Methods for fabricating enclosed microchannel structures

• US 6,176,962 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monogram Biosciences, Inc. (Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings)
• Original Assignee: Aclara Biosciences, Inc (Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings)
• Inventors: Amigo, M. Goretty Alonso, Soane, David S., Soane, Zoya M., Hooper, Herbert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lorin, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US08/878,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 156/292, 156/273.5
• US Class Current: 156/292
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 57/02 by electrophoresis treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge by electrophoresis C02F1/469; electrophoretic production of compounds or non-metals C25B7/00; investigating or analysing materials by using electrophoresis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1403 characterised by the type of electromagnetic or particle radiation B29C65/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1406 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1412 Infrared [IR] radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1425 Microwave radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 : Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/485 : Multi-component adhesives, i.e. chemically curing as a result of the mixing of said multi-components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4865 : containing additives C09J11/00 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/524 : by applying the adhesive from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface of the part to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/20 : particular design of the joint lines, e.g. of the weld lines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5346 : said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 : Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73117 : Tg, i.e. glass transition temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/08 : Polymers of acrylic acid esters, e.g. PMA, i.e. polymethylacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 : Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 : PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 : Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/757 : Moulds, cores, dies
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 : Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 : Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/26 : Electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44704 : Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44743 : Introducing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44752 : Controlling the zeta potential, e.g. by wall coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44773 : Multi-stage electrophoresis, e.g. two-dimensional electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 : Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 : Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping

Abstract

Methods are provided for the fabrication of polymeric microchannel structures having enclosed microchannels of capillary dimension. The microchannel structures are constructed of a base plate and a cover, sealed together. Microchannel structures having walls of a plastic material are formed in a generally planar surface of at least the base plate. The cover has at least one generally planar surface, and the microchannel structures are enclosed by bonding the planar surfaces of the cover and the base plate together. In some embodiments the surfaces of the cover and base plate are both of plastic material, and are directly thermally bonded. In some embodiments a bonding material is applied to one of the surface prior to bringing the surfaces together. Suitable bonding materials are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for constructing an enclosed microchannel structure comprising the steps of providing a substantially planar base substrate fabricated of a plastic material and having at least one substantially planar surface, forming in said base substrate at least one microchannel of capillary dimensions which opens onto said surface, providing a substantially planar cover substrate having at least one substantially planar surface, applying a bonding material to at least one of the surfaces, partially curing the bonding material and apposing said surface of said cover substrate and said surface of said base substrate whereby a stable interface applying a bonding material to at least one of the surfaces, partially curing the bonding material and between said apposed surfaces with the cured bonding material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said surface of said cover substrate is fabricated of a plastic material and wherein said apposing step includes the step of pressing said apposed surfaces together and heating said substrates for a time and to a temperature sufficient to bond said surfaces together.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying step includes the step of applying the bonding material to said surface of said cover substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said cured bonding material comprises an elastomeric adhesive material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding material comprises a thermo-melting bonding material and wherein said apposing step includes the step of heating said bonding material to a temperature and for a time sufficient to melt said bonding material and then cooling said bonding material between said apposed surfaces to permit the bonding material to harden.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding material comprises an activatable bonding material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding material comprises a curable bonding material.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said bonding material comprises a polymerizable bonding material.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said applying step includes the step of applying the bonding material to said surface in a flowable state and wherein said partially curing step includes the step of partially curing the bonding material to a non-flowable state.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said bonding material further comprises a polymerization initiator.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said polymerization initiator comprises a photoinitiator and wherein said apposing step includes the step of exposing said bonding material between said apposed surfaces to light at a wavelength and intensity and for a time sufficient to cause polymerization.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said polymerization initiator comprises a thermal initiator and wherein said apposing step includes the step of heating said bonding material between said apposed surfaces to a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause polymerization.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said cover substrate comprises an elastomeric material.

14. A method for constructing an enclosed microchannel structure comprising the steps of providing a substantially planar base substrate fabricated of a plastic material and having at least one substantially planar surface, forming in said base substrate first and second microchannels of capillary dimensions which meet at an intersection and each open onto said surface, providing a substantially planar cover substrate having at least one substantially planar surface, applying a bonding material to at least one of the sufaces, partially curing the bonding material and apposing said surface of said cover substrate and said surface of said base substrate and causing formation of a stable interface between said apposed surfaces.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first and second microchannels are each provided with first and second end portions, further comprising the step of forming first and second wells in at least one of the base substrate and the cover substrate for each of the first and second microchannels, the first and second wells of each microchannel communicating with the respective first and second end portions of said microchannel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of electrically coupling an electrode to each of the first and second wells.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of applying a bonding material to at least one of the surfaces and partially curing the bonding material prior to the apposing step.