Microfabricated crossflow devices and methods
First Claim
1. A microfluidic product comprising:
- (a) a main channel with a diameter of between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns in fluidic communication with a source of extrusion fluid passing therethrough;
(b) a second microfluidic channel, wherein said channel has a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns and is in fluidic communication with a source of sample fluid, and said sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid; and
(c) said second microfluidic channel having at least one inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region, the inlet region having a particle containing sample fluid immiscible with the extrusion fluid passing therethrough and constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the main channel at the extrusion region resulting in discrete sample fluid droplets containing particles in the extrusion fluid stream.
2 Assignments
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
A microfluidic device for analyzing and/or sorting biological materials (e.g., molecules such as polynucleotides and polypeptides, including proteins and enzymes; viruses and cells) and methods for its use are provided. The device and methods of the invention are useful for sorting particles, e.g. virions. The invention is also useful for high throughput screening, e.g. combinatorial screening. The microfluidic device comprises a main channel and an inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region. Droplets of solution containing the biological material are deposited into the main channel through the droplet extrusion region. A fluid different from and incompatible with the solution containing the biological material flows through the main channel so that the droplets containing the biological material do not diffuse or mix. Biological material within the droplets can be analyzed and/or sorted by detecting a predetermined characteristic of the biological sample in each droplet and sorting the droplet accordingly.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A microfluidic product comprising:
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(a) a main channel with a diameter of between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns in fluidic communication with a source of extrusion fluid passing therethrough; (b) a second microfluidic channel, wherein said channel has a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns and is in fluidic communication with a source of sample fluid, and said sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid; and (c) said second microfluidic channel having at least one inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region, the inlet region having a particle containing sample fluid immiscible with the extrusion fluid passing therethrough and constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the main channel at the extrusion region resulting in discrete sample fluid droplets containing particles in the extrusion fluid stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A product for sorting biological material comprising:
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(a) a microfabricated substrate having at least one main channel with a diameter of between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns in fluidic communication with a source of extrusion fluid passing therethrough, an inlet region which meets the main channel at a droplet extrusion region in fluidic communication with a source of sample fluid, wherein said sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid and said droplet extrusion region is constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the main channel, and at least two branch channels meeting at a junction downstream from the droplet extrusion region; (b) a detection region within or coincident with at least a portion of the main channel and associated with a detector; and (c) a flow control system responding to the detector and adapted to direct biological material into a branch channel. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A microfluidic product comprising:
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(a) a main channel with a diameter of between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns in fluid communication with a source of extrusion fluid and having a stream of extrusion fluid passing therethrough, and (b) at least one inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region, the inlet region in fluid communication with a source of particle containing sample fluid and having a particle containing sample fluid immiscible with the extrusion fluid passing therethrough and constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the main channel at the extrusion region resulting in discrete sample fluid droplets containing particles in the extrusion fluid stream, wherein the main channel resides in a layer of elastomeric material. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A microfluidic product comprising:
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(a) a main channel having a stream of extrusion fluid passing therethrough, wherein said channel has a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns; (b) a source of extrusion fluid provided in communication with the main channel; (c) an inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region, the inlet region having a particle containing sample fluid immiscible with the extrusion fluid passing therethrough and constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the main channel at the extrusion region resulting in discrete sample fluid droplets containing particles in the extrusion fluid stream; (d) a source of particle containing sample fluid provided in communication with the inlet region;
wherein the particle containing sample fluid comprises (i) viral particles or (ii) animal cells.
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49. A microfluidic product comprising:
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(a) a first microfluidic channel, wherein said channel, wherein said channel has a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns and is in fluidic communication with a source of extrusion fluid; (b) a second microfluidic channel, wherein said channel has a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns and is in fluidic communication with a source of sample fluid, and said sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid; (c) a junction at which the first channel is in fluidic communication with the second channel and said junction is constructed and arranged so that droplets of the sample fluid are sheared into the first microfludic channel; wherein when the extrusion fluid is flowed through the first channel at a first pressure and the sample fluid is flowed through the second channel at a second pressure lower than the first pressure, monodisperse droplets of aqueous solution are formed at the junction, said droplets having a diameter less than 60 microns.
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50. A microfluidic product comprising:
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(a) a first input channel in communication with a source of an aqueous dispersed phase containing reagents to be dispersed; (b) a second input channel in communication with a source of a continuous phase that is immiscible with the dispersed phase; (c) a junction at which the first channel is in fluidic communication with the second channel; and
,(d) an output channel in communication with the junction, wherein said junction is constructed and arranged so that droplets of the aqueous dispersed phase are sheared into the output channel, and wherein said first and second input channels and said output channel have a diameter in the range of 2 to 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
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Specification