Retaining microfluidic microcavity and other microfluidic structures

• US 8,268,262 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gyros Patent AB (Mesa Laboratories Inc.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Per, Thorsen, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/010,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20050153433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,836 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/506, 422/507, 422/224, 366/341, 366/DIG.3, 366/336, 366/340
• US Class Current: 422/506
• 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 25/4338 Mixers with a succession of converging-diverging cross-sections, i.e. undulating cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7172 using capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71725 using centrifugal forces
• 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 2219/00536 in the shape of disks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00738 Organic catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/06 Fluid handling related problems
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• 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 2200/142 Preventing evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0803 Disc shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0806 Standardised forms, e.g. compact disc [CD] format
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0861 Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/087 : Multiple sequential chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/14 : Means for pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/16 : Surface properties and coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0409 : centrifugal forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0418 : electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0633 : with moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 : surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5025 : for parallel transport of multiple samples
• 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 3/502738 : characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 : Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00504 : combined with carousels
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/466 : with separation columns in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 : Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/04 : Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or ion-optical components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/04 : Micromixers: with application of energy to influence mixing/agitation, e.g. magnetic, electrical, e-m radiation, particulate radiation, or ultrasound

Abstract

A microfluidic device that comprises several microchannel structures in which there are an inlet port, an outlet port and there between a structural unit comprising a fluidic function. The structural unit can be selected amongst units enabling a) retaining of nl-aliquots comprising constituents which has been defined by mixing of aliquots within the microfluidic device (unit A), b) mixing of aliquots of liquids (unit B), c) partition of larger aliquots of liquids into smaller aliquots of liquids and distributing the latter individually and in parallel to different microchannel structure of the same microfluidic device (unit C), d) quick penetration into a microchannel structure of an aliquot of a liquid dispensed to an inlet port of a microchannel structure (unit D), and e) volume definition integrated within a microchannel structure (unit E).

Claims

1. A microfluidic device having a microchannel structure in which there are two or more inlet ports, one or more outlet ports, and a structural unit in communication with at least one of said ports, wherein the structural unit comprises:

a microcavity with an outlet opening;

an inlet arrangement linked to the microcavity, wherein said microcavity has a volume sufficient to contain simultaneously the aliquots to be mixed;

a mixing microconduit connected to the outlet opening, wherein the mixing microconduit is configured to enable mixing of the aliquots of liquid that are miscible with each other and comprises one of the following shapes;

a) repeatedly curving in alternate directions and having substantially constant width, wherein the inlet arrangement is further defined as having at least two inlet ports;

or

b) at least one cavity in which the cross-sectional area increases from an inlet, reaches a maximum and then decreases towards the outlet, and

a valve associated with the mixing microconduit close to its joint to the microcavity, wherein the valve is a surface hydrophobic break,

wherein the inner surfaces of the mixing microconduit have a wettability permitting capillary force to draw liquid into the unit once the liquid has passed the entrance of the unit.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the outlet opening is in the lower part of the microcavity.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the inlet arrangement is connected to the upper or lower part of the microcavity.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the inlet arrangement comprises a common inlet microconduit for several of the aliquots and/or separate inlet microconduits for individual liquid aliquots.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 4, wherein at least one inlet microconduit comprises a submicrocavity that is part of a volume-defining unit.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 5 further comprising a valve between the submicrocavity in each inlet microconduit and the microcavity.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 6, wherein the valve is an inner valve.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 6, wherein the valve is a capillary valve.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 6, wherein the valve is a capillary valve comprising a hydrophobic surface break.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 6, wherein the device comprises two or more of the microchannel structure and the submicrocavity in one inlet microconduit is part of a distribution channel that is common for several of the microchannel structures of said two or more microchannel structures.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic device is in the form of a disc and comprises two or more of the microchannel structure.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the microchannel structure is oriented from an inner position to an outer position relative to a spin axis enabling centrifugal force created by spinning the device about the spin axis to drive liquid placed in the microchannel structure through at least a part of the microchannel structure.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the submicrocavity has a volume≦

5,000 nl.

14. The microfluidic device of claim 5, wherein the submicrocavity has a volume≦

100 μ

l.

15. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mixing microconduit comprises a chain of interlinked microcavities.

16. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mixing microconduit repeatedly curves in alternate directions and has substantially constant width.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the mixing microconduit comprises at least one cavity in which the cross-sectional area increases from the inlet, reaches a maximum and then decreases towards the outlet, with a steeper increase from the middle to the outlet than from the inlet to the middle.

18. A microfluidic device having a microchannel structure in which there are two or more inlet ports, one or more outlet ports, and a structural unit in communication with at least one of said ports, wherein the structural unit comprises:

a microcavity with an outlet opening;

an inlet arrangement linked to the microcavity, wherein said microcavity has a volume sufficient to contain simultaneously the aliquots to be mixed and wherein said microcavity is configured to precollect the aliquots to be mixed in a mixing microconduit;

a mixing microconduit connected to the outlet opening, wherein the mixing microconduit is configured to enable mixing of the aliquots of liquid that are miscible with each other and comprises one of the following shapes;

a) repeatedly curving in alternate directions and having substantially constant width, wherein the inlet arrangement is further defined as having at least two inlet ports;

or

b) at least one cavity in which the cross-sectional area increases from an inlet, reaches a maximum and then decreases towards the outlet, and

a valve associated with the mixing microconduit close to its joint to the microcavity, wherein the valve is a surface hydrophobic break,

wherein the inner surfaces of the mixing microconduit have a wettability permitting capillary force to draw liquid into the unit once the liquid has passed the entrance of the unit.

19. A microfluidic device having a microchannel structure in which there are at least two inlet ports, one or more outlet ports, and a structural unit in communication with at least one of said ports, wherein the structural unit comprises:

a microcavity with an outlet opening;

an inlet arrangement linked to the microcavity, wherein said microcavity has a volume sufficient to contain simultaneously the aliquots to be mixed;

a mixing microconduit connected to the outlet opening, wherein the mixing microconduit is configured to enable mixing of the aliquots of liquid that are miscible with each other and comprises one of the following shapes;

a) repeatedly curving in alternate directions and having substantially constant width;

or

b) at least one cavity in which the cross-sectional area increases from an inlet, reaches a maximum and then decreases towards the outlet, and

a valve associated with the mixing microconduit close to its joint to the microcavity, wherein the valve is a surface hydrophobic break,

wherein the inner surfaces of the mixing microconduit have a wettability permitting capillary force to draw liquid into the unit once the liquid has passed the entrance of the unit.

20. A microfluidic device having a microchannel structure in which there are two or more inlet ports, one or more outlet ports, and a structural unit in communication with at least one of said ports, wherein the structural unit comprises:

a microcavity with an outlet opening;

an inlet arrangement linked to the microcavity, wherein said microcavity has a volume sufficient to contain simultaneously the aliquots to be mixed;

a mixing microconduit connected to the outlet opening, wherein the mixing microconduit is configured to enable mixing of the aliquots of liquid that are miscible with each other and comprises one of the following shapes;

a) repeatedly curving in alternate directions and having substantially constant width, wherein the inlet arrangement is further defined as having at least two inlet ports;

or

b) at least one cavity in which the cross-sectional area increases from an inlet, reaches a maximum and then decreases towards the outlet, and

a valve associated with the mixing microconduit close to its joint to the microcavity, wherein the valve is a surface hydrophobic break,

wherein the inlet arrangement comprises a common inlet microconduit for several of the aliquots and/or separate inlet microconduits for individual liquid aliquots,

wherein at least one inlet microconduit comprises a submicrocavity that is part of a volume-defining unit,

further comprising a valve between the submicrocavity in each inlet microconduit and the microcavity.

21. The microfluidic device of claim 20, wherein the valve is an inner valve.

22. The microfluidic device of claim 21, wherein the valve is a capillary valve.

23. The microfluidic device of claim 21, wherein the valve is a capillary valve comprising a hydrophobic surface break.