Assembly microchip using microfluidic breadboard

• US 20030012697A1
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Postech Foundation
• Original Assignee: Postech Foundation
• Inventors: Ro, Kyung Won, Hahn, Jong Hoon, Shim, Bong Chu, Park, Yong Min
• Application Number:
  US10/197,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20030012697A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/99
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/433 Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly extending profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4331 Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/561 the mixer being built-up from a plurality of modules or stacked plates comprising complete or partial elements of the mixer
• 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 2219/00828 Silicon wafers or plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00831 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0086 Dimensions of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00862 Dimensions of the reaction cavity itself
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00871 Modular assembly
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/028 Modular arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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 9/527 : for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip

Abstract

A microfluidic breadboard comprises a plurality of pairs of openings formed on an upper surface of a substrate and arranged at regular intervals, wherein each pair of openings are connected to each other through a microchannel formed in the bulk of the substrate so that the microfluidic breadboard has an array of U-shaped microchannels.

An assembly microchip comprises a microfluidic breadboard having an array of U-shaped microchannels and a couple of modules, wherein the modules are reversibly or irreversibly bonded to the upper surface of the breadboard, and some of U-shaped microchannels of the breadboard are interconnected through the microchannels of the modules. Herein, the modules are designed to perform functions, such as injection, mixing, extraction, purification, concentration, dilution, reaction, synthesis, separation, and detection. In this way, we can make a variety of prototypes of microchips cheaper and faster because this does not require the photolithographic process, which facilitates designing of microfluidic chips through rapid optimization.

Therefore, the assembly microchip using the microfluidic breadboard of the present invention may be advantageously applied to manufacture in an economical way a multipurpose lab-on-a-chip which can be used in the field of chemistry, biotechnology, chemical/environmental engineering, etc.

Claims

1. A microfluidic breadboard comprising a plurality of pairs of openings formed on the upper surface of a substrate and arranged at regular intervals, wherein each pair of openings are connected to each other through a microchannel formed in the body of the breadboard.

2. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the microchannel is a U-shaped channel having open ends at the upper surface of the breadboard.

3. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the microchannels are arranged in an orderly array.

4. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the microchannels are arrayed in different regions with difference in regularity.

5. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an upper plate and a lower plate having a plane surface, the upper plate having a plurality of pairs of openings passing through the thickness thereof and exposed microchannels formed on a lower surface thereof, and the plane surface of the lower plate being tightly bonded with the lower surface of the upper plate so that U-shaped channels are formed therebetween.

6. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an upper plate having a plurality of pairs of openings passing through the thickness thereof and a lower plate having exposed microchannels formed on the upper surface thereof, one surface of the upper plate being tightly bonded with the upper surface of the lower plate so that U-shaped microchannels are formed therebetween.

7. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the breadboard is made of rubber, polymer, glass or silica.

8. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the breadboard is prepared by molding, embossing, machining or laser processing.

9. The microfluidic breadboard of claim 1, wherein the breadboard measures 0.5 mm×

0.5 mm to 2 m×

2 m, each microchannel measures 10 nm to 10 mm in width, 10 nm to 10 mm in depth and 10 μ

m to 10 cm in length, and the interval between adjacent microchannels is from 10 μ

m to 10 cm.

10. An assembly microchip comprising a microfluidic breadboard of claim 1 having an array of U-shaped microchannels and one or more modules, wherein the modules are reversibly or irreversibly bonded to the upper surface of the breadboard, and some of U-shaped microchannels of the breadboard are interconnected through the microchannels of the modules.

11. The assembly microchip of claim 10, wherein each module has microchannels on its lower surface.

12. The assembly microchip of claim 10, wherein the module comprises an upper plate having a plane surface and a lower plate having an exposed microchannel formed on a upper surface thereof and some openings, which are sited at the ends of the microchannel, passing through the thickness thereof, and the plane surface of the upper plate being tightly bonded with the upper surface of the lower plate.

13. The assembly microchip of claim 10, wherein the module comprises an upper plate having an exposed microchannel formed on the lower surface thereof and a lower plate having some openings, which are sited at the ends of the microchannels, passing through the thickness thereof, and one surface of the lower plate being tightly bonded with the lower surface of the upper plate.

14. The assembly microchip of claim 10, wherein specific parts of the microchip are modified by loading therein gel, bead composition or viscous polymer solutions, or by surface treating said parts to impart different properties.

15. The assembly microchip of claim 10, wherein the modules are designed to perform a function selected from the group consisting of injection, mixing, extraction, purification, concentration, dilution, reaction, synthesis, separation and detection.