MICROFLUIDIC REACTION APPARATUS FOR HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING

• US 20110166044A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluidigm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fluidigm Corporation
• Inventors: Wyatt, Paul, Jones, Robert C., Daridon, Antoine, May, Andrew, Wang, Jing, Cohen, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,420,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/37
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/14 Mixing drops, droplets or bodies of liquid which flow together or contact each other micromixers using where the materials to be mixed are in the form of droplets B01F33/302
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/42 in which the mixing is affected by moving the components jointly in changing directions, e.g. in tubes provided with baffles or obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/302 the materials to be mixed flowing in the form of droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/00 Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00283 Reactor vessels with top opening
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00317 Microwell devices, i.e. having large numbers of wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00351 Means for dispensing and evacuation of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00355 peristaltic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00389 Feeding through valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00418 using pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0605 check valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 : characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 : for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/52 : with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046

Abstract

An SBS-formatted microfluidic device where the geometry of the plate defines an array of interrogation areas, and where each interrogation area encompasses at least one reaction site.

Claims

1. A positive-displacement cross-injection junction in an elastomeric microfluidic device, the positive-displacement cross-injection junction comprising:

a split channel forming a loop;

a first flow channel intersecting the split channel;

a peristaltic pump comprising first, second, and third valves, the peristaltic pump positioned to meter fluid through the first flow channel into the split channel;

a first cross channel that joins the first flow channel between the peristaltic pump and the split channel;

a fourth valve positioned to open and close the first cross channel;

a second flow channel that joins the split channel approximately opposite the first flow channel;

a fifth valve positioned to open and close the second flow channel;

a second cross channel that joins the second flow channel between the split channel and the fifth valve;

a sixth valve positioned to open and close the second cross channel.

2. A slug mixing arrangement in an elastomeric microfluidic device, the slug mixing arrangement comprising:

a reaction well;

a flow channel in fluid communication with the reaction well at one end of the flow channel and in fluid communication with a supply of a solution at a second end of the flow channel;

at least three valves dividing the flow channel into segments, one of the valves positioned to open and close the flow channel at its connection to the reaction well, and another of the valves positioned to open and close the flow channel at its connection to the supply of solution, the remaining valves dividing the flow channel into segments between the first and second valves;

at least two junction inlets, one junction inlet for each segment of the flow channel between the first and second valves, each junction inlet in fluid communication with its respective segment of the flow channel and gated by a respective valve.