Production of microstructures for use in assays

• US 6,440,645 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Sensors Limited
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Sensors Limited
• Inventors: Lowe, Christopher Robin, McCann, James, Eapen, Saji, Yon-Hin, Bernadette
• Primary Examiner(s): Huff, Mark F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRECA, NICOLE M
• Application Number:
  US09/445,650
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 430/320, 430/322, 430/323, 430/324, 435/288.4, 435/288.5
• US Class Current: 430/322
• 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: B01J 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00831 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00891 Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00909 using filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/12 Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/00 Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns printing apparatus or machines of special type or for particular purposes B41F17/00; special designs or pictures per se B44F; manufacturing printed circuits using printing techniques H05K3/12 ; manufacturing organic semiconductor devices using printing techniques H10K71/13
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0338 Channels
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00119 Arrangement of basic structures like cavities or channels, e.g. suitable for microfluidic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0184 Digital lithography, e.g. using an inkjet print-head

Abstract

A process for the production of a device having a surface microstructure of wells or channels. In the process one or more steps of screen-printing the microstructure as a curable material onto a plastic substrate, and curing the material. Such a device is also obtained by applying onto a substrate a material that is polymerizable or depolymerizable by irradiation, applying a negative or positive resist photoresist respectively, irradiating the structure and removing the unpolymerized or depolymerized material.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a device having a surface microstructure of wells or channels, which consists essentially of

providing a structure by applying onto a plastics substrate a material that is polymerizable or depolymerizable by irradiation and wherein the material that is unpolymerized or depolymerized is soluble in an aqueous developing solution,

irradiating the structure through a photomask, and

applying an aqueous developing solution to the irradiated structure and removing the unpolymerized or depolymerized material to produce the surface microstructure of wells or channels.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the wells or channels are from 3 μ

m to 100 μ

m wide.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the device is water-resistant, and the removing comprises removing only the unpolymerized or depolymerized material.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises from 100 to 9600 wells.

5. A process according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises wells that are 50 to 500 μ

m in diameter.

6. A process according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises wells that are 5 to 300 μ

m deep.

7. A process according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises channels, and which additionally comprises covering the channels.

8. A process according to claim 7, which additionally comprises forming reservoirs at the termini of the channels.

9. A process according to claim 8, which additionally comprises insertion of electrodes in the reservoirs.