Apparatus and methods for multi-step channel emulsification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020263237-A1
Application number	US-202016858913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2020
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 20, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and devices for forming droplets are provided. In certain embodiments, the methods and devices form droplets having different diameters.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A device for forming droplets, the device comprising:
a fluid supply channel; a collection chamber; and one or more nozzles disposed between the fluid supply channel and the collection chamber, wherein:
each nozzle of the one or more nozzles comprises:
an inlet portion;
a first step; and
a second step;

the inlet portion has a channel height;
the first step has a first step height and a first tread length;
the first step height is greater than the channel height;
the second step has a second step height and a second tread length; and
the second step height is greater than the first step height.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first tread length is greater than the second tread length.

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein:
the fluid supply channel is a first supply channel;
the collection chamber is a first collection chamber;
the one or more nozzles is a first one or more nozzles;
the device comprises a second fluid supply channel;
the device comprises a second collection chamber; and
the device comprises a second one or more nozzles disposed between the second fluid supply channel and the second collection chamber.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein:
the first collection chamber has a first collection chamber height;
the second collection chamber has a second collection chamber height; and
the first collection chamber height is different than the second collection chamber height.

5 . The device of claim 3 wherein:
each nozzle of the second one or more nozzles comprises:
a second nozzle inlet portion;
a second nozzle first step; and
a second nozzle second step;
the second nozzle inlet portion has a second nozzle channel height;
the second nozzle first step has a second nozzle first step height and a second nozzle first tread length;
the second nozzle first step height is greater than the second nozzle channel height;
the second nozzle second step has a second nozzle second step height and a second nozzle second tread length; and
the second nozzle second step height is greater than the second nozzle first step height.

6 . The device of claim 5 wherein the second nozzle first tread length is greater than the second nozzle second tread length.

7 . The device of claim 5 wherein:
the first one or more nozzles comprise a first geometry configured to form droplets having a first diameter; and
the second one or more nozzles comprise a second geometry configured to form droplets having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

8 . The device of claim 7 wherein:
the first diameter is between 10 μm and 50 μm; and
the second diameter is between 80 μm and 300 μm.

9 . The device of claim 5 where the second nozzle first step height is at least fifty percent greater than the first nozzle first step height.

10 . The device of claim 5 where the second nozzle first step height is at least one hundred percent greater than the first nozzle first step height.

11 . The device of claim 5 wherein the second nozzle second step height is at least fifty percent greater than the first nozzle second step height.

12 . The device of claim 5 wherein the second nozzle second step height is at least one hundred percent greater than the first nozzle second step height.

13 . The device of claim 1 wherein:
the inlet portion has a channel width;
the first step has a first step width; and
the first step width is greater than the channel width.

14 . The device of claim 13 wherein:
the second step has a second step width; and
the second step width is greater than or equal to the first step width.

15 . The device of claim 1 wherein:
the device comprises a first fluid and a second fluid; and
the first fluid is immiscible with the second fluid.

16 . The device of claim 1 wherein a ratio of the first step height to the channel height is less than 2.

17 . A method of forming droplets, the method comprising:
obtaining a device according to claim 1 ; introducing a first fluid from the fluid supply channel into the one or more nozzles; and forming a droplet from the first fluid in the one or more nozzles, wherein:
the droplet has a droplet length and a droplet height; and
the droplet is compressed in the one or more nozzles such that the droplet length is greater than the droplet height; and
collecting the droplet in the droplet collection chamber, wherein:
the droplet collection chamber contains a substantially static second fluid that is immiscible with the first fluid; and
the droplet is not compressed in the collection chamber such that the droplet length is equal to the droplet height.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein droplets are formed at a rate of between 10 and 30 complete droplets per second per nozzle.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein the droplet length is greater than the first tread length.

20 . The method of claim 17 wherein the droplet length is less than the first tread length.

Assignees

• Luminex Corp

Inventors

• Arab Nicolas
• Estrada Arnold
• Fine Daniel
• Johnson Ross

Classifications

• C12Q1/686 Primary

  Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] · CPC title

• B01L2200/0663

  Stretching or orienting elongated molecules or particles · CPC title

• B01L7/52

  with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples · CPC title

• B01L3/502784

  specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics · CPC title

• B01F33/3017

  Mixing chamber · CPC title