Fluidic devices with diaphragm valves

• US 8,388,908 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blaga, Iuliu I., Jovanovich, Stevan B., Kobrin, Boris, Van Gelder, Ezra
• Primary Examiner(s): Sines, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US12/789,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/502, 422/503, 422/504, 422/509, 436/43, 436/180
• US Class Current: 422/503
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• 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 2300/0883 Serpentine channels
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0638 membrane valves, flap valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 pinch valves
• 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: 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 7/52 with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples amplification or hybridisation processes per se C12Q1/68; controlling sequential reactions for synthesis B01J19/0046
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0073 Fabrication methods specifically adapted for microvalves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0015 Diaphragm or membrane valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2224 Structure of body of device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87716 For valve having a flexible diaphragm valving member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 : Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

This invention provides fluidic devices, in particular microfluidic devices, with diaphragm valves having low failure rates. Low failure rates are achieved by inhibiting sticking of the diaphragm to functional surfaces such as valve seats, valve chamber and fluidic channels and conduits. One way to implement this is to provide exposed surfaces facing the diaphragm, particularly valve seats, with a low energy material, such as a noble metal, a perfluorinated polymer, a self-assembled monolayer, hard diamond, diamond-like carbon or a metal oxide. In other embodiments, the valves are provided with ridges and the diaphragm is adhered to the fluidic or actuation layer with an adhesive material.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising a fluidics layer, an actuation layer and an elastic layer sandwiched between the fluidics layer and the actuation layer, wherein:

(a) the fluidics layer and the actuation layer comprise sealing surfaces that contact the elastic layer; and

(b) the fluidics layer comprises a plurality of fluid conduits comprising surfaces, and the actuation layer comprises a plurality of actuation conduits comprising surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the surfaces of the fluid conduits and actuation conduits are exposed to the elastic layer

and further comprising a plurality of diaphragm valves that each regulate fluid flow in a fluid conduit, wherein each diaphragm valve comprises;

(i) a valve body comprising a surface of the actuation layer exposed to the elastic layer,

(ii) a valve seat comprising a surface of the fluidic layer exposed to the elastic layer,

(iii) a diaphragm comprised in the elastic layer and configured to sit on or off a surface of the valve seat, and

(iv) valve ports configured to allow fluid to enter and exit the valve,

wherein at least a portion of the valve seat surface is coated with a low surface energy material having a water contact angle of at least 100° and

the elastic layer is not bonded to the valve seat.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the sealing surfaces do not comprise the low energy material.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein at least one fluidic conduit further comprises a chamber comprising an exposed surface that does not comprise a valve seat, wherein at least a part of the exposed surface of the chamber comprises the low surface energy material.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein at least a part of the valve body comprises the low surface energy material.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein all exposed surfaces of the valve comprise the low surface energy material.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein all exposed surfaces of the fluidic conduits and the actuation conduits comprise the low surface energy material.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the exposed surfaces are patterned to have only some of the exposed surfaces comprise the low surface energy material.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material is selected from a self-assembled monolayer, parylene, diamond-like carbon, a metal oxide, a metal and a ceramic.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises a noble metal.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises gold.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises a noble metal coated on a refractory metal.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises gold coated on chromium.

13. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises a perfluorinated polymer.

14. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material comprises poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon®

).

15. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the surfaces comprising the low surface energy material have a water contact angle at least 20°

greater than the contact surfaces.

16. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the fluidics layer or the actuation layer comprise a material selected from glass, silicon, quartz, and plastic.

17. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the elastic layer comprises a material selected from a thermoplastic or a cross-linked plastic.

18. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the elastic layer comprises a material selected from silicones, polyimides, cyclic olefin co-polymers, rubbers, styrenic block co-polymers, urethanes, perfluoro elastomers, Mylar, Viton, polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate, santoprene, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

19. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the elastic layer comprises a silicone.

20. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the elastic layer comprises PDMS.

21. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the elastic layer comprises PDMS treated by degassing and UV ozone ionization.

22. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the sealing surfaces are heat-bonded to the elastic layer.

23. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the sealing surfaces are held by pressure to the elastic layer.

24. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein a monolithic elastic layer covers a plurality of the valve seats.

25. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the actuation layer is a pneumatic layer.

26. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the actuation layer comprises at least one actuation conduit that actuates a plurality of diaphragm valves on different fluidic conduits.

27. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising external ports communicating with the fluidic channels.

28. The microfluidic device of claim 1 comprising fluidic conduits separated by no more than 1 mm.

29. The microfluidic device of claim 1 comprising a fluidics layer with at least 5 fluidic circuits per 1000 mm².

30. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the sealing surfaces are bonded to the elastic layer to seal the fluid conduits at exposed surfaces that contact fluids;

and

wherein at least a portion of the exposed surfaces that contact fluids comprise a low surface energy material having greater hydrophobicity than a sealing surface.

31. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the low surface energy material is a metal oxide selected from titania and alumina.

32. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the fluidics layer or the actuation layer comprise a borosilicate.

33. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the fluidics layer or the actuation layer comprise a plastic selected from a polycarbonate, an olefin co-polymer, a cycloolefin co-polymer, a silicon acrylic, a liquid crystal polymer, polymethylmethoxyacrylate (PMMA), a polystyrene, a polypropylene, and a polythiol.

34. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the fluidics layer comprises glass, and wherein the low surface energy material comprises gold or gold coated on chromium.