Electropipettor and compensation means for electrophoretic bias
First Claim
1. A microfluidic system with compensation for electrophoretic bias, comprising:
- a first capillary channel;
a second capillary channel intersecting said first capillary channel; and
a chamber at said intersection of said first and second capillary channels shaped such that a region containing subject material moving from said first capillary channel to said second capillary channel is mixed to compensate for electrophoretic bias in moving along said first capillary channel;
wherein said chamber is defined by sides along a first capillary channel length funneling into said second capillary channel.
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Abstract
The present invention provides for techniques for transporting materials using electrokinetic forces through the channels of a microfluidic system. The subject materials are transported in regions of high ionic concentration, next to spacer material regions of high ionic concentration, which are separated by spacer material regions of low ionic concentration. Such arrangements allow the materials to remain localized for the transport transit time to avoid mixing of the materials. Using these techniques, an electropipettor which is compatible with the microfluidic system is created so that materials can be easily introduced into the microfluidic system. The present invention also compensates for electrophoretic bias as materials are transported through the channels of the microfluidic system by splitting a channel into portions with positive and negative surface charges and a third electrode between the two portions, or by diffusion of the electrophoresing materials after transport along a channel.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A microfluidic system with compensation for electrophoretic bias, comprising:
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a first capillary channel; a second capillary channel intersecting said first capillary channel; and a chamber at said intersection of said first and second capillary channels shaped such that a region containing subject material moving from said first capillary channel to said second capillary channel is mixed to compensate for electrophoretic bias in moving along said first capillary channel; wherein said chamber is defined by sides along a first capillary channel length funneling into said second capillary channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A microfluidic system, comprising:
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a body structure; a first microscale channel disposed in the body structure; a second microscale channel disposed in the body structure, the second channel intersecting the first channel at a first intersection; a chamber disposed in the body structure at the intersection, side walls of the chamber funneling into the second channel; and an electrokinetic material transport system for transporting a subject material region from at least one of the first channel into the second channel through the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of mixing a subject material region in a microfluidic system, comprising:
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providing a microfluidic device which comprises a body structure, a first microscale channel, a second microscale channel intersecting the first microscale channel and a chamber disposed in the body structure at the intersection of the first and second channels, the chamber comprising side walls that funnel into the second channel; applying a first electric field along a length of the first channel to move a first material region along the first channel and into the chamber, whereupon the first material region is mixed; and applying a second electric field along a length of the second channel to move at least a portion of the first material region from the chamber into the second channel. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of electrokinetically transporting a first material region through a microfluidic system while correcting for electrophoretic bias of the subject material in the subject material region, comprising:
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providing a microfluidic device having at least first and second microscale channels, the first and second microscale channels intersecting at a first intersection, the first intersection being defined by a chamber that funnels into the second channel; transporting the subject material along a first microscale channel into the chamber; and funneling the subject material from the chamber into the second microscale channel, whereby the subject material diffuses across the subject material region.
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Specification