Microfabricated reactor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
- a substrate defining a chamber in which the chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and
an element microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated microfabricated instrument for manipulation, reaction and detection of microliter to picoliter samples. The instrument is suited for biochemical reactions, particularly DNA-based reactions such as the polymerase chain reaction, that require thermal cycling since the inherently small size of the instrument facilitates rapid cycle times. The integrated nature of the instrument provides accurate, contamination-free processing. The instrument may include reagent reservoirs, agitators and mixers, heaters, pumps, and optical or electromechanical sensors. Ultrasonic Lamb-wave devices may be used as sensors, pumps and agitators.
589 Citations
90 Claims
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1. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which the chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and an element microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate composed of a substrate material having a first thermal conductivity; integrated microfabricated elements fabricated on said substrate, said integrated microfabricated elements including a means for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction and a chamber for containment of a reagent for said chemical reaction, a wall of said chamber having a second thermal conductivity less than said first thermal conductivity so as to substantially thermally isolate said manipulation means from said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and at least one microfabricated element on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of the chemical reaction.
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35. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and a heating means in thermal contact with said thin film wall for heating the contents of said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and a heater microfabricated on said thin film wall to be substantially thermally isolated from at least a portion of said substrate and for heating the contents of said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; a first element microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction; and a second element microfabricated on said substrate for control of said first element.
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48. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and a microfabricated element on said thin film wall and controllable by an electromagnetic field for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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52. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and an ultrasound transducer microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of said chemical reaction.
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53. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; and a transducer means microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction and for reception of control signals.
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54. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining at least first and second chambers, at least one of said chambers having a thin film wall; and an element microfabricated on said thin film wall of said at least one chamber for manipulation of a parameter of a chemical reaction. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; a first element microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction; and a second microfabricated element for mixing the contents of said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining a chamber in which a chemical reaction may occur, said chamber having a thin film wall; an element microfabricated on said thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of said chemical reaction; and an elastomeric window interposed at a boundary of said chamber and an exterior of said instrument, whereby a reagent may be inserted into said chamber by puncturing said elastomeric window with a hollow needle.
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64. A microfabricated chemical reactor, comprising:
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a substrate defining an array of chambers wherein a chemical reaction may occur in at least one of said chambers and channels interconnecting said chambers, said at least one chamber having a thin film wall; a heater microfabricated on the thin film wall of said at least one chamber for heating the contents thereof; and means for transferring the contents of one of said chambers to another of said chambers by way of at least one of said channels. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67)
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68. A chemical reactor, comprising:
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a chamber having a cavity in which a chemical reaction may occur, said cavity defined by side walls of a substrate and at least one thin film wall closing said cavity; and an element microfabricated of said at least one thin film wall for manipulation of a parameter of the chemical reaction. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A microfabricated reactor, comprising:
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a plurality of chambers defined by a substrate for containing chemical reagents; a reaction chamber defined by said substrate and including a thin film wall; channels defined by said substrate for establishing fluid communication between said plurality of chambers and said reaction chamber; a pumping means microfabricated on said substrate for transferring the reagents from said plurality of chambers to said reaction chamber by way of said channels; a heater microfabricated on said thin film wall for heating reagents within said reaction chamber; and a transducer means microfabricated on said thin film wall for mixing reagents within said reaction chamber.
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75. A chemical reactor to contain reagents, comprising:
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a chamber having a microfabricated cavity in which a chemical reaction may occur, said cavity defined by side walls of a substrate and one other wall defining at least one of a top or bottom wall of said chamber, said one other wall thinner than said side walls; an element microfabricated on said one other wall to manipulate a parameter of the reaction; and said side walls of said substrate having a first thermal conductance and said one other wall having a second thermal conductance less than said first thermal conductance so as to substantially thermally isolate said element from said side walls of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A chemical reactor, comprising:
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a chamber having a microfabricated cavity in which a chemical reaction may occur, said cavity defined by side walls of a substrate and one other wall defining at least one of a top or bottom wall of said chamber, said one other wall thinner than said side walls; a heater microfabricated on said one other wall to heat contents of said chamber; and said one other wall thinner than said side walls of said substrate and substantially thermally isolating said heater from said side walls of said substrate.
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82. A chemical reactor, comprising:
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a chamber having a microfabricated cavity in which a chemical reaction may occur, said cavity defined by side walls of a substrate and one other wall defining at least one of a top or bottom wall of said chamber, said one other wall thinner than said side walls; a heater microfabricated on said one other wall to heat contents of said chamber; and said side walls of said substrate having a first thermal conductance and said one other wall having a second thermal conductance less than said first thermal conductance so as to substantially thermally isolate said heater from said side walls of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A microfabricated reactor comprising:
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a reaction chamber having a cavity in which a chemical reaction may occur, said cavity defined by side walls of a substrate and one other wall defining at least one of a top or bottom wall of said chamber, said one other wall thinner than said side walls, said side walls of said substrate having a first thermal conductance and said one other wall having a second thermal conductance less than said first thermal conductance; a plurality of chambers defined by said substrate for containing chemical reagents; channels defined by said substrate for establishing fluid communication between said plurality of chambers and said reaction chamber; a pumping means microfabricated on said substrate for transferring the reagents from said plurality of chambers to said reaction chamber by way of said channels; a heater for heating reagents within said reaction chamber, said heater microfabricated on said one other wall to be substantially thermally isolated from said side walls of said substrate; and a transducer means microfabricated on said one other wall for mixing reagents within said reaction chamber. - View Dependent Claims (90)
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Specification