Method for high throughput separations in microfluidic systems using small particles

• US 20030164335A1
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Chandler, Darrell, Bruckner-Lea, Cindy, Grate, Jay W., Holman, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/132,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/660
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00466 in a slurry
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• 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 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/565 slurry packing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/56 Packing methods or coating methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6004 end pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0098 involving analyte bound to insoluble magnetic carrier, e.g. using magnetic separation magnetic particles used in immunoassays G01N33/54326; magnetic separation in general B03C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/085 Flow Injection Analysis

Abstract

A method for manipulating small particles in a microfluidic system wherein a fluid flow through a tolerance of the microfluidic system is used to capture large particles, which are then used, in turn, to capture small particles.

Claims

1. ) an improved method for manipulating small particles in a microfluidic system wherein at least one tolerance of the microfluidic system is greater than the size of the small particles, the improvement comprising providing a layer of large particles, said large particles being sufficiently small enough to capture the small particles, but sufficiently large to not escape through the tolerances within the microfluidic system.

2. ) The improved method of claim 1 further comprising providing the layer of large particles as a mixture with the small particles in a fluid flow through the microfluidic system.

3. ) The improved method of claim 1 further comprising first providing the layer of large particles in a fluid flow of the microfluidic system into a region of the microfluidic system having the tolerance, wherein the large particles are stopped by the tolerance and the fluid flow is allowed and to pass through the tolerance, and subsequently providing the small particles in the fluid flow, thereby trapping the small particles above or within the large particles and allowing the fluid flow to pass through the tolerance.

4. ) The improved method of claim 1 further wherein the small particles are provided as having a diameter of between about 5 and 6 microns.

5. ) The improved method of claim 1 further wherein the large particles are provided as having a diameter of about 20 microns.

6. ) The improved method of claim 1 wherein particles are selected from the group consisting of Sr-resin, TRU-resin, TEVA-resin, glass, Sepharose, polystyrene, Tepnel, Qiagen, zirconium, hydroxyapatite, POROS, PEG-PS, PS, and polymeric micro-beads covalently linked to specific oligonucleotide capture probes.

7. ) An improved method for manipulating small particles having a diameter of between about 5 and 6 microns in a microfluidic system wherein at least one tolerance of the microfluidic system is greater than the size of the small particles, the improvement comprising providing a layer of large particles, said large particles being sufficiently small enough to capture the small particles, but sufficiently large to not escape through the tolerances within the microfluidic system.

8. ) The improved method of claim 7 further comprising providing the layer of large particles as a mixture with the small particles in a fluid flow through the microfluidic system.

9. ) The improved method of claim 7 further comprising first providing the layer of large particles in a fluid flow of the microfluidic system into a region of the microfluidic system having the tolerance, wherein the large particles are stopped by the tolerance and the fluid flow is allowed and to pass through the tolerance, and subsequently providing the small particles in the fluid flow, thereby trapping the small particles above or within the large particles and allowing the fluid flow to pass through the tolerance.

10. ) The improved method of claim 7 further wherein the large particles are provided as having a diameter of about 20 microns.

11. ) The improved method of claim 7 wherein particles are selected from the group consisting of Sr-resin, TRU-resin, TEVA-resin, glass, Sepharose, polystyrene, Tepnel, Qiagen, zirconium, hydroxyapatite, POROS, PEG-PS, PS, and polymeric micro-beads covalently linked to specific oligonucleotide capture probes.