Integrated Microfluidics for Parallel Screening of Chemical Reactions

• US 20110136252A1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Kolb, Hartmuth C., Sui, Guodong, Tseng, Hsian-Rong, Wang, Jinyi
• Application Number:
  US12/224,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20110136252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/180
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431 Straight mixing tubes with baffles or obstructions that do not cause substantial pressure drop; Baffles therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4317 Profiled elements, e.g. profiled blades, bars, pillars, columns or chevrons
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/431971 Mounted on the wall
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/433 Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly extending profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4331 Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/50 Circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/54 provided with a pump inside the receptacle to recirculate the material within the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00479 Means for mixing reactants or products in the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00599 Solution-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A microfluidic device allows for different reactions to be conducted in parallel with the use of nanoliter quantities of reagents.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device, comprising:

a plurality of fluid sources, in selective fluid connection with a plurality of fluid input microchannels;

a mixing section in fluid connection with the plurality of fluid input microchannels;

a plurality of microvessels, each being in selective fluid connection with the mixing section;

wherein the mixing section is adapted to receive a plurality of fluid combinations from the plurality of fluid input microchannels and output a corresponding plurality of mixed fluids to a respective one of the plurality of microvessels while in operation, the microfluidic device thereby providing a plurality of chemical reactions which proceed in parallel.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein each fluid input microchannel comprises a metering pump.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 2, wherein each metering pump comprises an upstream, a midstream, and a downstream pump valve.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fluid input microchannels comprises at least three fluid input microchannels.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mixing section comprises a rotary mixer.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the rotary mixer comprises a rotary mixer pump.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 6, wherein the rotary mixer pump comprises at least 3 pump valves.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the rotary mixer has a volume within the range of from about 5 nL to about 12500 nL.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the rotary mixer has a volume within the range of from about 25 nL to about 2500nL.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the rotary mixer has a volume of about 250 nL.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mixing section comprises a chaotic mixer.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 11, wherein the chaotic mixer comprises a fluid channel having a protrusion.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising a microfluidic multiplexer in fluid connection with the mixing section and in fluid connection with the plurality of microvessels,

wherein the microfluidic multiplexer provides the selective fluid connection of each microvessel with the mixing section.

14. A method of performing a plurality of chemical reactions in parallel, comprising:

independently selecting quantities of at least two reagents;

mixing the reagents to form a test mixture;

selecting a microvessel;

conveying the test mixture to the selected microvessel; and

repeating the steps of independently selecting quantities of at least two reagents, mixing the reagents, selecting a microvessel, and conveying the test mixture until a predetermined number of microvessels has been selected.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the test mixture has a volume of from about 0.1 μ

L to about 80 μ

L.

16. The microfluidic device of claim 14,

wherein the test mixture has a volume of from about 1 μ

L to about 16 μ

L.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 14,

wherein the test mixture has a volume of about 4 μ

L.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing each test mixture in each selected microvessel to react for a predetermined period of time.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising extracting a test mixture from a selected microvessel.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing the extracted test mixture.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising independently selecting quantities of at least three reagents.

22. The method of claim 14,

wherein mixing the reagents to form a test mixture comprises opening and closing valves in a rotary mixer in a predetermined order to drive the input reagents in a clockwise or in a counterclockwise direction by peristaltic action.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein mixing reagents to form a test mixture comprises conveying the reagents through a chaotic mixer.