Microfluidic particle-analysis systems
First Claim
1. A microfluidic device for exposing cells to a plurality of compounds comprising:
- (a) a cell inlet;
(b) a plurality of cell chambers in fluidic communication with said cell inlet and at least one of the other cell chambers;
(c) a plurality of chamber isolation valves, said isolation valves, when actuated, fluidically isolating said chambers from each other;
(d) a plurality of compound inlets and compound outlets, wherein each chamber is in fluidic communication with a compound inlet and a compound outlet, wherein each chamber includes a channel sized for retaining a single cell within said chamber;
(e) a shared waste receptacle, said shared waste receptacle being configured to receive waste from said compound outlets;
(f) a shared reagent reservoir, said shared reagent reservoir being configured to provide reagent to said chambers;
(g) a plurality of compound outlet valves, said compound outlet valves configured to fluidically isolate said chambers from said shared waste receptacle and said shared reagent reservoir when closed;
(h) a plurality of analysis sites, wherein each cell chamber has a corresponding analysis site, wherein each chamber is in fluidic communication with a respective analysis site via its channel;
wherein the plurality of cell chambers includes a first cell chamber and a second cell chamber downstream from the first cell chamber,wherein the first cell chamber is configured to hold a first cell using a retaining force fluidically applied via its channel and thereby allow a second cell following the first cell to be diverted downstream along a shared cell input channel to the second cell chamber.
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Abstract
The invention provides systems, including apparatus, methods, and kits, for the microfluidic manipulation and/or detection of particles, such as cells and/or beads. The invention provides systems, including apparatus, methods, and kits, for the microfluidic manipulation and/or analysis of particles, such as cells, viruses, organelles, beads, and/or vesicles. The invention also provides microfluidic mechanisms for carrying out these manipulations and analysis. These mechanisms may enable controlled input, movement/positioning, retention/localization, treatment, measurement, release, and/or output of particles. Furthermore, these mechanisms may be combined in any suitable order and/or employed for any suitable number of times within a system. Accordingly, these combinations may allow particles to be sorted, cultured, mixed, treated, and/or assayed, among others, as single particles, mixed groups of particles, arrays of particles, heterogeneous particle sets, and/or homogeneous particle sets, among others, in series and/or in parallel. In addition, these combinations may enable microfluidic systems to be reused. Furthermore, these combinations may allow the response of particles to treatment to be measured on a shorter time scale than was previously possible. Therefore, systems of the invention may allow a broad range of cell and particle assays, such as drug screens, cell characterizations, research studies, and/or clinical analysis, among others, to be scaled down to microfluidic size. Such scaled-down assays may use less sample and reagent, may be less labor intensive, and/or may be more informative than comparable macrofluidic assays.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A microfluidic device for exposing cells to a plurality of compounds comprising:
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(a) a cell inlet; (b) a plurality of cell chambers in fluidic communication with said cell inlet and at least one of the other cell chambers; (c) a plurality of chamber isolation valves, said isolation valves, when actuated, fluidically isolating said chambers from each other; (d) a plurality of compound inlets and compound outlets, wherein each chamber is in fluidic communication with a compound inlet and a compound outlet, wherein each chamber includes a channel sized for retaining a single cell within said chamber; (e) a shared waste receptacle, said shared waste receptacle being configured to receive waste from said compound outlets; (f) a shared reagent reservoir, said shared reagent reservoir being configured to provide reagent to said chambers; (g) a plurality of compound outlet valves, said compound outlet valves configured to fluidically isolate said chambers from said shared waste receptacle and said shared reagent reservoir when closed; (h) a plurality of analysis sites, wherein each cell chamber has a corresponding analysis site, wherein each chamber is in fluidic communication with a respective analysis site via its channel; wherein the plurality of cell chambers includes a first cell chamber and a second cell chamber downstream from the first cell chamber, wherein the first cell chamber is configured to hold a first cell using a retaining force fluidically applied via its channel and thereby allow a second cell following the first cell to be diverted downstream along a shared cell input channel to the second cell chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification