Structural units that define fluidic functions

• US 7,429,354 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Per, Ekstrand, Gunnar, Derand, Helene, Thorsen, Gunnar, Wallenborg, Sussanne, Togan-Tekin, Ebru, Selditz, Ulrike
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US10/472,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 422/58
• US Class Current: 422/506
• 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: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0678 Facilitating or initiating evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 for parallel transport of multiple samples
• 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 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk

Abstract

A microfluidic device that comprises several microchannel structures in which there are an inlet port, an outlet port and therebetween a substructure comprising a fluidic function. The device has an axis of symmetry around which the microchannel structures are arranged as two or more concentric annular zones. for an inlet port and an outlet port of the same microchannel structure the inlet port is typically closer to the axis of symmetry than the outlet port. Each microchannel structure comprises a substructure that can retain liquid while the disc is spun around the axis and/or the inlet ports are positioned separate from the paths waste liquid leaving open waste outlet ports will follow across the surface of the disc when it is spun. For the microchannel structures of an annular zones the corresponding substructures are at essentially at the same radial distance while corresponding substructures in microchannel structures of different annular zones are at different radial distances. The invention also refers to several other substructures. The substructure are primarily adapted for transporting liquid aliquots that have a surface tnsion >5 mN/m with centrifugal force.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device that comprises a microchannel structure in which there are one or more inlet ports, one or more structural units downstream of one of the inlet ports, and one or more outlet ports, wherein the microfluidic device comprises a plurality of individual microchannel structures which are

(i) present in a substrate having a spinning axis;

and

(ii) arranged to define two or more annular zones or sectors thereof around the spinning axis,

each of said microchannel structure has a substructure which is downstream of the inlet port and which is capable of retaining liquid when the substrate is spun, and

each of said annular zones or sectors thereof has microchannel structures in which corresponding substructures are present at the same radial distance from the spinning axis while corresponding substructures of other zones are present at other radial distances from the spinning axis,

wherein at least one outlet port is a waste outlet port and wherein there are no open waste outlet ports at a shorter radial distance from the spinning axis than the inlet ports.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein said inlet ports and waste outlet ports are on different sides of the device.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the microchannel structures within an annular zone are divided into groups with the microchannel structures of a group being connected to each other via a common inlet microconduit or a common waste microconduit.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the waste outlet ports are located at the periphery of the device.