Apparatus and method for performing microfluidic manipulations for chemical analysis
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for effecting material transport, comprising:
- an injection channel;
a separation channel having first and second ends and being in fluid communication with the injection channel at an intersection;
first and second reservoirs in fluid communication with the injection channel and respectively containing first and second fluids containing first and second materials, respectively;
a third reservoir in fluid communication with the separation channel at said first end and containing a third fluid containing a third material; and
means for applying and actively controlling an electric potential at each of the first, second and third reservoirs simultaneously to impart movement of the first and third materials from the first and third reservoirs into the intersection and then into the separation channel said application and control of said electric potential causing the materials from the first and third reservoirs to be mixed.
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Abstract
A microchip apparatus and method provide fluidic manipulations for a variety of applications, including sample injection for microchip liquid chromatography. The microchip is fabricated using standard photolithographic procedures and chemical wet etching, with the substrate and cover plate joined using direct bonding. Capillary electrophoresis is performed in channels formed in the substrate. Injections are made by electro-osmotically pumping sample through the injection channel that crosses the separation channel, followed by a switching of the potentials to force a plug into the separation channel.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for effecting material transport, comprising:
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an injection channel; a separation channel having first and second ends and being in fluid communication with the injection channel at an intersection; first and second reservoirs in fluid communication with the injection channel and respectively containing first and second fluids containing first and second materials, respectively; a third reservoir in fluid communication with the separation channel at said first end and containing a third fluid containing a third material; and means for applying and actively controlling an electric potential at each of the first, second and third reservoirs simultaneously to impart movement of the first and third materials from the first and third reservoirs into the intersection and then into the separation channel said application and control of said electric potential causing the materials from the first and third reservoirs to be mixed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, comprising:
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a body having a first channel extending between an analyte reservoir and an analyte waste reservoir and a second channel extending between a first buffer reservoir and a buffer waste reservoir; the first and second channels crossing to form a first fluid communicating intersection; and voltage means electronically coupled to each reservoir to establish a first flow pattern for moving analyte through the first channel into the intersection, and a second flow pattern in which each of said analyte reservoir, analyte waste reservoir, buffer reservoir and buffer waste reservoir have actively controlled voltages for moving analyte from the intersection into the second channel. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting a first and second reservoir via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting a third and fourth reservoir via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at an intersection, the method comprising actively controlling an electric potential simultaneously at each of the first, second, third and fourth ports, the step of actively controlling comprising:
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applying potentials to the first, third and fourth reservoirs, and grounding the second reservoir, said potentials being effective to transport material contained in the first reservoir into the intersection in a pinched condition; and changing the electric potentials of the four reservoirs to impart movement of material from the intersection towards the fourth reservoir by; applying an electric potential to the third reservoir; applying potentials to the first and second reservoirs that are less than the potential applied to the third reservoirs; and grounding the fourth reservoir.
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- 15. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second portions are in fluid communication with each other at a first intersection, and a third channel portion connecting a fifth reservoir via a fifth port, with the second channel portion at a point located between the first intersection and the fourth reservoir, the method comprising actively controlling the electric potential simultaneously in each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports to create differences in potential sufficient to cause material to move through the interconnected channel structure in a controlled manner.
- 17. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at a first intersection, and a third channel portion connecting fifth and sixth reservoirs via fifth and sixth ports, respectively, wherein the second and third channel portions are in fluid communication at a second intersection, the second intersection being located at a point between the first intersection and the fourth reservoir, the method comprising actively controlling the electric potential simultaneously in each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ports to create differences in potential sufficient to cause material to move through the interconnected channel structure in a controlled manner.
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19. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at an intersection, the method comprising actively controlling an electric potential simultaneously at each of the first, second, third and fourth ports, the step of actively controlling comprising:
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applying potentials to the first, third and fourth reservoirs, and applying a potential to the second reservoir that is less than potentials applied to the first, third and fourth reservoirs said potentials being effective to transport material contained in the first reservoir into the intersection in a pinched condition; and changing the electric potentials of the four reservoirs to impart movement of material from the intersection towards the fourth reservoir by; applying an electric potential to the third reservoir; applying potentials to the first and second reservoirs that are less than the potential applied to the third reservoir; and applying a potential to the fourth reservoir that is less than the potentials applied to the first, and second reservoirs.
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Specification