REMOVING SACRIFICIAL LAYER TO FORM LIQUID CONTAINMENT STRUCTURE AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

• US 20140255270A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Michael R., Satsanarukkit, Penvipha
• Application Number:
  US14/194,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20140255270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/502
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0678 Facilitating or initiating evaporation
• 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 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/1861 using radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0424 Dielectrophoretic forces
• 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 7/525 with physical movement of samples between temperature zones
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6825 Nucleic acid detection involving sensors
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2563/116 electrical properties of nucleic acids, e.g. impedance, conductivity or resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/629 being a microfluidic device
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/06 of plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2210/02 with particular branching, e.g. fractal conduit arrangements

Abstract

A method of forming a liquid handling device includes forming a device precursor having a containment structure with a surface that surrounds a containment gap that is occupied by a solid sacrificial layer. The method also includes removing the solid sacrificial layer from the containment gap. In some instances, removing the solid sacrificial layer includes thermally decomposing the solid sacrificial layer.

Claims

1. A method of generating a liquid handling device, comprising:

forming a device precursor having a containment structure that defines a containment gap that is occupied by a solid sacrificial layer; and

removing the solid sacrificial layer from the containment gap,

a longitudinal axis of the containment gap being in the containment gap and being parallel to a direction that a liquid flows through the containment gap during operation of the device,

the containment structure surrounding the longitudinal axis of the containment gap.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the solid sacrificial layer includes decomposing the solid sacrificial layer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein decomposing the sacrificial layer includes performing a thermal decomposition of the sacrificial layer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the thermal decomposition is performed at a temperature less than 250°

C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the device precursor includes forming a containment layer on the solid sacrificial layer such that the containment structure includes at least a portion of the containment layer and a surface of the containment layer defines at least a portion of the containment gap.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the surface of the containment layer defines the entire containment gap.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein forming the device precursor includes forming a second containment layer on a substrate such that the containment structure includes at least a portion of the second containment layer and a surface of the second containment layer defines at least a portion of the containment gap,

the second containment layer being formed before forming the containment layer, and

the containment layer being formed over at least a portion of the second containment layer such that second containment layer is between the base and the containment layer.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the containment layer and the second containment layer are the same material.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the containment layer includes a containment polymer.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the containment polymer is parylene.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the parylene is represented by;

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the sacrificial layer includes a sacrificial polymer.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the sacrificial polymer is a poly(alkylene carbonate).

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the sacrificial polymer is polypropylene carbonate.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial polymer is polypropylene carbonate.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the containment gap has at least one dimension less than 500 μ

m where the dimension is selected from a group consisting of width, height, or diameter.

17. A liquid handling device, comprising:

a containment structure having a surface that defines a containment gap,

a longitudinal axis of the containment gap being in the containment gap and being parallel to a direction that the liquid flows through the containment gap during operation of the device,

the containment gap surrounding the longitudinal axis; and

at least a portion of the containment structure that defines the containment gap including a polymer represented by;

18. A method of generating a liquid handling device, comprising:

forming a device precursor having a containment structure that defines a containment gap that is occupied by a solid sacrificial layer; and

removing the solid sacrificial layer from the containment gap,

the containment gap structured so a first plane can be located such that an intersection of the first plane and the containment structure surrounds the containment gap, and

the containment gap structured so a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane can be located such that an intersection of the second plane and the containment structure surrounds the containment gap.

19. A liquid handling device, comprising:

a containment structure having a surface that defines a containment gap,

the containment gap structured so a first plane can be located such that an intersection of the first plane and the containment structure surrounds the containment gap, and

the containment gap structured so a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane can be located such that an intersection of the second plane and the containment structure surrounds the containment gap; and

at least a portion of the containment structure that defines the containment gap including a polymer represented by;

20. A liquid flow structure, comprising:

a fluid conduit configured to transport a liquid; and

a core including multiple heaters, the fluid conduit passing around the core multiple times so as to form multiple coils, each coil passing once around the core,

at least a portion of the coils each being arranged such that a fluid flowing through the coil is exposed to thermal energy from two or more of the heaters.