Microchip and Method for Detecting Molecules and Molecular Interactions
First Claim
1. A microchip comprising:
- a substrate;
an inlet channel in said substrate;
an outlet channel in said substrate for guiding fluid below a fluid level;
a plurality of test channels in said substrate for guiding fluid flow from said inlet channel to said outlet channel, each one of said test channels having an inlet for fluid communication with said inlet channel and an outlet for fluid communication with said outlet channel, said inlet elevated from said outlet for inhibiting back flow through said inlet, said outlet elevated from said fluid level for inhibiting back flow through said outlet; and
one test site in each one of said test channels, for detection of at least one of a specific molecule and a molecular interaction at said test site.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microchip with flow-through inlet (104) and outlet (106) channels and test channels (108). The test channels (108) are in fluid communication with the inlet (104) and outlet (106) channels, through inlets (114) and outlets (116) respectively. Each test channel (108) has one test site therein for detection of specific molecules or molecular interactions. The inlet (114) in a test channel (108) is elevated from the outlet (116) of the test channel (108) and the outlet (116) is elevated from a fluid level (124) in the outlet channel (106). Back diffusion from outlet channel (106) to the test channels (108) and from the test channels (108) to the inlet channel (104) can thus be inhibited to reduce or eliminate cross-interference between different test sites. The microchip can be useful as a flow-through high density enzyme immunoassay array device with high-throughput.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A microchip comprising:
-
a substrate; an inlet channel in said substrate; an outlet channel in said substrate for guiding fluid below a fluid level; a plurality of test channels in said substrate for guiding fluid flow from said inlet channel to said outlet channel, each one of said test channels having an inlet for fluid communication with said inlet channel and an outlet for fluid communication with said outlet channel, said inlet elevated from said outlet for inhibiting back flow through said inlet, said outlet elevated from said fluid level for inhibiting back flow through said outlet; and one test site in each one of said test channels, for detection of at least one of a specific molecule and a molecular interaction at said test site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of detecting molecules or molecular interaction, comprising:
-
providing a microchip having a substrate, an inlet channel in said substrate, an outlet channel in said substrate, a plurality of test channels in said substrate each having an inlet for fluid communication with said inlet channel and an outlet for fluid communication with said outlet channel, said inlet elevated from said outlet, and one test site in each one of said plurality of test channels; introducing a fluid to said test channels through said inlet channel; inhibiting back flow of said fluid through said inlets and outlets by allowing overflow of said fluid from said test channels to said outlet channel through said outlets and maintaining the fluid level in said outlet channel below said outlets, thus inhibiting diffusion of molecules in said fluid from one of said test sites to another one of said test sites; and after said fluid has been introduced to said test channels, detecting at least one of a molecule and a molecular interaction at a test site within said plurality of test sites. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification