SMART NANO-INTEGRATED SYSTEM ASSEMBLY

• US 20070231213A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nanyang Polytechnic
• Original Assignee: Nanyang Polytechnic
• Inventors: Yap, Teck Boon, Ong, Eng Hoo, PRABHU, Vinayak Ashok, Ong, Hui Yng
• Application Number:
  US11/538,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/100
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4321 the subflows consisting of at least two flat layers which are recombined, e.g. using means having restriction or expansion zones
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/451 wherein the mixture is directly exposed to an electromagnetic field without use of a stirrer, e.g. for material comprising ferromagnetic particles or for molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• 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 2200/143 Quality control, feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/023 Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• 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: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00584 : Control arrangements for automatic analysers

Abstract

The present invention provides a nano-integrated system assembly that offers both convenience and cost-efficiency, where multiple fluidic, electronic and mechanical components or chemical processes are optimally embraced effectively and efficiently in a systematic modularized manner. Furthermore, the nano-integrated system assembly has a generic configuration so as to enable and accommodate a wide spectrum of differently combined sequences of analyzing/processing operations to be performed on the identical nano-integrated system assembly.

Claims

1. A smart nano-integrated system assembly for automated analysis in a fluidic format of a sample, comprising:

a microfluidic analysis chip having microfluidic wells for receiving reagent solutions and allowing different reactions within the wells, and microfluidic channels for connecting the wells so as to allow a series of reactions to be performed in a chain-reaction manner;

an intermediate control module being disposed underneath of the microfluidic analysis chip;

wherein the intermediate control module has an embedded functional circuitry for controlling the reaction parameters in each well and the passage conditions in each channel within the microfluidic chip; and

a master control module being disposed underneath of the intermediate control module;

wherein the master control module has an embedded electronic circuitry for inputting commanding signals to the intermediate control module.

2. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic wells within the microfluidic analysis chip is arranged in an array format so that parallel operations can be performed.

3. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic wells within the microfluidic analysis chip is arranged in a predefined format so that a specific application can be performed.

4. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 1, further comprising a microfluidic mixing sub system that is configurable into a geometric split-and-combine passive mixer or in-situ mixing within the reaction wells itself using nanoparticles electrically manipulated to create artificial turbulence in the fluid stream thereby causing the fluids to mix.

5. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 1, wherein the functional circuitry embedded within the intermediate control module comprises a plurality of functional control units;

and wherein each unit controls a corresponding well of the microfluidic chip.

6. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the functional control units comprises at least one microheater, at least one magnetic field sensor, at least one set of magnetic nanoparticle manipulation circuits, at least one micropump actuation interface, a thermal boundary, at least one temperature sensor, and at least one electrical interconnect for general applications.

7. The smart nano-integrated system assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the functional control units comprises one or more of the following components including microheater, magnetic field sensor, magnetic nanoparticle manipulation circuit, micropump actuation interface, thermal boundary, temperature sensor, and electrical interconnect for specific applications.

9. The miniature automated system of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is selected from the group consisting of PDA, PC, or any electronic input and output devices.

10. The miniature automated system of claim 7, wherein the microfluidic wells within the microfluidic analysis chip are arranged in an array format so that parallel operations can be performed.

11. The miniature automated system of claim 7, wherein the microfluidic wells within the microfluidic analysis chip are arranged in a predefined format so that a specific application can be performed.

12. The miniature automated system of claim 7, wherein the functional circuitry embedded within the intermediate control module comprises a plurality of functional control units;

and wherein each unit controls a corresponding well of the microfluidic chip.

13. The miniature automated system of claim 11, wherein each of the functional control units comprises at least one microheater, at least one magnetic field sensor, at least one set of magnetic nanoparticle manipulation circuits, at least one micropump actuation interface, a thermal boundary, at least one temperature sensor, and at least one electrical interconnect for general applications.

14. The miniature automated system of claim 11, wherein each of the functional control units comprises one or more of the following components including microheater, magnetic field sensor, magnetic nanoparticle manipulation circuit, micropump actuation interface, thermal boundary, temperature sensor, and electrical interconnect for specific applications.

8. A miniature automated system for biomedical analysis, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a smart nano-integrated system assembly comprising;

a microfluidic analysis chip having microfluidic wells for receiving reagent solutions and allowing different reactions within the wells, and microfluidic channels for connecting the wells so as to allow a series of reactions to be performed in a chain-reaction manner;

an intermediate control module being disposed underneath of the microfluidic analysis chip;

wherein the intermediate control module has an embedded functional circuitry for controlling the reaction parameters in each well and the passage conditions in each channel within the microfluidic chip; and

a master control module being disposed underneath of the intermediate control module;

wherein the master control module has an embedded electronic circuitry for inputting commanding signals to the intermediate control module.