Microfluidic device and methods of using same
First Claim
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1. A microfluidic device comprising:
- a first fluidic channel having a first end and a second end in fluid communication with each other through said channel;
a plurality of blind flow channels, each blind flow channel terminating at a terminal wall;
wherein each blind flow channel branches from and is in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel,wherein an aqueous fluid that enters one of said blind flow channels from said first fluidic channel can flow out of the blind flow channel only through said first fluidic channel; and
,an inlet in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel, said inlet for introducing a sample fluid;
wherein each blind flow channel is associated with a valve that when closed isolates one end of the blind flow channel from the first fluidic channel, whereby an isolated reaction site is formed between the valve and the terminal wall;
a control channel;
wherein each said valve is a deflectable membrane which is deflected into the blind flow channel associated with the valve when an actuating force is applied to the control channel, thereby closing the valve; and
wherein when the actuating force is applied to the control channel the valve in each of said blind flow channels is closed, so as to produce the isolated reaction site in each blind flow channel.
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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 analyses. 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 analyses requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyses.
360 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A microfluidic device comprising:
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a first fluidic channel having a first end and a second end in fluid communication with each other through said channel; a plurality of blind flow channels, each blind flow channel terminating at a terminal wall; wherein each blind flow channel branches from and is in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel, wherein an aqueous fluid that enters one of said blind flow channels from said first fluidic channel can flow out of the blind flow channel only through said first fluidic channel; and
,an inlet in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel, said inlet for introducing a sample fluid; wherein each blind flow channel is associated with a valve that when closed isolates one end of the blind flow channel from the first fluidic channel, whereby an isolated reaction site is formed between the valve and the terminal wall; a control channel; wherein each said valve is a deflectable membrane which is deflected into the blind flow channel associated with the valve when an actuating force is applied to the control channel, thereby closing the valve; and wherein when the actuating force is applied to the control channel the valve in each of said blind flow channels is closed, so as to produce the isolated reaction site in each blind flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of analyzing a nucleic acid in a sample fluid for a reaction comprising the steps of:
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(i) providing a microfluidic device, said microfluidic device comprising; a first fluidic channel having a first end and a second end in fluid communication with each other through said channel; a plurality of blind flow channels, each blind flow channel terminating at a terminal wall; wherein each blind flow channel branches from and is in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel, wherein an aqueous fluid that enters one of said blind flow channels from said first fluidic channel can flow out of the blind flow channel only through said first fluidic channel; and
,an inlet in fluid communication with said first fluidic channel, said inlet for introducing a sample fluid; wherein each blind flow channel is associated with a valve that when closed isolates one end of the blind flow channel from the first fluidic channel, whereby an isolated reaction site is formed between the valve and the terminal wall; a control channel; wherein each said valve is a deflectable membrane which is deflected into the blind flow channel associated with the valve when an actuating force is applied to the control channel, thereby closing the valve; and wherein when the actuating force is applied to the control channel a valve in each of said blind flow channels is closed, so as to produce the isolated reaction site in each blind flow channel; (ii) introducing said sample fluid into said inlet, said sample fluid filling said blind flow channels; (iii) actuating said valve to separate said sample fluid into said separate portions within said blind flow channels; (iv) amplifying the nucleic acid in said sample fluid; (v) analyzing said portions of said sample fluid to determine whether said amplifying produced said reaction. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification