Microfluidic device and methods of using same
First Claim
1. A microfluidic device, comprising:
- (a) a flow channel formed within an elastomeric material;
(b) a plurality of blind flow channels in fluid communication with the flow channel, with a region of each blind flow channel defining a reaction site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variety of elastomeric-based microfluidic devices and methods for using and manufacturing such devices are provided. Certain of the devices have arrays of reaction sites to facilitate high throughput analyses. Some devices also include reaction sites located at the end of blind channels at which reagents have been previously deposited during manufacture. The reagents become suspended once sample is introduced into the reaction site. The devices can be utilized with a variety of heating devices and thus can be used in a variety of analyses requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyses.
253 Citations
91 Claims
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1. A microfluidic device, comprising:
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(a) a flow channel formed within an elastomeric material;
(b) a plurality of blind flow channels in fluid communication with the flow channel, with a region of each blind flow channel defining a reaction site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. A microfluidic device comprising an array of reaction sites having a density of at least 50 sites/cm2.
- 25. A microfluidic device comprising a reaction site formed within an elastomeric substrate at which a reagent for conducting a reaction is immobilized.
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29. A microfluidic device, comprising:
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(a) a first plurality of flow channels formed in an elastomeric substrate;
(b) a second plurality of flow channels formed in the elastomeric substrate that intersect the first plurality of flow channels to define an array of reaction sites;
(c) a plurality of isolation valves disposed within the first and second plurality of flow channels that can be actuated to isolate solution within each of the reaction sites from solution at other reaction sites. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 90, 91)
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34. A method for conducting an analysis, comprising:
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(a) providing a microfluidic device, comprising (i) a flow channel formed within an elastomeric material; and
(ii) a plurality of blind flow channels in fluid communication with the flow channel, with an end region of each blind flow channel defining a reaction site;
(b) introducing at least one reagent into each of the reaction sites; and
(c) detecting a reaction at one or more of the reaction sites. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method for conducting an analysis, comprising:
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(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising one or more reaction sites, each reaction site comprising a first reagent for conducting an analysis that is non-covalently deposited on an elastomeric substrate;
(b) introducing a second reagent into the one or more reaction sites, whereby the first and second reagents mix to form a reaction mixture; and
(c) detecting a reaction between the first and second reagents at one or more of the reaction sites. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 83)
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62. A method for conducting an analysis, comprising
(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising an array of reaction sites formed within a substrate and having a density of at least 50 sites/cm2; -
(b) introducing at least one reagent into each of the reaction sites, and (c) detecting a reaction at one or more of the reaction sites. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. A method for conducting an analysis, comprising
(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising at least one reaction site which is formed within an elastomeric substrate and a plurality of guard channels also formed within the elastomeric substrate; -
(b) introducing at least one reagent into each of the reaction sites;
(c) heating the at least one reagent within at least one of the reaction sites;
(d) flowing a fluid through the guard channels before or during heating to reduce evaporation from the at least one reaction site; and
(e) detecting a reaction within the at least one reaction site. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A microfluidic device, comprising:
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(a) a cavity that is part of a microfluidic network formed in an elastomeric substrate; and
(b) a plurality of guard channels overlaying the cavity and separated from the cavity by an elastomeric membrane, wherein each guard channel is sized (i) to allow solution flow therethrough, and (ii) such that there is not a substantial reduction in solution flow in, out or through the cavity due to deflection of the membrane(s) upon application of an actuation force to the guard channels. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A microfluidic device, comprising:
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(a) a microfluidic system comprising one or more flow channels and/or one or more reaction sites; and
(b) a plurality of guard channels overlaying the microfluidic system and separated therefrom by elastomer, wherein the edge to edge spacing between guard channels is between 1 μ
m to 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81)
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- 84. A composition for enhancing an amplification reaction in a microfluidic device, comprising one or more agents selected from the group consisting of an agent that blocks protein binding sites on an elastomeric substrate, an agent that reduces secondary structure in nucleic acids, an agent that reduces mispriming between a primer and complementary template, and a detergent.
Specification