MULTILAYER MICROFLUIDIC PROBE HEAD WITH IMMERSION CHANNELS AND FABRICATION THEREOF

• US 20130333761A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delamarche, Emmanuel, Lovchik, Robert, Kaigala, Govind
• Granted Patent: US 9,745,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0636 Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0694 Creating chemical gradients in a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• 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 3/502776 specially adapted for focusing or laminating flows
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/00 Parts or details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the preceding groups controlling F03B15/00, e.g. wear-protection couplings, between turbine and generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

The invention is directed to a microfluidic probe head (100) with a base layer (120) comprising: at least two processing liquid microchannel (123, 124) in fluid communication with a processing liquid aperture (121, 122) on a face of the base layer; and an immersion liquid microchannel (223, 224) in fluid communication with a immersion liquid aperture (221, 222) on a face of the base layer, wherein the microfluidic probe head is configured to allow, in operation, processing liquid provided through the processing liquid aperture to merge into immersion liquid provided through the immersion liquid aperture. An additional layer can be provided to close the microchannels. Such a multilayered head is compact and easier to fabricate than heads made with unitary construction. The head can further be interfaced with tubing using e.g. a standard fitting for tubing port.

Claims

1. A microfluidic probe head with a base layer comprising:

a processing liquid microchannel in fluid communication with a processing liquid aperture on a face of the base layer; and

an immersion liquid microchannel in fluid communication with a immersion liquid aperture on a face of the base layer,

wherein the microfluidic probe head is configured to allow, in operation, processing liquid provided through the processing liquid aperture to combine with immersion liquid provided through the immersion liquid aperture.

2. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein each of the processing liquid microchannel and the immersion liquid microchannel are open on one or more faces of the base layer.

3. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the processing liquid microchannel is a groove open on the upper face of the base layer and at least a portion of the immersion liquid microchannel is open on the upper face of the base layer such as to be closable by a lower face of an additional layer.

4. The microfluidic probe head of claim 3, further comprising a cover layer, wherein at least portions of the processing liquid microchannel and the immersion liquid microchannel are closed by a portion of a lower face of a layer of the head.

5. The microfluidic probe head of claim 4, wherein the processing liquid microchannel and the immersion liquid microchannel each enables fluid communication between an upper face of the base layer and a respective aperture on a face of the base layer.

6. The microfluidic probe head of claim 5, further comprising a tubing port extending from an upper face of the cover layer and wherein the cover layer has a via enabling fluid communication between the tubing port and a lower face of the cover layer, wherein the head is further configured to enable fluid communication between the via and one or more of the microchannels.

7. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the processing liquid microchannel is a groove extending up to the processing liquid aperture, the latter arranged at an end of the groove at the level of an edge of the upper face of the base layer.

8. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the processing liquid microchannel and/or of the immersion liquid microchannel changes along said microchannel, preferably continuously.

9. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, further comprising thermal elements adapted to heat one or more microchannels.

10. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, further comprising:

a second processing liquid microchannel in fluid communication with a second processing liquid aperture on a face of the base layer; and

a second immersion liquid microchannel in fluid communication with a second immersion liquid aperture on a face of the base layer,

wherein the head is further configured to allow for aspirating at the second processing liquid aperture some fluid deposited via one or more distinct apertures, in operation.

11. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, further comprising:

a second immersion liquid microchannel, in fluid communication with a respective second immersion liquid aperture on a face of the base layer, the microfluidic probe head being further configured to allow, in operation, immersion liquid provided through a first immersion liquid aperture to combine with immersion liquid provided through said second immersion liquid aperture.

12. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, comprising two microchannels asymmetrically configured with respect to an average direction of processing liquid deposition by the processing liquid apertures.

13. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein two microchannels have distinct flow resistances.

14. The microfluidic probe head of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic probe head is further configured such that processing liquid provided through a processing liquid aperture and combining with immersion liquid provided through an immersion liquid aperture is essentially laminar.

15. A method of fabrication of the microfluidic probe head of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

providing the base layer; and

fabricating the microchannels and apertures in the base layer.