Polymeric structures incorporating microscale fluidic elements

• US 6,555,067 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caliper Life Sciences Incorporated (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dubrow, Robert S., Bousse, Luc J., Gandhi, Khushroo
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUAN, ELIZABETH S
• Application Number:
  US09/590,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 422/61, 422/99-104, 422/130, 422/131
• US Class Current: 422/503
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• 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: B07C 5/342 according to optical properties, e.g. colour according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/8253 by the use of waves or particle radiation, e.g. visual examination, scanning electron microscopy, or X-rays B29C65/8292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• 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 66/712 the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73115 Melting point
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73343 at least one of the parts to be joined being matt or refractive
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73365 at least one of the parts to be joined being transparent or translucent to visible light
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/18 Polymers of hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms, e.g. polymers of butylene, e.g. PB, i.e. polybutylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/14 PVF, i.e. polyvinyl fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 : PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 : Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 : PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/0092 : in which absence of adhesives is explicitly presented as an advantage
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/028 : using vibration, e.g. sonic or ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0843 : using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0023 : around holes, apertures or channels present in at least one layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 : Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 : Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 : Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/266 : of base or substrate

Abstract

The present invention generally provides improved methods of fabricating polymeric microfluidic devices that incorporate microscale fluidic structures, whereby the fabrication process does not substantially distort or deform such structures. The methods of the invention generally provide enhanced bonding processes for mating and bonding substrate layers to define the microscale channel networks therebetween.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device, comprising:

a first polymeric substrate comprising a first planar surface having a plurality of microscale channels disposed therein;

a second polymeric substrate comprising a first planar surface, the first planar surface of the second substrate being non-solvent bonded to the first planar surface of the first substrate, wherein the first surface of the second substrate does not substantially project into the plurality of channels and wherein the first and second substrates comprise polymethylmethacrylate, and said first substrate has a different transition temperature than said second substrate.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the second substrate projects into the plurality of channels less than 10% of a total cross-sectional area of an unobstructed channel.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 2 wherein the first surface of the second substrate projects into the plurality of channels less than 5% of a total cross-sectional area of an unobstructed channel.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 3, wherein the first surface of the second substrate projects into the plurality of channels less than 2% of a total crosssectional area of an unobstructed channel.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second substrates comprise a polymer selected from polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylchloride, polydimethylsiloxane, polysulfone, polystyrene, polymethylpentene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates are selected independently from polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylchloride, polydimethylsiloxane, polysulfone, polystyrene, polymethylpentene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidine fluoride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the first substrate has a higher transition temperature than the first surface of the second substrate.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the transition temperature of the first surface of the first substrate is at least 5°

C. higher than the transition temperature of the first surface of the second substrate.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the transition temperature of the first surface of the first substrate is at least 10°

C. higher than the transition temperature of the first surface of the second substrate.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the transition temperature of the first surface of the first substrate is at least 20°

C. higher than the transition temperature of the first surface of the second substrate.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the transition temperature of the first surface of the first substrate is at least 50°

C. higher than the transition temperature of the first surface oft second substrate.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the transition temperature of the first surface of the first substrate is at least 100°

C. higher than the transition temperature of the first surface of the second substrate.