Laminated flow device

• US 20040011648A1
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teleflex Life Sciences Pte., Ltd. (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Eksigent Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Paul, Phillip H., Rehm, Jason E., Neyer, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/450
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/18 Apparatus therefor
• 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 25/45221 the porous bodies being cylinders or cones which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube, the flow changing from axial in radial and again in axial
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7172 using capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0645 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0418 electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5023 with a sample being transported to, and subsequently stored in an absorbent for analysis
• 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 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/06 Pumps having fluid drive
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0025 Valves using microporous membranes
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0049 using an electroactive polymer [EAP]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/027 : Liquid chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/285 : electrically driven carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/326 : pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/347 : mixers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/525 : surface properties, e.g. porosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/528 : Monolithic sorbent material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 : Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/461 : with serial coupling of separation columns
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6065 : with varying cross section
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 : Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1046 : Bending of one lamina only

Abstract

A laminated flow device comprises a porous material encapsulated within bonding material. The porous material forms a flow path and the bonding material forms an enclosure surrounding the flow path. Micro-components, such as capillaries, electrodes, reservoirs, bridges, electrokinetic elements, and detectors, can be encapsulated within the device.

Claims

1. A flow device comprising:

(a) a laminate having a porous material therein, the porous material forming a flow path and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier at least partially surrounding the flow path;

(b) a fluid inlet through the laminate to the flow path; and

(c) a fluid outlet through the laminate from the flow path.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for forcing a fluid from the fluid inlet through the flow path to the fluid outlet.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the forcing means generates an electroosmotic flow.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the forcing means generates a pressure differential.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the laminate is sufficiently strong so that the flow path can withstand pressures of at least 500 psi.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the flow path can withstand pressures of at least 15 psi.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a substrate supporting the laminate.

8. The device of claim 7 further comprising an aperture in the substrate, wherein the aperture allows fluid communication between the flow path and a component located outside the flow device.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a reservoir in fluid communication with the porous material.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the reservoir is within the laminate.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a reservoir for containing a fluid in electrical communication with the porous material and an electrode in the reservoir.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is encapsulated in a potting material.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the porous material is a porous membrane film.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a detector in the laminate.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the detector comprises an optical fiber.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the porous material is derivatized.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising an electrode, wherein the electrode is in electrical communication with the flow path.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the electrode is at least partially encapsulated by the laminate.

19. The device of claim 1 further comprising reservoirs within the laminate wherein the reservoirs are in fluid communication with the flow path.

20. The device of claim 1 further comprising a capillary at least partially encapsulated by the laminate, the capillary being in fluid communication with the flow path.

21. The device of claim 1 wherein substantially all of the pores of the porous material have a diameter less than ten microns.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein substantially all of the pores of the porous material have a diameter less than one micron.

23. The device of claim 1 wherein the porous material has a longitudinal axis and the flow path is along the longitudinal axis of the porous material.

24. A flow device comprising:

(a) a laminate having a first and a second porous material therein, the first and the second porous materials forming a first flow path and a second flow path, respectively, and the laminate forms a non-permeable barrier at least partially surrounding the first and the second flow paths;

(b) a first fluid inlet to the first flow path;

(c) a first fluid outlet from the first flow path;

(d) a second fluid inlet to the second flow path; and

(e) a second fluid outlet from the second flow path.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the first flow path is in fluid communication with the second flow path.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein the first and second porous materials are different from each other.

27. The device of claim 24 wherein the first and second porous materials each have a different zeta potential.

28. An electrokinetic device comprising:

(a) a laminate having a porous material therein, the porous material forming a flow path and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier at least partially surrounding the flow path;

(b) a fluid inlet to the flow path;

(c) a fluid outlet from the flow path; and

(d) a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with the flow path.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein at least one electrode is at least partially encapsulated by the laminate.

30. The device of claim 28 further comprising a reservoir in electrical communication with the flow path, wherein at least one electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located in the reservoir.

31. The device of claim 28 further comprising connectors for connecting the electrodes to a power source.

32. The device of claim 28 further comprising connectors for connecting the flow path to components external to the device.

33. The device of claim 28 wherein fluid flows from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet when there is an electrical potential between the electrodes.

34. The device of claim 28 wherein the fluid inlet has a pressure of P₁, the fluid outlet has a pressure of P₂ and P₁>

P₂.

35. A flow device comprising:

(a) a porous material within a laminate, the porous material forming a flow path and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier surrounding the flow path, the flow path having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; and

(b) an electroosmotic flow forcing fluid from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet.

36. A flow device comprising:

a porous material within a laminate, the porous material forming a first flow path and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier at least partially surrounding the first flow path, the first flow path having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the flow path being along a longitudinal axis of the porous material.

37. A method of forming a fluid flow device comprising the steps of:

(a) surrounding a porous material with a laminating material; and

(b) heating and compressing the laminating material to form a laminate containing the porous material, the porous material forming a flow path and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier surrounding the flow path, the flow path having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the flow path being along a longitudinal axis of the porous material.

39. The flow device of claim 37 wherein the first portion has a first flow rate, the second portion has a second flowrate, and the third portion has a third flowrate and the first and second flowrates increase and the third flowrate decreases upon application of an electrical potential across the membranes.

38. A flow device comprising:

(a) a laminate having first and second porous membranes therein, the first and second porous membranes forming a first and a second flow path, respectively, and the laminate forming a non-permeable barrier surrounding the flow paths, the first porous membrane having a positive zeta potential and the second porous membrane having a negative zeta potential, the first porous membrane being in electrical communication with the second porous membrane;

(b) a first liquid inlet to the first flow path;

(c) a first liquid outlet from the first flow path;

(d) a second liquid inlet to the second flow path;

(e) a second liquid outlet from the second flow path;

(f) a first capillary having an inlet end and an outlet end, the outlet end being encapsulated by the laminate;

(g) a third liquid inlet to the inlet end of the first capillary, the third liquid inlet having a pressure P₁;

(h) a third liquid outlet from the outlet end of the first capillary, the third liquid outlet being in liquid communication with the first and second liquid inlets;

(i) a second capillary having an inlet and an outlet end, the inlet end being encapsulated by the laminate;

(j) a fourth liquid inlet to the inlet end of the second capillary, the fourth liquid inlet being in liquid communication with the third liquid outlet;

(k) a fourth liquid outlet from the outlet end of the fourth capillary, the fourth liquid outlet having a pressure P₂, wherein P₁>

P₂; and

(l) means for applying an electrical potential across the first and the second porous membranes;

wherein when a liquid flows in from the third liquid inlet, a first portion of the liquid flows in the first liquid inlet, a second portion of the liquid flows in the second liquid inlet, and a third portion of the liquid flows in the fourth liquid inlet.

40. A method of using the device of claim 38 comprising the steps of:

(a) inserting fluid into the third fluid inlet; and

(b) applying an electrical potential to the electrodes.

41. A flow device comprising:

(a) a laminate having a first and a second porous material therein, the first and the second porous materials forming a first flow path and a second flow path, respectively, and the laminate forms a non-permeable barrier at least partially surrounding the first and the second flow paths, wherein the first porous material has a first permeability and the second porous material has a second permeability and the first permeability is greater than the second permeability and the second flow path is in fluid communication with the first flow path;

(b) a first fluid inlet to the first flow path;

(c) a first fluid outlet from the first flow path; and

(d) a second fluid outlet from the second flow path.

42. The flow device of claim 41 wherein the first porous material is permeable to molecules having a diameter of x microns and wherein the second porous material is impermeable to molecules having a diameter of x microns.