CHROMATOGRAPHY APPARATUS HAVING DIFFUSION-BONDED AND SURFACE-MODIFIED COMPONENTS

• US 20130014567A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation (Waters Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Waters Technologies Corporation (Waters Corporation)
• Inventors: Bunner, Bernard, Dourdeville, Theodore A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.55
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• 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 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 35/00 Methods for boring or drilling, or for working essentially requiring the use of boring or drilling machines; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 9/12 Forming parts of complementary shape, e.g. punch-and-die
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 9/14 Making holes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/023 Thermo-compression bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/233 without ferrous layer
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/18 Sheet panels
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/14 Titanium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/382 by boring
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/44 characterised by the method of coating C23C16/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/00 Coating not provided for in groups C23C2/00 - C23C24/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/14 Aqueous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/7266 by electric field, e.g. electrospray
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0018 Microminiaturised spectrometers, e.g. chip-integrated devices, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/167 : Capillaries and nozzles specially adapted therefor; electrostatic spraying per se B05B5/00

Abstract

A microfluidic device for separating a sample by chromatography includes diffusion bonded metallic sheets joined together to create a hermetically sealed interface between each adjacent metallic sheet without the introduction of a secondary material. Enclosed within the diffusion bonded sheets is a separation channel accessible by at least one of an inlet or an outlet. The separation channel is packed with micrometer-sized particles serving as a stationary phase in a chromatographic separation. Wetted surfaces of the separation channel include a coating of an organic material at least one monolayer thick.

Claims

1. A diffusion-bonded product manufactured comprising the steps of:

supplying two or more substantially compositionally similar metal sheets with each having a flat major surface with no layer thereon to promote bonding;

at least one of the two or more metal sheets including at least a portion of a microfluidic channel disposed therein;

bringing the flat major surface of each of the two or more metal sheets into a contacting relationship with at least one of the two or more sheets thereby forming an interface and forming and enclosing the microfluidic channel at the interface between such sheets, the microfluidic channel having at least one entrance port and at least one exit port;

heating the contacting sheets in a vacuum furnace or an inert-atmosphere furnace to a temperature substantially below melting temperature of such sheets;

urging the contacting sheets together under a compressive stress while the sheets are being heated to bond the sheets together by causing grains of the two or more metal sheets to merge across the interface from one sheet to the other sheet;

cooling the bonded two or more sheets to about room temperature; and

applying at least an organic coating to the microfluidic channel enclosed between the bonded two or more sheets through at least one of the at least one entrance port or the at least one exit port.

2. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

surface treating wetted surfaces of the microfluidic channel with a vapor after cooling but before applying the organic coating.

3. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 2, wherein the vapor deposits amorphous silicon on the wetted surfaces of the microfluidic channel.

4. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 2, wherein the vapor deposits a layer of an inorganic-oxide on the wetted surfaces of the microfluidic channel.

5. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, wherein the two or more substantially compositionally similar metal sheets comprise substantially similar titanium alloys or titanium.

6. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 5, wherein a first sheet of the two or more substantially compositionally similar metal sheets comprises a commercially pure titanium sheet and a second sheet of the two or more substantially compositionally similar metal sheets comprises a sheet of a titanium 6AL-4V alloy.

7. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, wherein the two or more substantially compositionally similar metal sheets comprise austenitic stainless steels in AISI 300 series.

8. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, wherein the organic coating comprises a perfluorinated carbon compound.

9. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, wherein the organic coating comprises a hydrocarbon compound.

10. The diffusion-bonded product of claim 1, wherein the organic coating comprises an organic material having a desired hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity.

11. A microfluidic device for separating a sample by chromatography, the microfluidic device comprising:

diffusion bonded metallic sheets, each metallic sheet having a substantially similar composition, the diffusion bonded metallic sheets joined to create a hermetically sealed interface between each adjacent metallic sheet without the introduction of a secondary material and to enclose a separation channel within the diffusion bonded metallic sheets accessible by at least one of an inlet or an outlet to the separation channel;

wetted surfaces of the separation channel coated with an organic material at least one monolayer thick, and the separation channel packed with micrometer-sized particles serving as a stationary phase in a chromatographic separation.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the diffusion bonded metallic sheets comprise substantially similar titanium alloys or titanium.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein a first sheet of the diffusion bonded metallic sheets comprises a commercially pure titanium sheet and a second sheet of the diffusion bonded metallic sheets, which is adjacent to the first sheet, comprises a sheet of a titanium 6AL-4V alloy.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the diffusion bonded metallic sheets comprise austenitic stainless steels in AISI 300 series.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein an amorphous silicon material is deposited to be positioned between the wetted surfaces of the separation channel and the organic material.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein a deposited layer of inorganic-oxide is positioned between the wetted surfaces of the separation channel and the organic material.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the organic material is hydrophobic.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the organic material is hydrophilic.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the diffusion bonded metallic sheets define an electrospray tip, the electrospray tip is in fluidic communication with the separation channel.

20. The device of claim 11, further comprising a particle retaining element in fluidic communication with the separation channel and positioned between the separation channel and the outlet to an exterior surface of the diffusion bonded metallic sheets.

21-35. -35. (canceled)