Microfluidic accumulating and proportioning component

• US 7,067,086 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Original Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Inventors: Blum, Roger, Huhn, Rüdiger, Sander, Dietmar, Timmann, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVKOVICH, NATALIA A
• Application Number:
  US10/143,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20020168298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/102, 422/104, 422/72
• US Class Current: 422/506
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/04 Exchange or ejection of cartridges, containers or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0615 Loss of fluid by dripping
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0642 Filling fluids into wells by specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/16 Reagents, handling or storing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1039 Micropipettes, e.g. microcapillary tubes

Abstract

A microfluidic accumulating and proportioning component, including:

• • a reservoir including an aeration port and an outlet disposed below for a liquid,
  • capillary cavities in the reservoir,
  • a displacement chamber which is disposed at least partly at the same level as the reservoir, with an inlet disposed above and a proportioning outlet disposed below for a liquid, and
  • a rising capillary channel connecting the outlet of the reservoir to the inlet of the displacement chamber.

Claims

1. A microfluidic accumulating and proportioning component, comprising:

a reservoir including an aeration port (26), and an outlet for a liquid and capillary cavities (20′

, 20″

);

a displacement chamber (34) having an inlet (36) and a proportioning outlet (9) for the liquid, and

a capillary channel (22) connecting the outlet (30) of the reservoir (15) with the inlet (36) of the displacement chamber (34),

wherein in a position of the microfluidic component in which the proportioning outlet (9) is directed perpendicularly downward during proportioning, the displacement chamber (34) is disposed, at least partially, at a same level as the reservoir (15), the aeration port (26) is located at a top of the reservoir, the outlet (30) is located at a bottom of the reservoir (15), the inlet (36) of the displacement chamber (34) is located at a top of the displacement chamber (34) and the proportioning outlet (9) is located at a bottom of the displacement chamber, and

wherein the microfluidic component further comprises a capillary gap (31) for connecting the capillary channel (22) with the reservoir (15) and extending laterally of the capillary channel (22), the capillary gap (31) enabling a rising liquid flow substantially from the outlet (30) of the reservoir (15) into the displacement chamber (34) through the capillary channel (22) in the proportioning mode and, when the component is disposed in a centrifugal field directed counter to the direction of the flow in the capillary channel (22) in the proportioning mode, a descending liquid flow from the displacement chamber (34) and the capillary channel (22) into the reservoir (15).

2. The component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the capillary gap (31) opens at least partially into a region of the reservoir (15) above the capillary cavities (20′

, 20″

).

3. The component as claimed in claim 1 wherein a capillarity of the capillary gap (31) is reduced from a bottom of the gap to a top thereof.

4. The component as claimed in claim 1 wherein the capillary cavities (20′

, 20″

) are formed as capillary channels leading to the outlet (30) of the reservoir (15).

5. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capillary channel (22) is connected to the inlet (36) of the displacement chamber (34) via a connection duct (37) with which a filling level sensor is associated.

6. The component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the connection duct (37) is disposed between a highest level of the capillary channel (22) and the inlet (36) of the displacement chamber (34).

7. The component as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filling port (11) at a top thereof that is connected to the reservoir (15).

8. The component as claimed in claim 7, wherein a filling channel (24) is disposed between the filling port (11) and the capillary channel (22).