Electropipettor and compensation means for electrophoretic bias

• US 7,001,496 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caliper Life Sciences Incorporated (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Caliper Life Sciences Incorporated (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parce, J. Wallace, Knapp, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOGUEROLA, ALEXANDER STEPHAN
• Application Number:
  US10/323,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20030085126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 738/633.1, 738/633.2, 738/63, 738/640.1, 738/642.5, 422/100, 204/600, 204/601, 204/604
• US Class Current: 204/600
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30351 using hydrophilic/hydrophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30352 using roughness of the surfaces
• 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 2219/00891 Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0418 electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0421 electrophoretic flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/021 Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502784 specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44704 Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44743 Introducing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44791 Microapparatus sample containers with integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/006 Motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/02 Micromixers: segmented laminar flow with boundary mixing orthogonal to the direction of fluid propagation with or without geometry influences from the pathway
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/113332 : with conveyance of sample along a test line in a container or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A channel (140) is divised into portions (142, 144). The sidewalls of each channel portion (142, 144) have surface charges of opposite polarity. The two channel portions (142, 144) are physically connected together by a salt bridge (133), such as a glass frit or gel layer. The salt bridge (133) separates the fluids in channel (140) from an ionic fluid reservoir (135). To impart electroosmotic and electrophoretic forces along the channel (140) between parts A and B, respectively. Additionally, a third electrode (137) is placed in the reservoir (135).

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising:

a planar substrate having at least a first microfluidic channel disposed therein, the first microfluidic channel having at least one cross-sectional dimension of less than about 100 microns; and

a pipettor extending from the substrate and having a first capillary channel disposed therein, the first capillary channel having at least one cross-sectional dimension of less than about 100 microns and being fluidly connected at a first end to the first microfluidic channel.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the pipettor comprises a capillary tube.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least first and second interconnected microfluidic channels disposed therein.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the pipettor is formed from at least a portion of the substrate.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises glass.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric material.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the capillary channel has a cross-sectional dimension of between about 1 and about 50 μ

m.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the pipettor comprises an electropipettor.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the capillary channel has a cross-sectional area of between about 10 and about 1000 μ

m².

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the capillary channel has a cross-sectional area of between about 10 and about 100 μ

m².

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the capillary channel has a diameter of about 30 μ

m.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least three or more intersecting microfluidic channels disposed therein.