Structures for automated, multi-stage processing of nanofluidic chips

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12194465-B2
Application number	US-202218062082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2022
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

Techniques regarding one or more structures that can facilitate automated, multi-stage processing of one or more nanofluidic chips are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a system, which can comprise a roller positioned adjacent to a microfluidic card comprising a plurality of fluid reservoirs in fluid communication with a plurality of nanofluidic chips. An arrangement of the plurality of nanofluidic chips on the microfluidic card can defines a processing sequence driven by a translocation of the roller across the microfluidic card.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
pressurizing, by translocating a roller across an elastic membrane covering and scaling a microfluidic card, a fluid reservoir comprised within the microfluidic card to supply a sample fluid to a first nanofluidic chip; and
transferring, by the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card, an output of the first nanofluidic chip to a second nanofluidic chip comprised within the microfluidic card, wherein the first nanofluidic chip and the second nanofluidic chip on the microfluidic card are structurally arranged in a sequence of a plurality of nanofluidic chips along a length of the microfluidic card, wherein the sequence is an ordered series of stages, wherein the sequence of the first nanofluidic chip and the second nanofluidic chip facilitates processing of the fluid in a sequence, wherein the microfluidic card comprises a substrate having two or more pockets formed as a cavity within a top surface of the substrate and that seats the first nanofluidic card and the second nanofluidic card, wherein the two or more pockets are side by side with one another, and wherein the clastic membrane is disposed over the first nanofluidic chip, the second nanofluidic card and the top surface of the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the translocating the roller is performed along a conveyance path to facilitate the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the translocating the roller comprises translocating the roller along a conveyance path to facilitate the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
pressurizing, by the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card, a second fluid reservoir.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second fluid reservoir is comprised within the microfluidic card to supply the output of the first nanofluidic chip to the second nanofluidic chip.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressurizing is performed in the ordered series of stages based on the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the transferring is performed in the ordered series of stages based on the translocating the roller across the microfluidic card.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first nanofluidic chip and the second nanofluidic chip each comprise a plurality of supplemental input fluid reservoirs, and further comprising:
causing to output, by the translocating roller across the microfluidic card, the sample fluid from one or more output reservoirs via a port on a backside of the microfluidic card formed by a hole penetrating through a substrate of the microfluidic card, wherein the backside of the microfluidic chip is a side of opposite the roller.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Wunsch Benjamin
• Smith Joshua T
• Gifford Stacey
• Kim Sung-Cheol

Classifications

• B01L2300/0877

  Flow chambers · CPC title

• B01L2400/0475

  specific mechanical means and fluid pressure · CPC title

• B01L2300/14

  Means for pressure control · CPC title

• B01L2300/123

  Flexible; Elastomeric · CPC title

• B01L2300/0896

  Nanoscaled · CPC title