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System for generating droplets with push-back to remove oil

DC
  • US 9,649,635 B2
  • Filed: 11/14/2016
  • Issued: 05/16/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system to form and concentrate an emulsion, comprising:

  • a device including a sample well configured to receive sample-containing fluid, a continuous-phase well configured to receive continuous-phase fluid, and a droplet well, the device also including a channel network having a first channel, a second channel, and third channel that meet one another in a droplet-generation region; and

    an instrument configured to operatively receive the device and to create(a) a first pressure differential to drive sample-containing fluid from the sample well to the droplet-generation region via the first channel, continuous-phase fluid from the continuous-phase well to the droplet-generation region via the second channel, and sample-containing droplets from the droplet-generation region to the droplet well via the third channel, such that the droplet well collects an emulsion including sample-containing droplets disposed in continuous-phase fluid, and(b) a second pressure differential to decrease a volume fraction of continuous-phase fluid in the emulsion, after the emulsion has been collected in the droplet well, by selectively driving continuous-phase fluid, relative to sample-containing droplets, from the droplet well via the third channel.

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