Microfluidic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9696729-B2
Application number	US-201514978341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2004
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

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

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of introducing a fluid into a first droplet, comprising:
providing a first droplet comprising a first plug fluid in an immiscible carrier fluid within a microchannel; and
contacting the first droplet with a fluid stream continuously flowing from a side channel that is in fluidic communication with the microchannel, thereby introducing a portion of the fluid stream into the first droplet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plug fluid and the fluid stream comprise hydrophilic liquids.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first plug fluid and the fluid stream comprise aqueous solutions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid comprises a hydrophobic liquid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first plug fluid and the fluid stream comprise a chemical, biological, or biochemical entity.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first plug fluid and the fluid stream comprise different chemical, biological, or biochemical entities.

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

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising mixing the portion of the fluid stream introduced into the first droplet with the first plug fluid of the first droplet.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a sensor for sensing a characteristic of the first droplet after a portion of the fluid stream has been introduced into the first droplet, wherein the characteristic is fluorescence, spectroscopic signature, radioactivity, mass, volume, density, temperature, viscosity, pH, or concentration of a substance.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the characteristic indicates the presence of a nucleic acid.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a second droplet comprising a second plug fluid in the immiscible carrier fluid within the microchannel before the contacting step.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein in the contacting step, a portion of the fluid stream is not introduced to the second droplet.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second plug fluid is different from the first plug fluid.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting spacing between the first droplet and the second droplet before the contacting step.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second plug fluid comprises a surfactant.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second plug fluid comprises a chemical, biological, or biochemical entity.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the side channel has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the microchannel.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the side channel has a same cross-sectional dimension as the microchannel.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microchannel comprises a plurality of side channels each containing a continuously flowing stream to enter into the first droplet.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first droplet flows at a first flow rate and the fluid stream continuously flows at a second flow rate, and the ratio of the first flow rate and the second flow rate is about 1:5 to about 5:1.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fluid stream introduced into the first droplet is of about nanoliter volume.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fluid stream introduced into the first droplet is of about picoliter volume.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fluid stream introduced into the first droplet is of about femtoliter volume.

Assignees

• Univ Chicago
• Univ Chicago

Inventors

• Ismagilov Rustem F
• Zheng Bo
• Gerdts Cory John

Classifications

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• B01L2300/0816

  Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions · CPC title

• B01L2300/0864

  comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting · CPC title

• B01J19/0046 Primary

  Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays (synthesis methods per se C40B50/00) · CPC title

• B01L3/502784

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