Microfluidic surface-mediated emulsion stability control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10688494-B2
Application number	US-201716325922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A microfluidic emulsion droplet generation system and methods of use thereof are provided. The system may include a microfluidic substrate having a flow path configured and arranged for emulsion droplet generation, at least one textured surface in the flow path configured and arranged for inducing surface-mediated coalescence of emulsion droplets; and at least one channel junction in the flow path for emulsion droplet formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic emulsion droplet generation system comprising:
a) a microfluidic substrate having a flow path configured and arranged for emulsion droplet generation;
b) at least one channel junction in the flow path for emulsion droplet formation; and
c) a reservoir in the flow path downstream of the channel junction comprising at least one textured surface configured and arranged for inducing surface-mediated coalescence of a plurality of emulsion droplets.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is an outlet well.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one textured surface is a microtexture or a nanotexture.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one textured surface is produced in the substrate by injection molding, photolithography, embossing or any combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one textured surface is textured by nanopillars, nano-cones, nanofibers, nanotubes, microgrooves, striations, tool marks, coatings or any combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one textured surface is configured in an array.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one textured surface provides for spontaneous wetting, superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, interfacial slip or any combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 200 microns.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 100 microns.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 50 microns.

11. A method of emulsion droplet formation using the droplet generation system of claim 1 comprising:
a) providing a dispersed phase and a continuous phase to the system; and
b) forming emulsion droplets comprising the dispersed phase and continuous phase in the system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein droplet formation is performed without a surfactant in the dispersed phase or continuous phase.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dispersed phase is aqueous and the continuous phase comprises oil.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reservoir is an outlet well.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one textured surface is a microtexture or a nanotexture.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one textured surface is produced in the substrate by injection molding, photolithography, embossing or any combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one textured surface is textured by nanopillars, nano-cones, nanofibers, nanotubes, microgrooves, striations, tool marks, coatings or any combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one textured surface is configured in an array.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one textured surface provides for spontaneous wetting, superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, interfacial slip or any combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 200 microns.

21. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 100 microns.

22. The method of claim 11 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 50 microns.

23. The method of claim 11 , wherein the emulsion droplets comprise polynucleotides, barcodes, beads or combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the polynucleotides and barcodes are attached to the beads.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the bead comprises a covalent bond that is cleavable upon application of a stimulus.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the covalent bond is a disulfide bond.

27. A method of emulsion droplet surface-mediated coalescence using the system of claim 1 comprising:
a) providing a dispersed phase and a continuous phase to the system for emulsion droplet formation;
b) forming emulsion droplets in the system;
c) directing the emulsion droplets to the textured surface; and
d) coalescing the emulsion droplets.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein surface-mediated coalescence is achieved without a chemical agent coalescence stimulus.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the emulsion droplets are coalesced after a reaction is performed in the emulsion droplets.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the reaction is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

31. The method of claim 27 , wherein the reservoir is an outlet well.

32. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one textured surface is a microtexture or a nanotexture.

33. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one textured surface is produced in the substrate by injection molding, photolithography, embossing or any combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one textured surface is textured by nanopillars, nano-cones, nanofibers, nanotubes, microgrooves, striations, tool marks, coatings or any combinations thereof.

35. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one textured surface is configured in an array.

36. The method of claim 27 , wherein the at least one textured surface provides for spontaneous wetting, superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, interfacial slip or any combinations thereof.

37. The method of claim 27 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 200 microns.

38. The method of claim 27 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 100 microns.

39. The method of claim 27 , wherein one or more cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path are less than 50 microns.

40. The method of claim 27 , wherein the emulsion droplets comprise polynucleotides, barcodes, beads or combinations thereof.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the polynucleotides and barcodes are attached to the beads.

42. The method of claim 40 , wherein the bead comprises a covalent bond that is cleavable upon application of a stimulus.

43. The method of claim 42 , wherein the covalent bond is a disulfide bond.

Assignees

• 10X Genomics Inc

Inventors

• Bharadwaj Rajiv
• Wheeler Tobias Daniel
• Ness Kevin
• Hindson Benjamin

Classifications

• C12Q1/6844 Primary

  Nucleic acid amplification reactions · CPC title

• B01F2101/33

  Mixing compost ingredients or organic waste · CPC title

• B01F33/30352

  using roughness of the surfaces · CPC title

• B01F2101/23

  Mixing of laboratory samples e.g. in preparation of analysing or testing properties of materials · CPC title

• B01F23/4105

  Methods of emulsifying · CPC title