Microfabricated crossflow devices and methods
First Claim
1. A method of making droplets in a microfluidic device, comprising flowing an extrusion fluid through a first input channel at a first pressure while flowing a sample fluid through a second input channel at a second pressure,wherein the sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid, wherein the first input channel and the second input channel are in fluidic communication at a junction, wherein the junction is constructed and arranged so that sample fluid droplets are sheared into an output channel,wherein the first and second input channels and the output channel have diameters between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns.
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Abstract
A microfluidic device for analyzing and/or sorting biological materials (e.g., molecules such as polynucleotides and polypeptides, including proteins and enzymes; viruses and cells) and methods for its use are provided. The device and methods of the invention are useful for sorting particles, e.g. virions. The invention is also useful for high throughput screening, e.g. combinatorial screening. The microfluidic device comprises a main channel and an inlet region in communication with the main channel at a droplet extrusion region. Droplets of solution containing the biological material are deposited into the main channel through the droplet extrusion region. A fluid different from and incompatible with the solution containing the biological material flows through the main channel so that the droplets containing the biological material do not diffuse or mix. Biological material within the droplets can be analyzed and/or sorted by detecting a predetermined characteristic of the biological sample in each droplet and sorting the droplet accordingly.
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17 Claims
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1. A method of making droplets in a microfluidic device, comprising flowing an extrusion fluid through a first input channel at a first pressure while flowing a sample fluid through a second input channel at a second pressure,
wherein the sample fluid is immiscible with the extrusion fluid, wherein the first input channel and the second input channel are in fluidic communication at a junction, wherein the junction is constructed and arranged so that sample fluid droplets are sheared into an output channel, wherein the first and second input channels and the output channel have diameters between about 2 and 100 microns or cross-sectional dimensions in the range of 1 to 100 microns.
Specification