High throughput screening of crystallization of materials
First Claim
1. A method for promoting interaction between two solutions, the method comprising:
- defining a first microfluidic chamber;
priming the first microfluidic chamber with a first solution;
defining a second microfluidic chamber;
priming the second microfluidic chamber with a second solution;
placing the first microfluidic chamber into fluid communication with the second microfluidic chamber to define a microfluidic free interface between the first solution and the second solution; and
permitting free-interface diffusion to occur between the first solution and the second solution such that the first solution interacts with the second solution.
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Accused Products
Abstract
High throughput screening of crystallization of a target material is accomplished by simultaneously introducing a solution of the target material into a plurality of chambers of a microfabricated fluidic device. The microfabricated fluidic device is then manipulated to vary the solution condition in the chambers, thereby simultaneously providing a large number of crystallization environments. Control over changed solution conditions may result from a variety of techniques, including but not limited to metering volumes of crystallizing agent into the chamber by volume exclusion, by entrapment of volumes of crystallizing agent determined by the dimensions of the microfabricated structure, or by cross-channel injection of sample and crystallizing agent into an array of junctions defined by intersecting orthogonal flow channels.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for promoting interaction between two solutions, the method comprising:
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defining a first microfluidic chamber; priming the first microfluidic chamber with a first solution; defining a second microfluidic chamber; priming the second microfluidic chamber with a second solution; placing the first microfluidic chamber into fluid communication with the second microfluidic chamber to define a microfluidic free interface between the first solution and the second solution; and permitting free-interface diffusion to occur between the first solution and the second solution such that the first solution interacts with the second solution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of capturing a concentration gradient between two fluids, the method comprising:
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providing a first fluid on a first side of an elastomer membrane present within a microfluidic flow channel; providing a second fluid on a second side of the elastomer membrane; displacing the elastomer membrane from the microfluidic flow channel to define a microfluidic free interface between the first fluid and the second fluid; allowing the first fluid and the second fluid to diffuse across the microfluidic free interface; and actuating a group of elastomer valves positioned along the flow channel at increasing distances from the microfluidic free interface to define a succession of chambers whose relative concentration of the first fluid and the second fluid reflects a time of diffusion. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for forming crystals of a target material comprising:
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priming a first chamber of an elastomeric microfluidic device with a first predetermined volume of a target material solution; priming a second chamber of an elastomer micro fluidic device with a second predetermined volume of a crystallizing agent solution; and placing the first chamber into fluidic contact with the second chamber to allow free-interface diffusion between the target material and the crystallizing agent solution, such that an environment of the target material is changed to cause formation of crystal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification