APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRAPPING BEAD BASED REAGENTS WITHIN MICROFLUIDIC ANALYSIS SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a main channel having “
a trapping zone suitable for trapping packing material;
b) providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material prepared in a solution having a predetermined composition of a solvent;
c) inducing a flow of said packing”
material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone so as to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material;
d) flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample, whereby. The sample leaving the trapping zone has an altered analyte composition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An on-chip packed reactor bed design is disclosed that allows for an effective exchange of packing materials such as beads at a miniaturized level. Also disclosed is a method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising: providing a main channel having a trapping zone; providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material; inducing a flow of said packing material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material; and flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample. The present invention extends the function of microfluidic analysis systems to new applications including on-chip solid phase extraction (SPE) and on-chip capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The design can be further extended to include integrated packed bed immuno- or enzyme reactors.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of treating a sample within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a main channel having “
a trapping zone suitable for trapping packing material;b) providing a slurry of a reagent treated packing material prepared in a solution having a predetermined composition of a solvent; c) inducing a flow of said packing”
material into said trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone so as to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said packing material;d) flowing a sample containing analytes through said packed bed, said reagent treating the sample, whereby. The sample leaving the trapping zone has an altered analyte composition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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5. (canceled)
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7. (canceled)
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9. (canceled)
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14. (canceled)
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15. (canceled)
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16. A method of trapping bead based reagents within a microfluidic analysis system, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a main channel having a trapping zone suitable for trapping bead based packing material; b) providing a slurry of a reagent treated beads prepared in a solution having a predetermined composition of a solvent; c) inducing a flow of said beads into said, trapping zone through a flow channel connected to said trapping zone so as to load said trapping zone and form a packed bed of said beads; and d) adjusting the composition of the solvent, so as to affect the aggregation of. said packing material and the stabilization of the packed bed.
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17. A microfluidic analysis system, comprising:
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a) a substantially planar substrate having an upper surface; b) at least one main Channel formed into said upper surface, said main channel having first and second ends and a defined direction of flow in use; c) a cover plate arranged over said planar substrate, said cover plate closing off said channel from above; and d) a first weir formed across said main channel and between said first and second ends of said channel, said first weir providing at least one flow gap to allow, in use, at least some fluid to flow past said first weir while trapping packing material having constituent particles that are generally larger than said flow gap. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 29, 31, 32, 33)
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21-28. -28. (canceled)
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30. (canceled)
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34. (canceled)
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36-39. -39. (canceled)
Specification