MICROFLUID BASED APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THERMAL REGULATION AND NOISE REDUCTION

• US 20090145576A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AB Sciex LLC (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eksigent Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Patell, Mehul, Nevill, Joshua T., Crenshaw, Hugh C., Hartmann, Daniel M., Pollack, Michael G., Wyrick, David W., Votaw, Gregory A.
• Application Number:
  US11/719,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20090145576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00822 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00831 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00873 Heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00891 Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0095 Control aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00961 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/147 Employing temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1822 using Peltier elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1827 using resistive heater
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/565 Seals in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/00 Heating or cooling apparatus autoclaves B01J3/04; Heat insulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/527 for microfluidic devices, e.g. used for lab-on-a-chip
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence

Abstract

An actively temperature regulated microfluidic chip assembly includes a first thermally conductive body, a second thermally conductive body attached to the first thermally conductive body, a microfluidic chip encapsulated between the first and second thermally conductive bodies, and a temperature regulating element mounted to the first thermally conductive body for adding heat to or alternately removing heat from the chip. The temperature of the chip and thus the liquid contained and/or flowing therein can be regulated by measuring the temperature of the liquid and operating the temperature regulating element to establish a thermal gradient toward or alternately away from the liquid based on the measured temperature and in comparison with a desired set point temperature.

Claims

1. An actively temperature regulated microfluidic chip assembly comprising:

(a) a first thermally conductive body;

(b) a second thermally conductive body attached to the first thermally conductive body;

(c) a microfluidic chip encapsulated between the first and second thermally conductive bodies in thermal isolation from surroundings outside the microfluidic chip assembly; and

(d) a temperature regulating element mounted to the first thermally conductive body for adding heat to or alternately removing heat from the chip.

2. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second thermally conductive bodies are constructed from a material comprising a metal.

3. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second thermally conductive bodies are constructed from a glass-based material.

4. The chip assembly according to claim 3 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a resistive heating element.

5. The chip assembly according to claim 3 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a transparent metal oxide selected from the group consisting of indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide, and combinations thereof.

6. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first thermally conductive body comprises an optically transmissive window.

7. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the second thermally conductive body comprises an optically transmissive window.

8. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a thermoelectric device.

9. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a Peltier effect-based device.

10. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a resistive heating element.

11. The chip assembly according to claim 10 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a transparent conductive metal oxide.

12. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises a first temperature regulating component mounted to the first thermally conductive body, and a second temperature regulating component mounted to the second thermally conductive body.

13. The chip assembly according to claim 1 wherein the temperature regulating element comprises two or more temperature regulating components spaced from each other along the first body.

14. The chip assembly according to claim 1 comprising a heat sink disposed in thermal contact with the temperature regulating element.

15. The chip assembly according to claim 14 comprising a fan mounted adjacent to the heat sink.

16. The chip assembly according to claim 14 wherein the heat sink has a hollow section for containing a heat transfer fluid.

17. The chip assembly according to claim 1 comprising a temperature measuring device disposed in thermal contact with the first thermally conductive body for producing an electrical signal in response to a temperature measurement.

18. The chip assembly according to claim 17 wherein the temperature measuring device comprises a thermistor.

19. The chip assembly according to claim 17 comprising an electrical control circuit communicating with the temperature regulating element and the temperature measuring device for controlling the temperature regulating element in response to feedback received from the temperature measuring device.

20-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method for regulating the temperature of liquid contained in a microfluidic chip to stabilize a flow of the liquid through the chip, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring at least an approximate temperature of a liquid contained in a chip assembly comprising a microfluidic chip by measuring a temperature of a component of the chip assembly; and

(b) actively regulating the temperature of the liquid substantially at a desired temperature based on the measured temperature while flowing the liquid through the chip.

27-61. -61. (canceled)

62. A method for regulating the temperature of a microfluidic chip to stabilize a position of the chip, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring a temperature of a component of a chip assembly comprising a microfluidic chip; and

(b) minimizing thermally induced motions of the component by actively regulating the temperature of the component substantially at a desired temperature based on the measured temperature.

63-101. -101. (canceled)

102. An actively temperature regulated microfluidic chip assembly comprising:

(a) a first optical window;

(b) a second optical window attached to the first optical window;

(c) a microfluidic chip encapsulated between the first and second optical windows in thermal isolation from surroundings outside the microfluidic chip assembly; and

(d) a transparent, conductive material applied to at least one of the first and second optical windows for adding heat to or alternately removing heat from the chip.

103-105. -105. (canceled)