Controlled fluid transport in microfabricated polymeric substrates
First Claim
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1. A microfluidic system, comprising:
- a microfluidic device which comprises a body substantially fabricated from a polymeric material, said body having at least first and second intersecting channels disposed therein, interior surfaces of said at least first and second intersecting channels having a zeta potential associated therewith, which zeta potential is capable of supporting an electroosmotic mobility of a fluid in said channels of at least 1×
10-5 cm2 V-1 s-1, wherein said fluid is a sodium borate buffer having an ionic strength of between about 1 and about 10 mM, and a pH of from about 7 to about 9, at least one of said at least first and second intersecting channels having at least one cross sectional dimension in the range of from about 0.1 μ
m to about 500 μ
m;
at least first, second and third ports disposed at termini of said first channel and at least one terminus of said second channel, whereby said ports are in electrical contact with a fluid in said first and second channels; and
an electrical control system for concomitantly applying a voltage at at least two of said at least first, second and third ports, to selectively direct flow of a fluid in said first and second intersecting channels by electroosmotic flow.
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices are provided for the performance of chemical and biochemical analyses, syntheses and detection. The devices of the invention combine precise fluidic control systems with microfabricated polymeric substrates to provide accurate, low cost miniaturized analytical devices that have broad applications in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology and numerous other fields.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A microfluidic system, comprising:
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a microfluidic device which comprises a body substantially fabricated from a polymeric material, said body having at least first and second intersecting channels disposed therein, interior surfaces of said at least first and second intersecting channels having a zeta potential associated therewith, which zeta potential is capable of supporting an electroosmotic mobility of a fluid in said channels of at least 1×
10-5 cm2 V-1 s-1, wherein said fluid is a sodium borate buffer having an ionic strength of between about 1 and about 10 mM, and a pH of from about 7 to about 9, at least one of said at least first and second intersecting channels having at least one cross sectional dimension in the range of from about 0.1 μ
m to about 500 μ
m;at least first, second and third ports disposed at termini of said first channel and at least one terminus of said second channel, whereby said ports are in electrical contact with a fluid in said first and second channels; and an electrical control system for concomitantly applying a voltage at at least two of said at least first, second and third ports, to selectively direct flow of a fluid in said first and second intersecting channels by electroosmotic flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of fabricating a microfluidic device, for use with an electroosmotic fluid direction system, comprising:
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molding a polymeric material to form a substrate having at least one surface, said at least one surface having at least first and second intersecting channels disposed therein, each of said at least first and second intersecting channels having an interior surface, said interior surface having a zeta potential associated therewith, which zeta potential is capable of supporting an electroosmotic mobility of a fluid in said channels of at least 1×
10-5 cm2 V-1 s-1, wherein said fluid is from about 1 mM to about 10 mM sodium borate buffer, at a pH of from about 7 to about 9, at least one of said first and second intersecting channels having at least one cross-sectional dimension in a range of from about 0.1 μ
m to about 500 μ
m; andoverlaying a cover layer on said at least one surface, said cover layer enclosing said first and second intersecting channels, and wherein said substrate and said cover layer together comprise at least three ports disposed therein, each of said at least three ports being in fluid communication with first and second termini of said first channel and at least one terminus of said second channel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of directing movement of a fluid within a microfluidic device, comprising:
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providing a microfluidic device substantially fabricated from a polymeric material, which comprises; at least first and second intersecting channels disposed in said device, each of said first and second intersecting channels having a fluid disposed therein, wherein said at least first and second channels have interior surfaces, said interior surfaces having a zeta potential associated therewith, which zeta potential is capable of supporting an electroosmotic;
mobility of a fluid in said channels of at least 1×
10-5 cm2 V-1 s-1, wherein said fluid is a sodium borate buffer having an ionic strength of between about 1 and about 10 mM, and a pH of from about 7 to about 9;at least first, second, third and fourth ports disposed in said substrate, said first and second ports being in fluid communication with said first channel on different sides of the intersection of said first channel with the second channel, and said third and fourth ports being in fluid communication with said second channel on different sides of the intersection of the second channel with the first channel; and applying a voltage gradient between at least two of said first, second, third and fourth ports to affect movement of said fluid in at least one of said first and second intersecting channels. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification