Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrophoretic or electro-osmotic apparatus
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-13
2004-12-07
Nguyen, Nam (Department: 1753)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrophoretic or electro-osmotic apparatus
C204S450000, C204S451000, C204S453000, C422S091000, C422S105000, C435S288500, C436S180000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06827831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Despite the advancements in the fields of microfluidics, microfabrication and the like, there remains a fundamental problem with the implementation of these technologies in achieving their full potential. Specifically, although microfluidic systems are readily applicable to high throughput, low volume, automatable chemical and biochemical analyses and syntheses, many of the advantages gained through the use of microfluidic systems are lost through the lack of interfacing systems that are capable of functioning at the horizons of these microfluidic systems. For example, one of the major advantages of these microfluidic systems is the ability to perform operations using extremely small fluid volumes, thereby requiring smaller amounts of potentially valuable reagents and/or samples. However, although a microfluidic system may be capable of operating with fluid volumes in the nanoliter range, the lack of fluid handling systems capable of delivering such volumes to these microfluidic systems renders this advantage substantially unrealized. Specifically, the user is still required to utilize reagents and/or samples in the 1 to 10 &mgr;l range.
One example of a fluidic interface which addresses these problems, namely, the introduction of samples and other fluids into microfluidic analytical systems, is described in commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 08/671,986, filed Jun. 28, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,869 and incorporated herein by reference. In brief, the described system includes an electropipettor interfaced with the channels of a microfluidic device, for electrokinetically introducing very small volumes of samples or other materials into the microfluidic device.
In addition to fluidic interfaces, microfluidic systems also require additional device: world interfaces, including an interface between the device and the detection, sensing or monitoring means that are utilized with the system. Also required are interfaces between the device and the systems that control the operation of the device, such as systems that control fluid direction and transport within the device, and/or environmental conditions present within or around the device, and the like.
Microfluidic devices previously described in the literature have generally included only crude device: world interfaces which severely limited or eliminated a substantial proportion of the promised benefits of microfluidic systems, including automatability, ease of use, low volume and high throughput, which have been the goals of these systems.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for improved interfaces between microfluidic devices and the ancillary systems that are utilized with these microfluidic systems, such that these microfluidic systems can realize a greater proportion of their promised benefits. The present invention provides a solution to many of these and other problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally provides improved methods, apparatuses and systems for interfacing microfluidic devices with the various systems used in conjunction with these devices, such as electrical control and monitoring systems, and the like. These improved interfaces provide microfluidic systems that are easier to use, e.g., “user friendly,” are more readily automatable, and as a result, have higher throughputs than previously described analytical systems.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides an electrically controlled microfluidic system which includes a microfluidic device, an electrical controller and an electrical interface array. The microfluidic device generally comprises a body structure having an interior portion and at least a first exterior surface, a plurality of intersecting microscale channels disposed in the interior portion of the body structure, and a plurality of ports disposed in the body structure, communicating the exterior surface with the interior portion. Each of the ports is in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of intersecting channels. The electrical control system comprises a plurality of electrical leads, each of the leads being operably coupled to a power source, where the electrical control system concomitantly delivers a voltage to each of the plurality of electrical leads. The electrical interface array permits the separate and removable coupling of each of the electrical leads with each of the plurality of ports, whereupon each of the leads is in electrical communication with a fluid disposed in each of the ports. The electrical interface array often includes a cover having at least a first surface, and a plurality of electrode pins mounted thereon, the electrode pins being oriented for insertion into the plurality of ports, each of the electrode pins being electrically coupled to a separate one of the electrical leads. Optionally, the electrical interface array further comprises a base adapted for receiving the microfluidic device, wherein an edge of the cover is attached to the base by a hinge, whereby the cover is capable of being rotatably closed over the microfluidic device mounted on the base, to insert the plurality of pins into the plurality of ports. In a further alternate aspect, the body of the device is planar in structure, and the electrical interface array comprises a plurality of electrical contact pads disposed along the at least one edge of the microfluidic device, each of the electrical contact pads being electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of ports, and each of the plurality of electrical leads is positioned to contact a separate one of the plurality of contact pads. Alternatively, the electrical leads are disposed within a slot and oriented whereby each of the electrical leads contacts a separate one of the plurality of electrical contact pads, when the portion of the bottom layer extending beyond the top layer is inserted into the slot.
In a related embodiment, the present invention provides a “clam shell” comprising a base having at least one edge and at least an upper surface, the upper surface being adapted for receiving a microfluidic device. The clam shell also comprises a cover having at least a lower surface and at least one edge, the edge of the cover being connected to the edge of the base by a hinge, and the lower surface having at least a first electrical interface component. A microfluidic device is mounted on the upper surface of the base, the device comprising a body structure having an exterior surface, an interior portion defining a plurality of microscale channels, and a second electrical interface component disposed on the exterior surface and providing a plurality of separate electrical connections between the second electrical interface component and a plurality of separate points in the plurality of intersecting microscale channels, the second electrical interface component being complementary to the first electrical interface component and oriented to contact the first electrical interface component when the cover is closed over the microfluidic device. The first electrical interface array component optionally comprises an array of electrical contacts mounted on the lower surface of the cover and the second electrical interface array component comprises a plurality of electrical contact pads on the exterior surface of the microfluidic device, each electrical contact pad being in electrical communication with a separate point in the plurality of intersecting microscale channels.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a base unit having a mounting surface adapted for receiving a microfluidic device, and a first electrical interface array component, the first electrical interface array component providing a plurality of electrical contacts, each of the electrical contacts being separately coupled to a different electrical lead from an electrical controller. Also included is a microfluidic device mounted on the mounting surface, the microfluidic device comprising a body structure having an exterior surface, an interior portion defining a p
Bousse Luc J.
Chow Calvin Y. H.
Kennedy Colin B.
McReynolds Richard J.
Parce J. Wallace
Callper Life Sciences, Inc.
McKenna Donald R.
Nguyen Nam
Starsiak Jr. John S.
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