Microfluidic surfaces

• US 20020125135A1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Alstine, James, Larsson, Anders, Derand, Helene
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/454
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/165 Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C

Abstract

A microfluidic device comprising a set of one or more, preferably more than 5, covered microchannel structures manufactured in the surface of a planar substrate. The device is characterized in that a part surface of at least one of the microchannel structures has a coat exposing a non-ionic hydrophilic polymer. The non-ionic hydrophilic polymer is preferably attached covalently directly to the part surface or to a polymer skeleton that is attached to the surface.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising a set of one or more, preferably more than 5, covered microchannel structures manufactured in the surface of a planar substrate, characterized in that a part surface of at least one of the microchannel structures has a coat exposing a non-ionic hydrophilic polymer that preferably is attached covalently directly to the surface or to a polymer skeleton that is attached to the surface.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the planar substrate is made of plastics.

3. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the non-ionic hydrophilic polymer is attached to the polymer skeleton that is attached to the part surface, said skeleton preferably being branched and/or preferably being a polyamine.

4. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the substrate surface without the coat is made of plastics and that said part surface without coat is hydrophilized by plasma treatment or by an oxidation agent in order to introduce functional groups that allow for a subsequent attachment of the coat onto said part surface.

5. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-^•

•

4, characterized in that the non-ionic hydrophilic polymer comprises one or more blocks of polyoxyethylene chains, with preference for the polymer being polyethylene glycol covalently attached at one of its ends to the skeleton or directly to the part surface and possibly having the remaining hydroxy group etherified.

6. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the hydrophilic non-ionic polymer is a polyethylene glycol, preferably a monoalkoxy variant such as the monomethoxy variant, which is attached to said part surface via the polymer skeleton which preferably is a polyethylenimine.

7. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that the hydrophilic non-ionic polymer is attached to said part surface or to said polymer skeleton via one-point attachment, preferably covalently.

8. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 2-7, characterized in that the plastics has a non-significant fluorescence for excitation wavelengths in the interval 200-800 nm and emission wavelengths in the interval 400-900 nm.

9. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-3 and 5-8, characterized in that said polymer skeleton is an inorganic or an organic polymer.

10. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-4 and 7-9, characterized in that said non-ionic hydrophilic polymer comprises a plurality of amide bonds, e.g. is polymerisate/copolymerisate with monomers at least selected from acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinylpyrrolidone etc.

11. The microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-10, characterized in that it is in a dried state that is capable of being rehydrated.

12. The use of the microfluidic device according to any of claims 1-11 in analytical systems in which an assay comprising one or more of the steps:

(a) sample preparation,

(b) assay reaction and

(c) detection,

at least one and preferably more than two of said steps being carried out within the microfluidic device.