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Microscale devices and reactions in microscale devices

  • US 6,057,149 A
  • Filed: 09/15/1995
  • Issued: 05/02/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for merging microdroplets comprising:

  • a) providing first and second liquid microdroplets each having volumes between 1 and 100 nanoliters, a liquid microdroplet delivering means, and a device, said device comprising;

    i) a housing comprised of silicon,ii) first and second microdroplet transport channels etched in said silicon and connecting to form a third transport channel containing a reaction region, said first, second and third transport channels the channels having a depth between 0.35 and 50 μ

    m and a width between 50 and 1000 μ

    m,iii) a microdroplet receiving means in liquid communication with said reaction region via said transport channels, andiv) microdroplet flow-directing means comprising a series of heating elements arrayed along said first, second and third transport channels;

    b) delivering said first liquid microdroplet via said microdroplet delivering means to said first transport channel;

    c) delivering said second liquid microdroplet via said microdroplet delivering means to said second transport channel; and

    d) conveying said microdroplets in said transport channels to said reaction region in said third transport channel via said microdroplet flow-directing means by differential heating of said microdroplets by said heating elements, thereby merging said first and second microdroplets to create a merged microdroplet.

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