DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PRESSURE-DRIVEN PLUG TRANSPORT

• US 20110176966A1
• Filed: 02/09/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Chicago
• Original Assignee: University of Chicago
• Inventors: Tice, Joshua David, Gerdts, Cory John, Zheng, Bo, Ismagilov, Rustem F.
• Application Number:
  US13/024,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20110176966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2009/0086 Processes or apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 9/0072 Crystallisation in microfluidic devices
• 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 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 14/00 Chemical processes in general for reacting liquids with liquids; Apparatus specially adapted therefor B01J8/00, B01J19/08 take precedence
• 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 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 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00576 fluorophore
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00599 Solution-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00736 Non-biologic macromolecules, e.g. polymeric compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00756 Compositions, e.g. coatings, crystals, formulations
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00837 comprising coatings other than catalytically active coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0086 Dimensions of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00869 Microreactors placed in parallel, on the same or on different supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00889 : Mixing micromixers B01F33/30
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00891 : Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00894 : More than two inlets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00903 : Segmented flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00975 : Ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00977 : Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 : Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 : Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 : Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 : fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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 3/502784 : specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/43 : Sweetening agents, e.g. thaumatin, monellin
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/2462 : Lysozyme (3.2.1.17)
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6806 : Preparing nucleic acids for analysis, e.g. for polymerase chain reaction [PCR] assay C12Q1/6804 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 302/01017 : Lysozyme (3.2.1.17)
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/54 : Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/58 : Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 7/14 : the crystallising materials being formed by chemical reactions in the solution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/28 : Preparing specimens for investigation including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Qmounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 ; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/08 : using a stream of discrete samples flowing along a tube system, e.g. flow injection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 117/10 : Apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 : Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/117497 : with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/143333 : Saccharide [e.g., DNA, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation

Abstract

The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mass spectrometer;

a microfluidic device comprising a microchannel having an exit point leading to the mass spectrometer; and

a first plurality of plugs comprising a first plug fluid flowing in the microchannel toward the exit point, wherein at least a first plug of the first plurality of plugs is detected by the mass spectrometer following its exit through the exit point.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mass spectrometer is an electrospray mass spectrometer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plug is driven by pressure through the microchannel toward the exit point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plug is substantially surrounded by a carrier fluid in the microchannel.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the carrier fluid comprises a fluorinated oil.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the carrier fluid and/or the first fluid comprises a surfactant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the surfactant is a fluorinated surfactant.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plug comprises one or more components and wherein the detection of the first plug by the mass spectrometer includes detecting one or more mass spectra of the components.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plug comprises a plurality of components including one or more reactants and/or reagents and wherein the detection of the first plug by the mass spectrometer includes detecting one or more mass spectra of the reactants and/or reagents, the components, and/or one or more reaction products or intermediates or any combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first plug is a merged plug.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first plug is formed by the merger of a second plug and a third plug, wherein the second plug comprises a second plug fluid comprising at least a first reactant and/or first reagent and the third plug comprises a third plug fluid comprising at least a first component other than the first reactant and/or first reagent, and further wherein, at or after the merger, the first reactant and/or first reagent undergoes or participates in a reaction involving the first component.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first plug flows through the microchannel at a known first flow rate and wherein a first distance traversed by the first plug from a first point in the microchannel upstream of the exit point, through the exit point, to the mass spectrometer is known.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first plug flows through the microchannel at a known first flow rate and wherein a first distance traversed by the first plug from a first point in the microchannel upstream of the exit point, through the exit point, to the mass spectrometer is known.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one component, and/or at least one reactant and/or reagent if present, undergoes or participates in a reaction initiated or occurring when the first plug is at the first point.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one component, and/or at least one reactant and/or reagent if present, undergoes or participates in a reaction initiated or occurring when the first plug is at the first point.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the reaction is induced by radiation, heat, temperature change, pressure change, ultrasonic wave, and/or a catalyst.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the reaction is induced by radiation, heat, temperature change, pressure change, ultrasonic wave, and/or a catalyst.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein an additional second plug fluid immiscible with the first plug fluid is disposed directly between and separates the first plug and a second plug of the first plurality of plugs.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of plugs comprising a second plug fluid flowing in the microchannel toward the exit point, and wherein the second plug fluid is immiscible with the first plug fluid and the second plurality of plugs separate the first plurality of plugs from each other.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of plugs and the second plurality of plugs are substantially surrounded by a carrier fluid in the microchannel.