one or more membranes using LIBS preferably takes into account the characteristics of the membranes, such as the size or shape of the pores, to obtain both the elemental composition and the character (i.e. size or shape) of the particles in the sample.

The method may further comprise a dissolution step prior to step (a). The method may also comprise fixing the retained components on the one or more membranes between steps (a) and (b), wherein the fixing step may comprise using (i) air convection to remove moisture, (ii) using a thermo electric cooler or a thermo electric warmer (heater), (iii) fixing the liquid on the membranes using radiation, such as light or heat radiation, or (iv) a combination of (i)-(iii). The fixing step is not limited to the foregoing, however, and may include any step for removing moisture and hydrates from the sample or otherwise fixing the components by solidifying them before analysis.

The method may further comprise, prior to or following step (a), magnetizing the sample to physically separate the sample into a portion containing magnetic particles and a portion containing non-magnetic particles, and using either the portion containing magnetic particles or the portion containing non-magnetic particles as the fluid sample in step (a), or performing the remaining steps of the method on both portions separately.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart depicting a basic embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting a detailed embodiment of the invention, including one or more optional steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention comprises a method of analyzing by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) fluid samples, such as liquids, solutions, melts or slurry samples, that contain soluble and insoluble components of various elemental, molecular and biological components using one or more pre-characterized, preferably non-magnetic, membranes. In embodiment using a plurality of membranes, each membrane preferably has a different porosity. The liquid sample is deposited in or on the one or more membranes. Components of the fluid sample to be analyzed are retained on or in the membranes, such as through filtration or diffusion, and then analyzed with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In fluid samples with particles, different sized particles are captured by different membranes depending on the pore size of the corresponding membrane, which provides pre-sorting of the particles before LIBS analysis. The membranes are preferably non-magnetic because a magnetic membrane introduces the possibility (depending on the nature of the sample) that magnetically active particles in the plasma are affected by the magnetic field of the membrane, which may complicate the analysis. A membrane that is only weakly magnetic (i.e. having a magnetic field sufficiently weak so as not to complicate the LIBS analysis) may also be used.

Thus, referring to Fig. 1, in its most basic form, one aspect of the invention comprises a method for analyzing a fluid sample comprising step 100 of filtering or diffusing the fluid sample through or into one or more membranes in step such that some components of the fluid sample are retained on or in the one or more membranes, and step 110 of analyzing the one or more membranes using LIBS.

Methods of pre-sorting and preparing the particles before LIBS analysis may comprise (1) an optional electromagnetic separation step, (2) mechanical filtration through one or more porous membranes, and (3) an optional fixation step, such as a drying step, to "fix" the liquid and any components separated by the membranes onto the membranes. The electromagnetic separation may be performed before or after the mechanical filtration step.

Traditionally, LIBS analysis of liquid samples has not been preceded by first preparing the samples. In the embodiments discussed herein, no exterior agents, and specifically no particles, are added to the sample prior to its preparation

The samples are processed as set forth herein as is and allowed to diffuse and adsorb to the membranes. In preferred embodiments, the method comprises using a plurality of membranes (including membranes with pores of different sizes, or even in some embodiments, different pore shapes or different materials of construction having different affinities and/or diffusivity coefficients for certain components of the sample). Each membrane having a certain characteristic is then analyzed to produce its own LIBS spectrum. Therefore, each measurement will yield a LIBS spectrum and its corresponding membrane characteristics, and hence an idea of the character (size, shape, etc.) of the particles in the liquid sample, providing richer information regarding the analyzed sample than methods previously known in the art.

An exemplary process of depositing the sample may include leaving the liquid and any retained components on the membrane to dry (causing it to lose water vapor and hydrates) and then analyzing it. The drying process can be performed by various means: (i) air convection to remove moisture, (ii) use of a thermo electric cooler or heater, (iii) use of radiation, such as irradiation with incoherent light of very low power or thermal radiation (heat), and (iv) any combination of the above.

Thus, referring now to Fig. 2, another embodiment of the invention may include first characterizing the one or more membranes in step 200. This step may be performed well in advance of the other steps shown in Fig. 2, and may be performed by a supplier of the membranes or someone other than the entity performing any or all of the other steps. What is important is that the characteristics of the membrane relative to the analysis to be performed and information desired are well understood. Next, in step 210, the fluid sample is prepared. This preparation step may be as simple as obtaining an existing fluid sample from a subject, or as described above, may comprise a dissolution step in which one component of the eventual sample to be analyzed is dissolved in another component, or a step in which non-soluble particles are suspended in a slurry or other mixture, or the like.

Next, the fluid sample is optionally separated into one or more fractions, in step 220. The separation step may comprise a pre-filtration step to remove components having a size above a certain particle threshold, or a magnetic separation step to separate magnetic or non-magnetic particles, or any other step that physically, chemically, or otherwise separates one fraction of the sample from another. It should be noted that each of the separated fractions may be subjected to the remaining steps, or one of the separated fractions may be discarded, retained for later analysis, or analyzed using a different methodology.

In step 230, at least one fraction of the fluid sample is subjected to the one or more membranes. By "subjected," it is meant that the fluid sample is either passed through the membrane or contacts the membrane for a sufficient time to produce a desired degree of diffusion into the membrane. Regardless of the

mechanism for retention, in step 240 one or more components of the liquid sample are retained in or on the one or more membranes. It should be noted here that in the example of membranes with different pore sizes, the sample may first contact a first membrane with a relatively larger pore size such that the retained components comprise particles having a first range of particle sizes greater than or equal to the membrane pore size, and the sample may next contact a second membrane with a relatively smaller pore size than the first membrane, to capture particles having a range of particle sizes between the pore sizes of the first and second membranes. Thus, a single fluid sample may be captured on or in one or more (possibly hundreds) of pre-characterized membranes in which each membrane retains some but not all components of the sample, including but not limited to large bio-macromolecules, bacteria, compounds, ions, magnetized particles, etc. Next, in step 250, the components retained in or on one or more of the membranes may optionally be fixed to the subject membrane(s), such as by solidifying or otherwise drying the sample, as described herein above. Whether some or all of membranes benefit from such a fixation step may be dependent upon the

characteristics of the membrane and the sample fraction retained thereon.

Finally, in step 260, the one or more membranes are analyzed. Although described herein primarily as a sample preparation method for LIBS analysis, the invention is not limited to any particular type of analysis. For methods including LIBS analysis, the LIBS measurements are performed on each membrane separately to acquire a LIBS spectrum for each. The acquired LIBS spectrum may then be analyzed with multi-variate analysis methods, including but not limited to principal component analysis (PCA) as well as any automatic machine learning techniques for feature selection, such as for example: techniques using support vector machines, neural networks, adaptive local hyperplane, K-nearest neighbors, soft independent modeling class analysis, partial least square, and others.

The membranes used to carry out the methods disclosed herein are preferably well defined and well characterized, and in particular, their LIBS spectrum is well and accurately recorded. Exemplary suitable membranes include but are not limited to hydrophilic glass filters in a variety of pore sizes. Filters with larger pore diameters may be used for pre-filtering. For example, a 0.7 pm pore size glass fiber filters may be a suitable pre-filter when used in combination with 0.9 to 8 pm filters for proteinaceious and heavily contaminated liquids.

The methods disclosed herein may be particularly useful when it is desired to analyze and characterize all of the components of a fluid sample. In certain embodiments, it may also be desirable to optionally trap and capture gases given off of the sample during the fixation / drying step and to analyze the gaseous fraction independently, such as by using LIBS analysis, as shown in step 270 of Fig. 2. In some embodiments, if desired, particulates captured on a membrane can be washed via a washing step, provided the wash solution is also known and well-characterized by LIBS.

Although discussed herein primarily with respect to embodiments in which the membranes are porous, the methods as described herein may also be applicable to membranes that are not porous, such as membranes that have a diffusivity for various constituents of the sample into the membrane. Thus, a membrane having known diffusivity characteristics for one or more potential constituents in the sample may be contacted with the sample for a requisite amount of time to promote an expected degree of diffusion, and the LIBS analysis can be performed at different depths (or if the membrane is contacted only in a particular location, at different distances) from the location in which the sample contacts the membrane, for detection of constituents based upon an expected degree of diffusivity for the amount of time the membrane or portion of the membrane was in contact with the liquid. Thus, rather than a method in which the sample is passed through one or more membranes, the method may comprise contacting the sample with one or more membranes or portions thereof, in which at least one characteristic different among the one or more membranes may be a degree of diffusivity relative to a certain potential component, components, or class of components of interest in the sample.

The processes described herein may be assisted by externally enhancing diffusivity or porosity through the membrane, such as but not limited to, by creating a differential pressure (e.g. via positive pressure created by a pump on inlet side of the membrane and/or negative pressure created by a source of vacuum on the outlet side of the membrane) and/or a combination of electromagnetic fields to direct charged particles in the fluid to specific areas of the membrane. Once the process reaches a stable state, the external enhancements (differential pressure and/or electromagnetic fields) are removed and the LIBS analysis can proceed.

The processes described herein generally provide certain advantages for making LIBS measurements on liquids relative to previously known methods. In particular, the multi-membrane processes described herein permit a user to obtain separate analysis for portions of a sample that are size specific (tailored to the size of the constituents of the sample). Depending on the interest of the user, certain users may search for ions, magnetized particles, large or small bio-macromolecules, bacteria, etc.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.