Functional Materials and Novel Methods for the Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices
First Claim
1. A microfluidic device comprising a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material, wherein the PFPE material is prepared from a liquid PFPE precursor material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of (i) a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt), (ii) a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material, and (iii) combinations thereof.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The presently disclosed subject matter provides functional perfluoropolyether (PFPE) materials for use in fabricating and utilizing microscale devices, such as a microfluidic device. The functional PFPE materials can be used to adhere layers of PFPE materials to one another or to other substrates to form a microscale device. Further, the presently disclosed subject matter provides a method for functionalizing the interior surface of a microfluidic channel and/or a microtiter well. Also the presently disclosed subject matter provides a method for fabricating a microscale structure through the use of a sacrificial layer of a degradable material.
284 Citations
238 Claims
- 1. A microfluidic device comprising a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material, wherein the PFPE material is prepared from a liquid PFPE precursor material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of (i) a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt), (ii) a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material, and (iii) combinations thereof.
-
24. A microfluidic device comprising a fluoroolefin-based elastomer, wherein the fluoroolefin-based elastomer comprises a first monomer and at least one additional monomer, wherein the first monomer and the at least one additional monomer are different, and wherein:
-
(a) the first monomer is selected from the group consisting of vinylidene fluoride and tetrafluoroethylene; and
(b) the at least one additional monomer is selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-containing olefin, a fluorine containing vinyl ether, a hydrocarbon olefin; and
combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
- 34. A method for functionalizing the surface of a microscale device, the method comprising forming a layer of a functionalized material, wherein the functionalized material is selected from the group consisting of a liquid PFPE precursor material and a liquid fluoroolefin-based precursor material.
-
53. A method for forming a multilayer device, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a first layer of material, wherein the first layer of material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a liquid perfluoropolyether (PFPE) precursor, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) precursor, a polyurethane precursor, a polyurethane precursor comprising PDMS blocks, a precursor comprising PFPE and PDMS blocks, and a fluoroolefin-based precursor; and
(b) contacting the first layer of material with;
(i) a substrate;
(ii) a second layer of material, wherein the second layer of material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) precursor, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) precursor, a polyurethane precursor, a polyurethane precursor comprising PDMS blocks, a precursor comprising PFPE and PDMS blocks, and fluoroolefin-based precursor; and
wherein the second layer of material can be the same as or different than the first layer of material; and
(iii) combinations thereof;
to form a multilayer device. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119)
-
-
120. A method of adhering one of a microscale device, a nanoscale device, and combinations thereof to a substrate, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing one of a microscale device, a nanoscale device, and combinations thereof, wherein the device comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a perfluoropolyether material and a fluoroolefin-based material;
(b) contacting the device with a substrate;
(c) coating the device and the substrate with a liquid precursor encasing material;
(d) solidifying the liquid precursor encasing material to mechanically bind the device to the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127)
-
-
128. A method for forming one of a microstructure, a nanostructure, and combinations thereof, the method comprising:
-
(a) disposing a first PFPE precursor material on a substrate to form a first layer of liquid PFPE precursor material on the substrate;
(b) treating the first layer of PFPE precursor material to form a first layer of treated PPFE material on the substrate;
(c) placing a multidimensional structure on the first layer of treated PFPE material, wherein the multidimensional structure has a characteristic selected from the group consisting of (i) degradability;
(ii) selectively soluble; and
(iii) combinations thereof;
(d) encasing the multidimensional structure with a second layer of liquid PFPE precursor material;
(e) treating the second layer of PFPE precursor material to form a second layer of treated PFPE material; and
(f) removing the degradable or selectively soluble material from the second layer of treated PFPE material to form one of a microstructure, a nanostructure, and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138)
-
-
139. A method of forming one of a microstructure, a nanostructure, and combinations thereof, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a patterned layer of perfluorinated perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material, wherein the patterned layer of PFPE material comprises a patterned surface;
(b) disposing a predetermined volume of degradable or selectively soluble material on the patterned surface of the patterned layer of PFPE material;
(c) encasing the predetermined volume of degradable or selectively soluble material on the patterned surface of the patterned layer of PFPE material; and
(d) removing the predetermined volume of degradable or selectively soluble material from the patterned surface of the layer of PFPE material to form one of a microscale structure, a nanoscale structure, and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145)
-
-
146. A method of flowing a material in a microfluidic device, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising at least one layer of (i) a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt) and a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material;
(ii) a functionalized PFPE material;
(iii) a fluoroolefin-based elastomer; and
(iv) combinations thereof; and
(b) flowing a material in the microscale channel. - View Dependent Claims (147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162)
-
-
163. A method of mixing two or more materials, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a microscale device comprising at least one layer of;
(i) a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt) and a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material;
(ii) a functionalized PFPE material;
(iii) a fluoroolefin-based elastomer; and
(iv) combinations thereof; and
(b) contacting a first material and a second material in the device to mix the first and second materials. - View Dependent Claims (164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186)
-
-
187. A method of screening a sample for a characteristic, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a microscale device comprising at least one layer of (i) a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt) and a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material;
(ii) a functionalized PFPE material;
(iii) a fluoroolefin-based elastomer; and
(iv) combinations thereof;
(b) providing a target material;
(c) disposing the sample in the microscale device;
(d) contacting the sample with the target material; and
(e) detecting an interaction between the sample and the target material, wherein the presence or the absence of the interaction is indicative of the characteristic of the sample. - View Dependent Claims (188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207)
-
-
208. A method of separating a material, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising at least one layer of (i) a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt) and a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material;
(ii) a functionalized PFPE material;
(iii) a fluoroolefin-based elastomer; and
(iv) combinations thereof; and
wherein the microfluidics device comprises one or more microscale channels, and wherein at least one of the one or more microscale channels comprises a separation region;
(b) disposing a mixture comprising at least a first material and a second material in the microfluidic device;
(c) flowing the mixture through the separation region; and
(d) separating the first material from the second material in the separation region to form at least one separated material. - View Dependent Claims (209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223)
-
-
224. A method of dispensing a material, the method comprising:
-
(a) providing a microfluidic device comprising at least one layer of;
(i) a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) material having a characteristic selected from the group consisting of;
a viscosity greater than about 100 centistokes (cSt) and a viscosity less than about 100 cSt, provided that the liquid PFPE precursor material having a viscosity less than 100 cSt is not a free-radically photocurable PFPE material;
(ii) a functionalized PFPE material;
(iii) a fluoroolefin-based elastomer; and
(iv) combinations thereof; and
wherein the microfluidics device comprises one or more microscale channels, and wherein at least one of the one or more microscale channels comprises an outlet aperture;
(b) providing at least one material;
(c) disposing at least one material in at least one of the one or more microscale channels; and
(d) dispensing at least one material through the outlet aperture. - View Dependent Claims (225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238)
-
Specification