Instantaneous in-line heating of samples on a monolithic microwave integrated circuit microfluidic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123380-B2
Application number	US-43372109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2009
Priority date	Aug 8, 2008
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A micro-electro-mechanical system for heating a sample including a substrate, a micro-channel flow channel in the substrate, a carrier fluid within the micro-channel flow channel for moving the sample in the micro-channel flow channel, and a microwave source that directs microwaves onto the sample in the micro-channel flow channel for heating the sample. The carrier fluid and the substrate are made of materials that are not appreciably heated by the microwaves. The microwave source includes conductive traces or strips and a microwave power source connected to the conductive traces or strips.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A micro-electro-mechanical system apparatus for heating a sample, comprising:
a silicon substrate having a planar surface,
a single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate extending from said planar surface into said silicon substrate,
a micro-droplet containing the sample wherein said micro-droplet is within said single straight micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate,
an oil carrier fluid within said single straight micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate for moving said micro-droplet containing the sample in said single straight micro-channel flow channel wherein the sample and said oil carrier fluid produce microreactors in said single straight micro-channel flow channel with the sample surrounded by said oil carrier fluid in said micro-reactors,
a glass cover over said single straight micro-channel flow channel,
a first conductive co-planar strip on said solid silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate wherein said first conductive co-planar strip is a conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip,
a second conductive co-planar strip on said solid silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate wherein said second conductive co-planar strip is a conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip, and
a microwave power source and control connected to said first conductive co-planar strip and said second co-planar conductive strip which provides
a microwave source that directs 18 to 26 GHz microwaves of electromagnetic radiation onto said silicon substrate and onto the sample and onto said oil carrier fluid in said single straight micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate for heating the sample.

2. A micro-electro-mechanical apparatus for heating a sample, comprising:
a silicon substrate having a planar surface,
a single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate extending from said planar surface into said one piece solid silicon substrate,
a micro-droplet containing the sample wherein said micro-droplet is within said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate,
a droplet maker that produces said micro-droplet containing the sample wherein said droplet maker introduces said micro-droplet containing the sample into said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel,
an oil carrier fluid within said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate for moving said micro-droplet containing the sample in said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel,
a glass cover over said micro-channel flow channel,
a first conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip on said solid silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate,
a second conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip positioned on said silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate, and
a microwave power source and control connected to said first conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip and connected to said second conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip, said microwave power source and control producing 18 to 26 GHz microwaves that are directed onto said one piece solid silicon substrate and to the sample in said oil carrier fluid within said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate for heating the sample.

3. A micro-electro-mechanical apparatus for heating a sample, comprising:
a silicon substrate having a planar surface,
a single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate extending from said planar surface into said silicon substrate wherein said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel is 60 μm wide and 300 μm deep,
a micro-droplet containing the sample wherein said micro-droplet is within said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate;
a droplet maker that produces said micro-droplet containing the sample wherein said droplet maker introduces said micro-droplet containing the sample into said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel;
a carrier fluid within said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate for moving said micro-droplet containing the sample in said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel;
a glass cover over said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel,
a first conductive co-planar strip on said silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate wherein said first conductive co-planar strip is a conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip,
a second conductive co-planar strip on said solid silicon substrate proximate and parallel to said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicon substrate wherein said second conductive co-planar strip is a conductive Indium Tin Oxide strip, and
a microwave power source and control connected to said first conductive co-planar strip and said second co-planar conductive strip which provides
a microwave source that directs microwaves of electromagnetic radiation onto said micro-droplet containing the sample, the sample, said silicone substrate, and said carrier fluid in said single straight linear co-planar micro-channel flow channel in said silicone substrate for heating the sample,
wherein said microwave source and control is a microwave source and control that produces said microwaves.

Assignees

• Beer Neil Reginald
• Fasenfest Benjamin
• Chang John
• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Beer Neil Reginald
• Fasenfest Benjamin
• Chang John

Classifications

• H05B6/806 Primary

  for laboratory use · CPC title