Microfluidic Assisted Cell Screening

• US 20150247790A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Okumus, Burak, Huh, Dann, Landgraf, Dirk, Paulsson, Johan
• Application Number:
  US14/427,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247790A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0647 Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/14 Means for pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• 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 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1436 the optical arrangement forming an integrated apparatus with the sample container, e.g. a flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1459 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1484 microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1415 Control of particle position
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/058 Flat flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 : Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10

Abstract

A microfluidic system includes a microfluidic channel. The microfluidic channel includes a control layer substantially enclosed within a soft polymer, a cell covering element, and a flow channel between the cell-covering element and control layer enclosed within the soft polymer. The control layer is operable to move towards and exert a pressure on the cell-covering element. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Claims

1. A microfluidic system comprising:

a microfluidic channel comprising a control layer substantially enclosed within a soft polymer layer, a cell covering element, and a flow channel between the cell covering element and control layer;

wherein the control layer is operable to move towards and exert a pressure on the cell covering element.

2. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein the soft polymer layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane.

3. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein the control layer comprises a valve.

4. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein the control layer comprises a dead end channel running in a perpendicular direction to the flow channel.

5. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein when no pressure is applied to the control layer, the flow channel is open such that a plurality of samples can flow freely in the flow channel traversing an imaging camera field rapidly.

6. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein when the control layer is operated to exert pressure, the soft polymer deflects to seal against the cell covering element.

7. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein when the control layer is operated to exert pressure, a flow of a plurality of samples suspended in fluid is applied under pressure to cause the samples to slip between the polymer layer and cell covering element.

8. The microfluidic system of claim 7, wherein the pressure is reduced such that the polymer layer collapses against the coverslip immobilizing one or more samples.

9. The microfluidic system of claim 8, wherein the immobilized samples are imaged.

10. The microfluidic system of claim 9, wherein the samples are cells.

11. The microfluidic system of claim 1, wherein the system is used for cell screening.

12. The microfluidic system of claim 1, further comprising a camera arranged such that a portion of an intersection of the flow channel and the control channel resides within the field of view of the camera.

13. A system comprising:

a soft polymer layer;

a plurality of parallel control layers substantially enclosed within the soft polymer layer;

a cell covering element, and

a plurality of flow channels between the cell covering element and the plurality of control layers;

wherein each control layer is operable to move towards and exert a pressure on the cell covering element.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the soft polymer layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane.

15. A method comprising:

applying a pressure to a soft polymer layer located on substantially one or more sides of a flow channel thereby causing the soft polymer to close the flow channel and seal against a cell covering element, the flow channel containing a plurality of samples suspended in a fluid that is under pressure; and

increasing the flow pressure such that the seal is broken, allowing samples to slip between the soft polymer and the cell covering element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reducing the flow pressure such that samples are immobilized between the soft polymer layer and the cell covering element.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

imaging the immobilized samples.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the soft polymer layer comprises polydimethylsiloxane.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the samples comprise cells.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein pressure is applied to the soft polymer layer by a control layer.