Microfluidic device

• US 20040099310A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Per
• Application Number:
  US10/715,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/240
• 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: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• 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 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0803 Disc shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/088 by specific surface properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00504 combined with carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 : Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/7266 : by electric field, e.g. electrospray
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 : Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 : whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4259 : With separate material addition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4358 : Liquid supplied at valve interface

Abstract

A microfluidic device adapted such that the flow of fluids within the device is controlled by different surfaces of the device having different surface characteristics. Preferably the device comprises a substrate not formed from a hydrated oxide material. The present invention relates to a method for presenting an analyte of a liquid sample as an MS-analyte to a mass spectrometer. More particularly, the method comprises the steps of applying a liquid sample containing the analyte to a sample inlet port of a microchannel structure of a microfluidic device, said structure also comprising an outlet port (MS-port) that is capable of being interfaced with a mass spectrometer, passing the analyte to the MS-port thereby transforming it to an MS-analyte, and presenting the MS-analyte to mass spectrometer via the MS-port.

Claims

1. A device for metering a microfluidic plug of fluid from a larger fluidic volume, the device comprising:

a trunk channel having a fluidic inlet and a fluidic outlet; and

a microfluidic branch channel in direct, independent fluid communication with the trunk channel, the branch channel having a fluidic impedance region;

wherein the trunk channel, branch channel, fluidic inlet, fluidic outlet, and fluidic impedance are arranged to permit a first fluid to be supplied through the trunk channel to fill the branch channel to the fluidic impedance region, and thereafter to permit the fluidic contents of the trunk channel to be flushed through the fluidic outlet while the branch channel remains substantially filled.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sub-branch channels in fluid communication with the microfluidic branch channel.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of microfluidic branch channels, each in direct, independent fluid communication with the trunk channel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic branch channel has a volume of less than about two microliters.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic branch channel has a volume of less than about one microliter.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic branch channel has a volume of less than about five hundred nanoliters.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the fluidic impedance region comprises a passive valve.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the branch channel has an associated gas-permeable vent.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the trunk channel is a microfluidic channel.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising multiple microfluidic branch channels each in independent, direct fluid communication with the trunk channel.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is fabricated with a plurality of device layers.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein any device layer of the plurality of device layers is fabricated with a polymeric material.