Microscale fluid handling system
First Claim
1. A liquid handling system, comprisinga microscale liquid handling substrate having one or more channels integrally formed therein, for conducting a liquid sample in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate for transfer of a microscale quantity of a liquid sample off said substrate by droplet, spray or stream;
- andan external analytical and/or collection system, said system having an inlet that is proximate to but separate from said one or more exit ports of said microscale liquid handling substrate for receiving said microscale quantity of a liquid sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A microscale fluid handling system that permits the efficient transfer of nanoliter to picoliter quantities of a fluid sample from the spatially concentrated environment of a microfabricated chip to "off-chip" analytical or collection devices for further off-chip sample manipulation and analysis is disclosed. The fluid handling system is fabricated in the form of one or more channels, in any suitable format, provided in a microchip body or substrate of silica, polymer or other suitable non-conductive material, or of stainless steel, noble metal, silicon or other suitable conductive or semi-conductive material. The microchip fluid handling system includes one or more exit ports integral with the end of one or more of the channels for consecutive or simultaneous off-chip analysis or collection of the sample. The exit port or ports may be configured, for example, as an electrospray interface for transfer of a fluid sample to a mass spectrometer.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A liquid handling system, comprising
a microscale liquid handling substrate having one or more channels integrally formed therein, for conducting a liquid sample in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate for transfer of a microscale quantity of a liquid sample off said substrate by droplet, spray or stream; - and
an external analytical and/or collection system, said system having an inlet that is proximate to but separate from said one or more exit ports of said microscale liquid handling substrate for receiving said microscale quantity of a liquid sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for analyzing liquids, comprising
a microscale liquid handling substrate having one or more channels integrally formed therein for conducting a liquid sample in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate for transfer of a microscale quantity of a liquid sample off said substrate by electrospray ionization; - and
an external mass spectrometric analytical system, said system having an inlet that is proximate to but separate from said one or more exit ports of said microscale liquid handling substrate for receiving said microscale quantity of a liquid sample.
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19. A liquid handling system, comprising
a microscale liquid handling substrate having one or more channels integrally formed therein, for conducting a liquid sample in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate for transfer of a microscale quantity of a liquid sample off said substrate by droplet, spray or stream; - and
an external collection system proximate to but separate from said one or more exit ports of said microscale liquid handling substrate for receiving said microscale quantity of a liquid sample.
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20. A method for analyzing a liquid comprising the steps of:
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providing a microscale liquid handling system comprising a substrate having one or more channels integrated in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate; loading a liquid sample into one of said one or more channels; causing said liquid sample to travel in said channel in the direction of said exit port; and causing said liquid sample to exit said substrate through said exit port of said channel and transfer off said substrate by electrospray ionization to an inlet of a mass spectrometer, said inlet of said mass spectrometer being proximate to but separate from said exit port of said channel.
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21. A method for processing microscale quantities of a liquid comprising the steps of:
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providing a microscale liquid handling system comprising a substrate having one or more channels integrated in said substrate, said one or more channels terminating in one or more exit ports in an outer surface of said substrate; loading a liquid sample into one of said one or more channels; causing said liquid sample to travel in said channel in the direction of said exit port; and causing said liquid sample to exit said substrate through said exit port of said channel and transfer off said substrate by droplet, spray or stream to an external analytical and/or collection system, said system having an inlet that is proximate to but separate from said exit port. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification