Microfluidic analytical devices and methods

• US 20020187074A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nanostream, Inc.
• Inventors: Dantsker, Eugene, Pezzuto, Marci, Hobbs, Steven E., Karp, Christoph D., Coyne, Courtney, OʼConnor, Stephen D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,919,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/45 Mixers in which the materials to be mixed are pressed together through orifices or interstitial spaces, e.g. between beads B01F25/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4521 the components being pressed through orifices in elements, e.g. flat plates or cylinders, which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0081 Plurality of modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00822 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00837 comprising coatings other than catalytically active coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00867 Microreactors placed in series, on the same or on different supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00873 Heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00889 Mixing micromixers B01F33/30
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00891 Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00909 using filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00916 by chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00934 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00961 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 : Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 : Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 : Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/18 : Means for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0638 : membrane valves, flap valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/084 : Passive control of flow resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 : by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 : Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/056 : Laminated construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/058 : Flat flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 : Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 : Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25625 : Dilution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

Modular microfluidic systems includes a plurality of microfluidic modules, each capable of performing fluidic operations including, but not limited to, filtering, splitting, regulating pressure, mixing, metering, reacting, diverting, heating, cooling, and condensing are provided. The microfluidic modules are polymeric, stencil-based structures adapted to be coupled in sequence for performing biological or chemical synthesis, including, but not limited to, chemical and biological syntheses of organic, polymer, inorganic, oligonucleotide, peptide, protein, bacteria, and enzymatic products.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device for passively mixing at least two fluids for analysis, the device comprising a plurality of device layers defining:

a first fluidic input;

a first junction or manifold region in fluid communication with the first fluidic input;

a first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels in fluid communication with the first junction or manifold region;

a second fluidic input;

a second junction or manifold region in fluid communication with the second fluidic input;

a second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels in fluid communication with the second junction or manifold region;

a plurality of mixer regions in fluid communication with the first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels and the second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels,

wherein the plurality of mixer regions, the first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels, and the second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels are disposed within the plurality of device layers so as to permit simultaneous and combination of a first fluid and a second fluid in a plurality of different predetermined mixing ratios; and

a detection region in fluid communication with the plurality of mixer regions.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein:

the impedances of the branch channels first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels vary in a first predetermined impedance ratio from a first higher impedance channel to a first lower impedance channel;

the impedances of the branch channels second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels vary in a second predetermined impedance ratio from a second higher impedance channel to a second lower impedance channel;

the first higher impedance channel is in fluid communication with the second lower impedance channel; and

the second higher impedance channel is in fluid communication with the first lower impedance channel.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 2 wherein:

the branch channels of the first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels each have a length proportional to the first predetermined impedance ratio; and

the branch channels of the second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels each have a length proportional to the second predetermined impedance ratio.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of porous regions associated with the first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels and the second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of device layers includes at least one porous layer associated with the first plurality of unequal impedance branch channels and the second plurality of unequal impedance branch channels.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of device layers further defines a plurality of overlap regions associated with the plurality of mixer regions.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of device layers further defines a plurality of slit regions associated with the plurality of mixer regions.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of filters associated with the detection region.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein any device layer of the plurality of device layers is fabricated with a polymeric material.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein any device layer of the plurality of device layers is fabricated with an adhesive tape material.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein any device layer of the plurality of device layers is a stencil layer.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the detection region is substantially optically transmissive.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein at least one device layer of the plurality of device layers is fabricated with a substantially optically transmissive material.

14. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the detection region is adapted to interface with an analytical tool that performs an analytical technique selected from the group consisting of:

UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence detection, chemiluminescence, electrochemical detection, capacitive measurement, and conductivity measurement.