PAEK-based microfluidic device with integrated electrospray emitter

• US 7,413,709 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Yin, Hongfeng, Killeen, Kevin, Roitman, Daniel B., Seaward, Karen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden; Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEVKOVICH, NATALIA A
• Application Number:
  US10/365,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,015 Days
• Field of Search: 156/292, 156/309.3, 156/306.6, 156/209, 156/272.6, 156/308.2, 156/4, 156/6, 422/102, 422/100
• US Class Current: 422/504
• 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 2219/00783 Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00862 Dimensions of the reaction cavity itself
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00891 Feeding or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00957 Compositions or concentrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/12 Specific details about materials
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0622 distribution valves, valves having multiple inlets and/or outlets, e.g. metering valves, multi-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0644 rotary valves
• 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 3/502707 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: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/001 Joining in special atmospheres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/02 Preparation of the material, in the area to be joined, prior to joining or welding B29C66/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/324 Avoiding burr formation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53461 : joining substantially flat covers and/or substantially flat bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• 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 66/82661 : by means of vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 : Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 1/00 : Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/20 : using a sampling valve
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 : Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/7266 : by electric field, e.g. electrospray

Abstract

A polyaryl-ether-ketone (PAEK)-based microfluidic device having an integrated electrospray emitter is disclosed. Bonding of at least one PAEK substrate forming the microfluidic device is accomplished using a solvent-resistant adhesive, such as a polyimide-based adhesive, in combination with an adhesion enhancement treatment. By providing the PAEK-based microfluidic device with an integrated electrospray emitter, efficient and effective analysis of fluid samples is enabled.

Claims

1. A polyaryl-ether-ketone (PAEK) microfluidic device, comprising:

a substrate composed of a PAEK material, said substrate having at least one microchannel formed in a surface thereof;

a cover plate capable of being bonded to said PAEK substrate, said cover plate having a surface arranged over the surface of said substrate, said cover plate in combination with the microchannel defining a conduit for conveying a sample, said respective surfaces of said PAEK substrate and said cover plate being adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces;

an electrospray emitter representing an integrated and protruding portion of said PAEK substrate and said cover plate, said electrospray emitter being in fluid communication with said conduit; and

a layer of a solvent-resistant adhesive applied on at least one of said adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces to bond said respective surfaces of said PAEK substrate and said cover plate together.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said solvent-resistant adhesive is a polyimide-based adhesive.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said polyimide-based adhesive comprises a N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP)-based solution containing a mixture of one or more of the following:

thermoplastic polyimides, polyamic acids and partially imidized polyamic acids.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said layer of said solvent-resistant adhesive on said at least one of said adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces has a thickness substantially less than the thickness of said PAEK substrate.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the thickness of said layer of said solvent resistant adhesive on said at least one of said adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces is between 0.1 microns and 1 micron.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces comprise plasma-treated surfaces.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said adhesion enhancement-treated surfaces comprise su Ifonated surfaces.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said cover plate is composed of a solvent resistant material.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sample inlet port in fluid communication with the conduit, wherein said sample inlet port allows a sample fluid introduced from a sample source to be conveyed in a defined sample flow path such that the sample fluid travels, in order, through said sample inlet port, said conduit and a sample outlet port on said electrospray emitter and

an integrated introducing means for mechanically controllably introducing a predetermined volume of the sample fluid from the sample source into said sample Inlet port.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein said integrated introducing means comprises a loading chamber sized to hold the predetem,lned volume of sample fluid and in switchable fluid communication with the sample source or a mobile phase source.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said electrospray emitter is interfaced with an analytical device and the sample fluid is subjected to an electric field located between the microfluidic device and the analytical device to ionize the sample fluid at the sample outlet port.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the conduit includes separation media therein for separating components of the sample fluid according to a component property.