Microfluidic devices for fluid manipulation and analysis

• US 7,419,638 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revvity Health Sciences Incorporated (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Battrell, C. Frederick, Lancaster, Christy A, Saltsman, Patrick, Weigl, Bernhard H, Shen, Mingchao, Houkal, Jeffrey M
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon; Brian R.
• Application Number:
  US10/870,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20050106066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422 57- 59, 422/68.1, 436/180, 436164-165
• US Class Current: 422/504
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3141 with additional mixing means other than injector mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/433 Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly extending profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/4331 Mixers with bended, curved, coiled, wounded mixing tubes or comprising elements for bending the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/10 Integrating sample preparation and analysis in single entity, e.g. lab-on-a-chip concept
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1805 Conductive heating, heat from thermostatted solids is conducted to receptacles, e.g. heating plates, blocks
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0605 check valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5027 by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip B01L3/5023 takes precedence; micromixers B01F33/30; microreactors for synthesis B01J19/0093; microcapillary devices in general B81B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• 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 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 : characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/043 : Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5304 : Reaction vessels, e.g. agglutination plates for solid-phase systems G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/80 : involving blood groups or blood types or red blood cells white blood cells G01N33/56972

Abstract

The present invention relates to microfluidic devices and methods for manipulating and analyzing fluid samples. The disclosed microfluidic devices utilize a plurality of microfluidic channels, inlets, valves, filter, pumps, liquid barriers and other elements arranged in various configurations to manipulate the flow of a fluid sample in order to prepare such sample for analysis.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device for analyzing a liquid sample, comprising:

a first microfluidic channel having a first end and a second end;

a second microfluidic channel having a first end and a second end;

a third microfluidic channel having a first end and a second end;

a sample inlet, fluidly connected to the first ends of the first, second and third microfluidic channels, for receiving the liquid sample;

a hydrating buffer inlet, fluidly connected to the first ends of the first, second and third microfluidic channels, for receiving a hydrating buffer;

a bellows pump fluidly connected to the second ends of the first, second and third microfluidic channels;

a first dried reagent zone wherein a first reagent is printed, fluidly connected between the hydrating buffer inlet and the first end of the first microfluidic channel;

a second dried reagent zone wherein a second reagent is printed, fluidly connected between the hydrating buffer inlet and the first end of the second microfluidic channel; and

a third dried reagent zone wherein a third reagent is printed, fluidly connected between the hydrating buffer inlet and the first end of the third microfluidic channel.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the hydrating buffer inlet comprises a hydrating buffer blister pouch containing the hydrating buffer.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the bellows pump comprises a vent hole.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising a check valve fluidly connected to the bellows pump, wherein the check valve permits fluid flow away from the bellows pump.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the first microfluidic channel further comprises one or more optical viewing areas.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the second microfluidic channel further comprises one or more optical viewing areas.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the third microfluidic channel further comprises one or more optical viewing areas.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the liquid sample comprises a blood sample, the first reagent comprises antibody-A, the second reagent comprises antibody-B, and the third reagent comprises antibody-D.