POLYMERIC MICRO-CANTILEVERS FOR ULTRA-LOW VOLUME FLUID AND LIVING CELL DEPOSITION

• US 20100119711A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York), The Research Foundation of State University of New York
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: CADY, Nathaniel C., BERGKVIST, Magnus, GRACIAS, Alison
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/256
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0248 Prongs, quill pen type dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0255 characterized by the form or material of the pin tip
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping

Abstract

Polymer-based micro-cantilevers for depositing material onto a surface include, in one embodiment, a body portion, an elongated beam portion sized smaller than and extending from the body portion and having a length greater than about 500 microns. The body portion includes a reservoir and the elongated beam portion having a passageway disposed therein. The passageway has an inlet opening in fluid communication with the reservoir and an outlet opening at a distal end of the elongated beam portion. The passageway comprises a width greater than 10 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of about 25 microns to about 100 microns. Methods for delivering fluid and living cells using the polymer-based micro-cantilevers are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device for depositing material onto a surface, said device comprising:

a body portion;

an elongated beam portion sized smaller than and extending from said body portion, said elongated beam comprising a length greater than about 500 microns;

said body portion having a reservoir disposed in said body portion; and

said elongated beam portion having a passageway disposed therein, said passageway having an inlet opening in fluid communication with said reservoir and an outlet opening at a distal end of said elongated beam portion, and said passageway comprising a width greater than 10 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of about 25 microns to about 100 microns.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said passageway being a closed passageway extending between said inlet opening and said outlet opening for transporting fluid from said reservoir to said distal end of said elongated beam.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said elongated beam comprises a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and an upper wall having a thickness of between about 5 microns and about 25 microns.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said body portion and said elongated beam portion comprise a polymeric material.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said passageway comprises a width of between about 40 microns and 60 microns, and a height of between about 40 microns and 60 microns.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said passageway comprises a width of greater than 50 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of greater than 50 microns to about 100 microns.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said body portion and said elongated beam portion comprise a thickness of between about 50 microns to about 200 microns.

8. The device of claim 1 further comprising a projecting portion extending below said distal opening at the distal end of said elongated beam portion and outwardly from said distal end.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said projecting portion comprises at least one of a triangular and a semi-circular shape.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said elongated beam comprises a length greater than 2,000 microns.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said elongated beam comprises a length greater than about 3,000 microns.

19. A method for delivering a fluid to a surface, the method comprising:

providing the device of claim 1;

introducing the fluid into the reservoir of the device;

transferring fluid through the passageway from the reservoir to the distal end of the elongated beam portion; and

depositing the fluid from the distal end of the elongated beam to the surface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises positioning the elongated beam on an angle relative to the surface.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the depositing fluid comprises positioning the elongated beam on an angle of about 36 degrees to about 48 degrees relative to the surface.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises depositing a droplet of fluid to the surface wherein the droplet comprises a diameter of about 10 microns to about 100 microns.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises depositing a droplet of fluid to the surface wherein the droplet comprises a diameter of about 50 microns.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises depositing a droplet of fluid to the surface wherein the droplet comprises a diameter of about 100 microns.

25. A method for delivering living cells to a surface, the method comprising:

providing the device of claim 1;

depositing the cells into the reservoir of the device;

transferring the cells through the passageway from the reservoir to the distal end of the elongated beam portion; and

depositing the cells from the distal end of the elongated beam to the surface.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the cells comprise at least one of mammalian, plant, fungal, and bacteria cells.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the depositing the cells comprises depositing a single cell at spaced-apart locations.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the depositing the cells comprises depositing cells at uniformly spaced-apart locations.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the depositing the cells comprises depositing cell in columns and rows.

12. A device for depositing material onto a surface, said device comprising:

a body portion;

an elongated beam portion sized smaller than and extending from said body portion, said body portion and said elongated beam portion comprising a thickness of between about 50 microns to about 200 microns, and said elongated beam comprising a length greater than about 500 microns;

said body portion having a reservoir disposed in said body portion;

said elongated beam portion having a passageway disposed therein, said passageway having an inlet opening in fluid communication with said reservoir and an outlet opening at a distal end of said elongated beam portion, said passageway comprising a width greater than 10 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of about 25 microns to about 100 microns, and said passageway being closed between said inlet opening and said outlet opening for transporting fluid from said reservoir to said distal end of said elongated beam;

a projecting portion extending below said distal opening at the distal end of said elongated beam portion outwardly from said distal end; and

wherein said body portion and said elongated beam portion comprise a polymeric material.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said elongated beam comprises a bottom wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and an upper wall having a thickness of between about 5 microns and about 25 microns.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said passageway comprises having a width of between about 40 microns and 60 microns, and a height of between about 40 microns and 60 microns.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein said passageway comprises a width of greater than 50 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of greater than 50 microns to about 100 microns.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein said projecting portion comprises at least one of a triangular and a semi-circular shape.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein said elongated beam comprises a length greater than 2,000 microns.

18. The device of claim 12 wherein said elongated beam comprises a length greater than about 3,000 microns.

30. A method for delivering fluid to a surface, the method comprising:

providing an elongated beam having a passageway therein;

transferring the fluid through the passageway to an outlet opening in the distal end of the elongated beam; and

depositing the fluid from the distal end of the elongated beam to the surface to provide a plurality of droplets having a diameter of between about 20 microns to about 100 microns.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises transferring a droplet of fluid to the surface having volume between about 1 pL to about 250 pL.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises transferring a droplet of fluid to the surface wherein the droplet comprises a diameter of about 50 microns.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises transferring a droplet of fluid to the surface wherein the droplet comprises a diameter of about 100 microns.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the depositing the fluid comprises depositing the fluid from a projecting portion extending outwardly from the distal end of the elongated beams.

35. The method of claim 30 further comprising providing a pump operably connected to the elongated beam for delivering fluid to the distal end.

36. The method of claims 30 further comprising a vacuum device operably connected to the elongated beam for removing fluid from the surface.

37. A method for forming a polymer-based micro-cantilever operable to deliver at least one of fluid and cells to a surface, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

depositing a release layer on the substrate;

depositing a first polymeric layer on a substrate;

exposing the first polymeric layer to a light source to define a base of a body portion, an elongated beam portion having a smaller size compared to the body, and a projection portion;

depositing a second polymeric layer on the first polymeric layer;

exposing the second polymeric layer to the light source to define an upper portion of the body having a reservoir, and a plurality of spaced-apart walls along the elongated beam portion extending from the body portion and terminating at a proximal end of the projection portion, and a passageway extending from the reservoir between the spaced-apart walls to the projection portion;

developing the second polymeric layer to dissolve the unexposed portions of the polymeric layers; and

wherein the elongated beam portion is sized smaller than and extending from the body portion, the elongated beam comprising a length greater than about 500 microns, and the passageway comprising a width greater than 10 microns to about 100 microns, and a height of about 25 microns to about 100 microns.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the exposing the second polymeric layer comprises exposing the second polymeric layer to the light source to define a cover disposed over the passageway extending from the reservoir, between the spaced-apart walls, and to the projection portion.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the projecting portion comprises at least one of a triangular and a semi-circular shape.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the enclosed passageway comprises a width of about 25 microns to about 100 microns.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the enclosed passageway comprises a height of about 25 microns to about 100 microns.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein the elongated beam comprises a width of about 100 microns to about 200 microns.

43. The method of claim 37 wherein the length of the elongated beam is about 500 microns to about 2000 microns.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein the length of the elongated beam is greater than 2000 microns.

45. The method of claim 37 wherein the polymeric material comprises SU8.