Microfluidic device with reaction sites configured for blind filling
First Claim
1. A microfluidic device formed in an elastomeric material, comprising:
- (a) an inlet that receives a liquid sample into the device;
(b) an input flow channel or an interconnected network of such channels connected to the inlet;
(c) a plurality of blind flow channels each having only a single connection through which to introduce a fluid and otherwise surrounded by the elastomeric material, the single connection being a connection from the input flow channel or network; and
(d) a valve associated with each of a plurality of the blind flow channels in such a manner that when the valve closes, a portion of the blind flow channel is fluidically isolated from the input flow channel, thereby forming an isolated reaction site;
wherein the blind flow channels are formed in an elastomeric material that is sufficiently porous such that when a liquid sample is introduced through the inlet into the input flow channel or network, it flows into the blind flow channels while air passes out through the elastomeric material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variety of elastomeric-based microfluidic devices and methods for using and manufacturing such devices are provided. Certain of the devices have arrays of reaction sites to facilitate high throughput analyzes. Some devices also include reaction sites located at the end of blind channels at which reagents have been previously deposited during manufacture. The reagents become suspended once sample is introduced into the reaction site. The devices can be utilized with a variety of heating devices and thus can be used in a variety of analyzes requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyzes.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A microfluidic device formed in an elastomeric material, comprising:
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(a) an inlet that receives a liquid sample into the device; (b) an input flow channel or an interconnected network of such channels connected to the inlet; (c) a plurality of blind flow channels each having only a single connection through which to introduce a fluid and otherwise surrounded by the elastomeric material, the single connection being a connection from the input flow channel or network; and (d) a valve associated with each of a plurality of the blind flow channels in such a manner that when the valve closes, a portion of the blind flow channel is fluidically isolated from the input flow channel, thereby forming an isolated reaction site; wherein the blind flow channels are formed in an elastomeric material that is sufficiently porous such that when a liquid sample is introduced through the inlet into the input flow channel or network, it flows into the blind flow channels while air passes out through the elastomeric material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32)
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4. A microfluidic device comprising:
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(a) an input flow channel or an interconnected network of such channels that receives a liquid sample into the device; (b) a plurality of blind flow channels each having only a single connection through which to introduce a fluid, the single connection being a connection from the input flow channel or network; wherein the blind flow channels have at least one wall made from a material that is sufficiently porous such that when a liquid sample is introduced into the input flow channel or network, it flows into the blind flow channels while air passes out through the permeable material; and (c) a valve controlling flow through each of a plurality of the blind flow channels, wherein each valve is situated so that when the valve closes, a portion of the respective blind flow channel is fluidically isolated from the input flow channel, thereby forming an isolated reaction site; wherein a plurality of the valves is coordinately controlled with a control line or an interconnected network of control lines that can be actuated by way of a single port or inlet to close all the valves at the same time when sufficient pressure is applied. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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24. A microfluidic device comprising:
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(a) an input flow channel or an interconnected network of such channels that receives a liquid sample into the device; (b) a plurality of blind flow channels each having only a single connection through which to introduce a fluid, the single connection being a connection from the input flow channel or network; wherein the blind flow channels are formed in a material that is permeable to air but not liquid, such that when a liquid sample is introduced into the input flow channel or network, it flows into the blind flow channels while air passes out through the permeable material; and (c) different reagent compositions deposited on one side of each of a plurality of the blind flow channels, the reagent compositions each containing a component that will react with an analyte if the analyte is present in a sample introduced into the respective blind flow channel, wherein the compositions are incorporated during manufacture of the device by depositing them onto an elastomeric layer, and then surrounding each deposit with additional elastomeric layers to form one of the blind flow channels. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification