Microfluidic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016187240-A1
Application number	US-201514978341-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2004
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

First claim

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method of introducing a fluid into a droplet, comprising:
providing a droplet in a carrier fluid within a microchannel; and contacting the droplet with a fluid stream, thereby introducing a fluid into the droplet.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the droplet and the fluid stream comprise hydrophilic liquids.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the droplet and the fluid stream comprise aqueous solutions.

24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises a hydrophobic liquid.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the droplet and the fluid stream comprise a chemical, biological, or biochemical entity.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the droplet and the fluid stream comprise different chemical, biological, or biochemical entities.

27 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microchannel has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of less than 500 micrometers.

28 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising mixing the fluid introduced into the droplet with the contents of the droplet.

29 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
providing a sensor for sensing a characteristic of the droplet after fluid has been introduced into the droplet, wherein the characteristic is fluorescence, spectroscopic signature, radioactivity, mass, volume, density, temperature, viscosity, pH, or concentration of a substance.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the characteristic indicates the presence of a nucleic acid.

31 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the droplet flows into an intersection comprising the microchannel and a second fluid microchannel and the fluid stream is introduced into the droplet from the second fluid microchannel.

Assignees

• Univ Chicago

Inventors

• Ismagilov Rustem F
• Zheng Bo
• Gerdts Cory John

Classifications

• B01L3/0293

  for liquids · CPC title

• B01J2219/00599

  Solution-phase processes · CPC title

• B01L2200/0673

  Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid · CPC title

• B01J2219/00585

  Parallel processes · CPC title

• G05D7/0694 Primary

  by action on throttling means or flow sources of very small size, e.g. microfluidics (microvalves F16K99/0001; microstructural devices per se B81B) · CPC title