Method and apparatus for improved temperature control in microfluidic devices

• US 7,440,684 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen R. Boronkay, Andrea W. Chow, Carlton F. Brooks, Ken Swartz, Michael A. Spaid, Morten Juel Jensen, Seth R. Stern, Yevgeny Yurkovetsky
• Original Assignee: Allen R. Boronkay, Andrea W. Chow, Carlton F. Brooks, Ken Swartz, Michael A. Spaid, Morten Juel Jensen, Seth R. Stern, Yevgeny Yurkovetsky
• Inventors: Chow, Andrea W., Spaid, Michael A., Stern, Seth R., Yurkovetsky, Yevgeny, Boronkay, Allen R., Swartz, Ken, Jensen, Morten Juel, Brooks, Carlton F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S
• Application Number:
  US11/323,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20060188979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 392/466
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00364 Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00495 Means for heating or cooling the reaction vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00704 integrated with the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: C07B 2200/11 Compounds covalently bound to a solid support
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6818 involving interaction of two or more labels, e.g. resonant energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6827 for detection of mutation or polymorphism
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2561/125 Ligase Detection Reaction [LDR]
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/101 Interaction between at least two labels
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/543 characterised by the use of two or more capture oligonucleotide primers in concert, e.g. bridge amplification
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof

Abstract

A microfluidic system and method for employing it to control fluid temperatures of fluids residing within microchannels of a microfluidic device. The microfluidic device is provided with a top layer and a bottom layer and microchannels configured therebetween. Temperature of the fluid within the microchannels is controlled in various ways including the use of electrical resistive heating elements and by providing zones located in contact with the top and bottom layers of the microfluidic device for circulating heat transfer of fluid therein.

Claims

1. A method of controlling temperature of fluids residing within microchannels of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic device having a top layer and a bottom layer and microchannels configured therebetween, said microfluidic device further comprising a plurality of reservoirs of heat transfer fluid, each reservoir being maintained at a controlled temperature, said method comprising flowing heat transfer fluid from one or more of said reservoirs to said top layer or said bottom layer or to both said top and bottom layers of said microfluidic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat transfer fluid comprises a member selected from the group consisting of water, glycol, air and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein such heat transfer fluid is circulated from its own reservoir to said microfluidic device and back to said own reservoir.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat transfer fluid is maintained in three reservoirs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said heat transfer fluid within said three reservoirs is maintained at temperatures of approximately 95°

C., approximately 72°

C. and approximately 60°

C. respectively.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat transfer fluid is applied to outer surfaces of said top and bottom layers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat transfer fluid of the same temperature is applied to said top and bottom layers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said heat transfer fluid of different temperatures is applied to said top and bottom layers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluids residing within said microchannels are further heated by applying a selectable electric current through said fluid in at least a portion of said microchannels, said fluid contained within said portion of said micro channels having an electrical resistance.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said microchannels is configured with an electrically resistive heating element.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein power is selectively applied to said electrically resistive heating element for controllably raising the temperature of said fluids within said at least one of said microchannels.

12. A method of controlling temperature of fluids residing within microchannels of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic device having a top layer and a bottom layer and a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels configured therebetween, said method comprising controlling temperature of said fluids residing within said microchannels by creating non-uniform spacing between said plurality of microchannels to enhance uniformity of temperature of said fluids residing within said plurality of microchannels.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein temperature of said fluids residing within said microchannels of said microfluidic device is further controlled by applying heat transfer fluid to said top layer or said bottom layer or to said top and bottom layers of said microfluidic device.

14. A method of controlling temperature of fluids residing within microchannels of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic device having a top layer and a bottom layer and a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels configured therebetween and electrically resistive heating elements associated with said plurality of microchannels for transferring energy to said fluids residing therein, said method comprising controlling temperature of said fluids residing within said microchannels by creating non-uniform spacing between said electrically resistive heating elements to enhance uniformity of temperature of said fluids residing in said plurality of microchannels.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising applying heat transfer fluid to said top layer or to said bottom layer or to both said top and bottom layers of said microfluidic device.

16. A method of controlling temperatures of fluids residing within microchannels of a microfluidic device, said microfluidic device having a top layer, bottom layer, longitudinal axis and a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels, each microchannel having a longitudinal axis configured therebetween and parallel to said longitudinal axis of said microfluidic device, said method comprising controlling temperature of said fluids residing within said microchannels by creating non-uniform channel dimensions along said longitudinal axis.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising applying heat transfer fluids to said top layer or to said bottom layer or to both said top and bottom layers of said microfluidic device.