Devices and methods for programmable microscale manipulation of fluids
First Claim
1. An apparatus for processing fluids comprising:
- a first substrate comprising a plurality of first fluidic components;
a second substrate comprising a plurality of second fluidic components corresponding to the first fluidic components;
a material layer separating the plurality of first fluidic components from the plurality of second fluidic components; and
electromagnetic generating means for generating a selected electromagnetic radiation for directing onto the layer of material at a position corresponding to a portion of the layer located between at least a pair of corresponding fluidic components from the plurality of first fluidic components and the plurality of second fluidic components said selected electromagnetic radiation causing perforation of the material layer at the position allowing fluid communication between at least a pair of fluidic components.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed generally to devices and methods for controlling fluid flow in meso-scale fluidic components in a programmable manner. Specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for placing two microfluidic components in fluid communication at an arbitrary position and time, both of which are externally defined. The inventive apparatus uses electromagnetic radiation to perforate a material layer having selected adsorptive properties. The perforation of the material layer allows the fluid communication between microfluidic components. Other aspects of this invention include an apparatus and method to perform volumetric quantitation of fluids, an apparatus to program arbitrary connections between a set of input capillaries and a set of output capillaries, and a method to transport fluid in centripetal device from a larger to a smaller radius. In addition, the present invention also is directed to a method to determine the radial and polar position of a pickup in the reference frame of a rotating device.
157 Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus for processing fluids comprising:
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a first substrate comprising a plurality of first fluidic components;
a second substrate comprising a plurality of second fluidic components corresponding to the first fluidic components;
a material layer separating the plurality of first fluidic components from the plurality of second fluidic components; and
electromagnetic generating means for generating a selected electromagnetic radiation for directing onto the layer of material at a position corresponding to a portion of the layer located between at least a pair of corresponding fluidic components from the plurality of first fluidic components and the plurality of second fluidic components said selected electromagnetic radiation causing perforation of the material layer at the position allowing fluid communication between at least a pair of fluidic components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for multiplexing fluids comprising:
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a first substrate comprising a set of input capillaries;
a second substrate comprising a set of output capillaries corresponding to the set of input capillaries;
a material layer positioned between said first—
substrate and said second substrate forming a valving interface between each of said input capillaries, and said output capillaries corresponding thereto; and
a means for generating electromagnetic radiation, said generating means producing a selected radiation for directing onto said material layer said selected radiation causing perforation at a said valving interface causing fluid communication between said input capillary and said output capillary. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. An apparatus for volumetric quantitation or fractionation of a liquid comprising:
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a first fluidic component and a second fluidic component at least said fluidic component containing a liquid; and
fluid communication means for placing the first and the second fluidic components in fluid communication in at least one selected position, wherein upon a force being placed on said liquid, a first amount of the liquid left in said first or second fluidic component or a second amount of liquid transferred to said first or second fluidic component is determined by the choice of said selected position. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of moving a liquid in a centripetal device from an outer radial position to an inner radial position comprising:
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loading a buffer fluid in a first fluidic component;
loading a liquid in a second fluidic component;
enabling gas-tight fluid communication between the first fluidic component and said second fluidic component across a fluidic circuit sealed on one end by said buffer liquid and on the other end by said liquid; and
rotating said centripetal device causing said buffer fluid to exit from said first fluidic component, wherein movement of said buffer fluid exiting said first fluidic component forces said liquid from an outer radial position to an inner radial position. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method for determining a polar position and a radial position of a pickup in a reference frame of a rotating device comprising:
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means for detecting a first marker on the device;
means for detecting a second marker on the device, wherein an angular distance from said first marker to said second marker is a non-constant function of a radial position of the pickup;
means for determining the time elapsed between detection of the first marker and the second marker;
determining a radial position of said pickup from said elapsed time and a rotation period of said rotating device; and
determining a polar position of the pickup a first time using the difference between the first time and a second time corresponding to the detection of a marker and the rotation period of the rotating device.
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37. A method for determining a polar position and a radial position of a pickup in a reference frame of a rotating device comprising:
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recording a first time at which a pickup detects a first marker on a rotating device;
recording a second time at which the pickup detects a second marker on the device, wherein an angular distance from the first marker to the second marker is a non-constant function of a radial position of the pickup;
determining the radial position of the pickup from the difference in time between the second time and the first time and a rotation period of the rotating device; and
determining a polar position of the pickup at a third time using the difference between the third time and a fourth time corresponding to the detection of a marker and the rotation period. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method for processing fluids comprising:
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providing a first substrate comprising a plurality of first fluidic components;
providing a second substrate comprising a plurality of second fluidic components corresponding to the first fluidic components;
providing a material layer separating the plurality of first fluidic components from the plurality of second fluidic components; and
directing electromagnetic radiation onto said material layer in at least one position corresponding to at least one selected position between at least a pair of corresponding fluidic components from the plurality of first fluidic components and the plurality of second fluidic components, said electromagnetic radiation causing perforation in at least one selected position thereby allowing fluid communication between at least one pair of fluidic components. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A disk for processing fluids comprising:
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a first substrate comprising a plurality of first fluidic components;
a second substrate comprising a plurality of second fluidic components corresponding to the first fluidic components; and
a material layer separating the plurality of first fluidic components from the plurality of second fluidic components said material layer having means for absorbing radiation at a selected portion wherein said absorption perforates said material layer at said selected portion allowing for fluid communication between said first fluidic components and said second fluidic components.
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Specification