Apparatus for circulating carrier fluid

• US 20030092172A1
• Filed: 11/11/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Geun-bae, Cho, Yoon-kyoung, Oh, Kwang-wook, Lee, Young-sun
• Granted Patent: US 7,329,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/287.2
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/185 using a liquid as fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0421 electrophoretic flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/043 magnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0694 vents used to stop and induce flow, backpressure valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4643 Liquid valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4651 Branched passage for sealing liquid

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid having two or more chambers or sections, an apparatus for amplifying a nucleic acid using the same, and a chip containing the same. The apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid includes two or more chambers maintained at different temperatures, each chamber having an inlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure port for controlling inflow of the carrier fluid to the chamber (inlet pneumatic air pressure port), and an outlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure for controlling outflow of the carrier fluid from the chamber (outlet pneumatic air pressure port), wherein the chambers are sequentially connected such that the outlet valve of one chamber is connected to the inlet valve of an adjacent chamber in a direction the fluid flows.

Claims

1. An apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid comprising two or more chambers maintained at different temperatures, each chamber comprising:

an inlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure port for controlling inflow of the carrier fluid to the chamber (inlet pneumatic air pressure port); and

an outlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure for controlling outflow of the carrier fluid from the chamber (outlet pneumatic air pressure port);

wherein the chambers are sequentially connected such that the outlet valve of one chamber is connected to the inlet valve of an adjacent chamber in a direction the fluid flows.

2. The apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of claim 1, wherein the outlet valve of each chamber is integrated with the inlet valve of a subsequent chamber.

3. The apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of claim 1, wherein both the inlet valve and the outlet valve are a passively operative valve.

4. The apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of claim 3, wherein the passively operative valve is a valve where a channel of an outlet valve is formed to be narrower than that of an inlet valve or a valve where an inner surface of an outlet valve is treated with a hydrophobic material to control flow of a carrier fluid.

5. A method for operating an apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of any one of claims 1 to 3, which comprises:

applying a pressure to the inlet pneumatic air pressure port of a chamber and venting an outlet pneumatic air pressure port of an adjacent chamber in a fluid flow direction at the same time to allow the carrier fluid to move from the chamber to the adjacent chamber;

controlling a pressure applied to the outlet pneumatic air pressure port of the adjacent chamber to retain the carrier fluid in the adjacent chamber for a predetermined time; and

repeating the applying and controlling steps in turn to circulate the carrier fluid.

6. An apparatus, for use in amplifying an amount of a nucleic acid present in a sample using a polymerase chain reaction, comprising three chambers, each chamber comprising:

an inlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure port for controlling inflow of the carrier fluid to the chamber; and

an outlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure for controlling outflow of the carrier fluid from the chamber;

wherein the chambers are sequentially connected such that the outlet valve of one chamber is connected to the inlet valve of an adjacent chamber in a direction the fluid flows; and

wherein the three chambers include a first chamber maintained at a temperature for denaturing, a second chamber maintained at a temperature for annealing, and a third chamber maintained at a temperature for extension.

7. An apparatus, for use in amplifying an amount of a nucleic acid present in a sample using a polymerase chain reaction, comprising two chambers, each chamber comprising:

an inlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure port for controlling inflow of the carrier fluid to the chamber; and

an outlet valve containing a pneumatic air pressure for controlling outflow of the carrier fluid from the chamber;

wherein the outlet valve of one chamber is connected to the inlet valve of the other chamber; and

wherein one chamber is maintained at a temperature for denaturing and the other chamber is maintained at a temperature for both annealing and extension.

8. An apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid, comprising:

a micro-channel having two or more sections maintained at different temperatures, one section retaining a sample fluid and the remaining one or more sections retaining a magnetic fluid;

an inlet/outlet valve connected to the micro-channel; and

a magnet disposed outside the micro-channel, forming a magnetic field to effect on the magnetic fluid.

9. An apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of claim 8, wherein said magnet is a magnet located in a center of the micro-channel or an electromagnet located along the micro-channel.

10. An apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of claim 8, wherein said magnetic fluid is a mixture of a ferromagnetic particle in oil.

11. A method for operating an apparatus for circulating a carrier fluid of any one of claims 8 to 10, which comprises applying a power to the magnet to allow the magnetic fluid to move, thereby moving the carrier fluid toward an adjacent section.

12. An apparatus for use in amplifying an amount of a nucleic acid present in a sample using a polymerase chain reaction, the apparatus comprising:

a micro-channel having three sections, one section retaining a sample fluid and the remaining sections retaining a magnetic fluid;

an inlet/outlet valve connected to the micro-channel; and

a magnet disposed outside the micro-channel, forming a magnetic field to effect on the magnetic fluid, wherein the three sections include a first section maintained at a temperature for denaturing, a second section maintained at a temperature for annealing, and a third section maintained at a temperature for extension.

14. A chip comprising:

a substrate;

an apparatus of any one of claims 6, 7, 12, and 13 disposed on the substrate; and

an electrophoresis means operatively-interconnected with the apparatus.

15. A chip of claim 14, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz, silicon, plastic, ceramic, and metal.

16. A chip of claim 14, wherein the substrate comprises a heating means deposited thereon.

17. A chip of claim 16, wherein the heating means includes a thermoelectric device, an infrared light, or a pre-heated metal block.

13. An apparatus for use in amplifying an amount of a nucleic acid present in a sample using a polymerase chain reaction, the apparatus comprising:

a micro-channel having two sections, one section retaining a sample fluid and the other section retaining a magnetic fluid;

an inlet/outlet valve connected to the micro-channel;

a magnet disposed outside the micro-channel, forming a magnetic field to effect on the magnetic fluid, wherein one section is maintained at a temperature for denaturing and the other section is maintained at a temperature for both annealing and extension.