Microfluidic system

• US 20050052509A1
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blacktrace Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Syrris Ltd. (AGC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Briant, John Philip, Lovatt, Andrew Mark, Homewood, Philip James, Gilligan, Mark Peter Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,858,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/14 Means for pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1095 for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/904 for medical, immunological, body treatment, or diagnosis

Abstract

A microfluidic system comprising a microchannel (2), a pressurised reservoir (3-5) of fluid and a positive displacement pump (7-9) downstream of the reservoir for pumping the fluid from the reservoir to the microchannel.

Claims

1. A microfluidic system comprising a microchannel, a pressurised reservoir of fluid and a positive displacement pump downstream of the reservoir for pumping the fluid from the reservoir to the microchannel.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a number of fluids are supplied to the microchannel, each fluid being supplied under pressure from a reservoir.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein each fluid is supplied from a respective reservoir.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the microchannel has an outlet which is pressurised to the same degree as the reservoir.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the microchannel has an outlet which is pressurised to a greater extent than the reservoir.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the microchannel has an outlet and a throttle is associated with the outlet, the throttle arranged to control the pressure upstream of the throttle to be at a level equal to or greater than the reservoir pressure.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the microchannel has an outlet which is pressurised to a lesser extent than the reservoir.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the microchannel has an outlet which is open to atmosphere.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising one or more valves to control the flow of fluid along the system feed lines, wherein the pressure applied to the reservoirs is greater than the pressure drop across the feed lines and valves.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is provided with a gas supply at a pressure greater than atmospheric.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is pressurised by a plunger to which a force is applied.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the pressurised reservoir of fluid contains a solvent, a sample valve is provided downstream of the pump and upstream of the microchannel, a reagent stream leads to the sample valve, and a sample loop leads to and from the sample valve, the sample valve being arranged to form a stream comprising slugs of reagent entrained in a stream of solvent in the sample loop and to supply the stream to the microchannel driven by the pump.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir is provided by an outer housing, the lower end of which is engaged with a support thereby forming a seal, an inner housing within the outer housing engaged with the support to form a second seal, the inner housing being arranged to receive a fluid and having a fluid outlet through the support, a supply of pressurised gas into a space between the inner and outer housing, and a sealable interface on the outer housing allowing injection of fluids into the reservoir.