MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE AND METHODS OF USING SAME

• US 20070004033A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluidigm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fluidigm Corporation
• Inventors: Yi, Yong, Unger, Marc, Facer, Geoffrey, Miyashita-Lin, Emily, Wienecke, Anja, Lucero, Michael, Manger, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,820,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/288.500
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00337 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00353 Pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00403 in multiple arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0072 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/06 Valves, specific forms thereof
• 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 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50851 specially adapted for heating or cooling samples laboratory heating apparatus B01L7/00; incubators C12M
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 1/38 Temperature-responsive control
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/68 involving nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6844 Nucleic acid amplification reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/501 being an array of oligonucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/20 operated by separate actuating members with one plug turning in another F16K11/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00366 : Several different temperatures used
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00029 : provided with flat sample substrates, e.g. slides G01N35/028 takes precedence
• 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: Y10T 137/2076 : Utilizing diverse fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2496 : Self-proportioning or correlating systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86292 : System with plural openings, one a gas vent or access opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 : Multiple inlet with multiple outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A variety of elastomeric-based microfluidic devices and methods for using and manufacturing such devices are provided. Certain of the devices have arrays of reaction sites to facilitate high throughput analyses. Some devices also include reaction sites located at the end of blind channels at which reagents have been previously deposited during manufacture. The reagents become suspended once sample is introduced into the reaction site. The devices can be utilized with a variety of heating devices and thus can be used in a variety of analyses requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyses.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device, comprising:

(a) a flow channel formed within an elastomeric material;

(b) a plurality of blind flow channels in fluid communication with the flow channel, with a region of each blind flow channel defining a reaction site.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising one or more control channels overlaying and intersecting each of the blind flow channels, wherein an elastomeric membrane separates the one or more control channels from the blind flow channels at each intersection, the elastomeric membrane disposed to be deflected into or withdrawn from the blind flow channel in response to an actuation force.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of guard channels formed within the elastomeric material and overlaying the flow channel and/or one or more of the reaction sites.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising one or more reagents deposited within each of the reaction sites.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4, wherein the reagents are non-covalently deposited.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 2, further comprising

a plurality of guard channels formed within the elastomeric material and overlaying the flow channel and/or one or more of the reaction sites;

and

one or more reagents deposited within each of the reaction sites.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the flow channel is one of a plurality of flow channels, each of the flow channels in fluid communication with multiple blind flow channels which branch therefrom.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 7, wherein

the plurality of flow channels are arranged such that the flow channels are substantially parallel to one another;

and

the blind flow channels that branch from adjacent flow channels are interleaved with respect to one another.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of flow channels are interconnected with one another such that fluid can be introduced into each of the reaction sites via a single inlet.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of flow channels comprise

(i) a plurality of vertical flow channels;

and

(ii) a plurality of horizontal flow channels, one end of each horizontal flow channel in fluid communication with one of the vertical flow channels and the other end of each horizontal flow channel in fluid communication with another one of the vertical flow channels, whereby fluid can flow from one horizontal flow channel to another horizontal flow channel via the vertical flow channels;

the branch flow channels are substantially perpendicular to the horizontal flow channels.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 9, wherein the blind flow channels that branch from adjacent flow channels are interleaved with respect to one another.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of guard channels formed within the elastomeric material and overlaying one or more of the flow or branch channels and/or one or more of the reaction sites.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 9, further comprising one or more reagents deposited within each of the reaction sites.

14. The microfluidic device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of flow channels are isolated from each other such that fluid introduced into one flow channel cannot flow to another flow channel, and each flow channel comprises a single inlet at one end into which fluid can be introduced.

15. The microfluidic device of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of guard channels formed within the elastomeric material and overlaying one or more of the flow or branch channels and/or one or more of the reaction sites.

16. The microfluidic device of claim 14, further comprising one or more reagents deposited within each of the reaction sites.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of flow channels has two ends, the plurality of flow channels are isolated from each other such that fluid introduced into one flow channel cannot flow to another flow channel, and each flow channel comprises an inlet located at each end.

18. The microfluidic device of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of guard channels formed within the elastomeric material and overlaying one or more of the flow or branch channels and/or one or more of the reaction sites.

19. The microfluidic device of claim 17, further comprising one or more reagents deposited within each of the reaction sites.

20-91. -91. (canceled)