1781 results about "Microfluidics" patented technology

The invention is related to methods and apparatus that manipulate droplets in a microfluidic environment. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention manipulate droplets by controlling the electro-wetting characteristics of a surface with light, thereby inducing a gradient in the surface tension of a droplet. The gradient in the surface tension propels the droplet by capillary force. A variety of operations, such as transporting, joining, cutting, and creating can be performed. Advantageously, embodiments of the invention obviate the need to create a relatively large and complex control electrode array. A plurality of photoconductive cells or a layer of a photoconductive material selectively couples an electrode carrying an electrical bias to otherwise floating conductive cells in response to a beam of light. The electrical bias applied to the conductive cell generates a localized electric field, which can change the contact angle of the droplet, thereby permitting the droplet to be propelled.

A series of microactuators for manipulating small quantities of liquids, and methods of using these for manipulating liquids, are disclosed. The microactuators are based on the phenomenon of electrowetting and contain no moving parts. The force acting on the liquid is a potential-dependent gradient of adhesion energy between the liquid and a solid insulating surface.

Microfluidic devices and methods that use cells such as cancer cells, stem cells, blood cells for preprocessing, sorting for various biodiagnostics or therapeutical applications are described. Microfluidics electrical sensing such as measurement of field potential or current and phenomena such as immiscible fluidics, inertial fluidics are used as the basis for cell and molecular processing (e.g., characterizing, sorting, isolation, processing, amplification) of different particles, chemical compositions or biospecies (e.g., different cells, cells containing different substances, different particles, different biochemical compositions, proteins, enzymes etc.). Specifically this invention discloses a few sorting schemes for stem cells, whole blood and circulating tumor cells and also extracting serum from whole blood. Further medical diagnostics technology utilizing high throughput single cell PCR is described using immiscible fluidics couple with single or multi cells trapping technology.

Stand-alone microsystems adapted for performing combinatorial detection of bioagents at single molecule level wherein the microsystems are featured with three-dimensional microarray and multi-layer microfluidics to thereby provide high throughput screening and high content screening sufficient to allow for substantially real-time performance of the microsystem. Methods for detection of bioagents at a single molecule level or single organism level include providing a reconfigurable microsystem adapted for performing combinatorial detection of bioagents at a single molecule level and reconfiguring the reconfigurable microsystem for various environments.

Novel nanowell microarrays are disclosed in optical contact with polymer waveguides wherein evanescent field associated with lightwaves propagated in the waveguide excite target substances in the nanowells either by a common waveguide or by individual waveguides. Fluid samples are conveyed to the nanowells by means of microfluidics. The presence of the target substances in fluid samples is detected by sensing fluorescent radiation generated by fluorescent tag bound to the target substances. The fluorescent tags generate fluorescent radiation as a result of their excitation by the evanescent field. One or more PMT detectors or a CCD detector are located at the side of the waveguide opposite to the nanowells. Fluorescent radiation is detected due to its coupling with the waveguide or its emission through the waveguide.

The present invention is directed to a microfluidic chromatography apparatus comprising a microfabricated fluid delivery system and a chromatography column which is in fluid communication with the fluid delivery system, and a method for producing and using the same. Preferably, the chromatography column comprises an OTLC, PCLC, or combinations thereof.

Protein crystallization screening and optimization droplet actuators, systems and methods are provided. According to one embodiment, a screening droplet actuator is provided and includes: (a) a port for introduction of one or more crystallization reagents and/or one or more protein solutions; and (b) a substrate including: (i) an array of two or more mixing wells; and (ii) electric field mediated microfluidics for moving droplets comprising the crystallization reagents and protein solutions into the mixing wells. Optimization droplet actuators, systems including screening droplet actuators, methods of screening protein crystallization conditions, and methods of testing conditions for growing a crystal are also provided.

The invention relates to a microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a gas and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device having a first hydrophobic surface for the second liquid, the first liquid forming a layer (6) on said first hydrophobic surface. The device comprises means for introducing a drop (7) of the second liquid into the layer of first liquid or gas and in contact with said first hydrophobic surface, and means for displacing the drop on said first hydrophobic surface along a determined path, the device having on the path of the drop, at least one wetting defect causing, upon passing of the drop over this defect, failure of the triple line of contact of the drop on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of first liquid (8) or gas into the drop.

The invention also relates to the associated method.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. The invention provides a microsystem platform and a micromanipulation device for manipulating the platform that utilizes the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platform to motivate fluid movement through microchannels. The microsystem, platforms of the invention are also optionally provided having system informatics and data acquisition, analysis and storage and retrieval informatics encoded on the surface of the disk opposite to the surface containing the fluidic components. Methods specific for the apparatus of the invention for performing any of a wide variety of microanalytical or microsynthetic processes are provided.

A centrifugal force-based microfluidic device for the detection of a target biomolecule and a microfluidic system including the same are provided. The device includes a body of revolution; a microfluidic structure disposed in the body of revolution including chambers, channels connecting the chambers, and valves disposed in the channels to control fluid flow, the microfluidic structures transmitting fluid using centrifugal force due to rotation of the body of revolution; and beads disposed in the microfluidic structures, the beads having capture probes on the surfaces thereof which are selectively bonded with target protein; and a detection probe disposed in the microfluidic structures and selectively bonded to the target protein, and which includes a material required to express an optical signal, wherein the microfluidic structure mixes the beads, biological samples, and the detection probe to react and washes and separates the beads after the reaction.

A microfluidics device and method for sample loading, concentrating, mixing, and/or reacting is disclosed. The device has a microchannel network that includes a channel segment communicating with first and second reservoirs. A projection formed on a wall portion of the channel segment terminates therein at a point or edge. When a voltage potential is applied across the two reservoirs, the projection functions to create an electric field gradient within the channel segment that causes charged components in the channel segment to concentrate in the region of the projection. The device is useful, for example, in loading a sample of dilute charged components for electrophoretic separation in the device.

An apparatus and method for performing nucleic acid (DNA and/or RNA) sequencing on a single molecule. The genetic sequence information is obtained by probing through a DNA or RNA molecule base by base at nanometer scale as though looking through a strip of movie film. This DNA sequencing nanotechnology has the theoretical capability of performing DNA sequencing at a maximal rate of about 1,000,000 bases per second. This enhanced performance is made possible by a series of innovations including: novel applications of a fine-tuned nanometer gap for passage of a single DNA or RNA molecule; thin layer microfluidics for sample loading and delivery; and programmable electric fields for precise control of DNA or RNA movement. Detection methods include nanoelectrode-gated tunneling current measurements, dielectric molecular characterization, and atomic force microscopy/electrostatic force microscopy (AFM/EFM) probing for nanoscale reading of the nucleic acid sequences.

The present invention discloses the integration of programmable microfluidic circuits to achieve practical applications to process biochemical and chemical reactions and to integrate these reactions. In some embodiments workflows for biochemical reactions or chemical workflows are combined. Microvalves such as programmable microfluidic circuit with Y valves and flow through valves are disclosed. In some embodiments microvalves of the present invention are used for mixing fluids, which may be part of an integrated process. These processes include mixing samples and moving reactions to an edge or reservoir for modular microfluidics, use of capture regions, and injection into analytical devices on separate devices. In some embodiments star and nested star designs, or bead capture by change of cross sectional area of a channel in a microvalve are used. Movement of samples between temperature zones are further disclosed using fixed temperature and movement of the samples by micropumps.

A centrifugal force-based microfluidic device for nucleic acid extraction and a microfluidic system are provided. The microfluidic device includes a body of revolution; a microfluidic structure disposed in the body of revolution, the microfluidic structure including a plurality of chambers, channels connecting the chambers, and valves disposed in the channels to control fluid flow, the microfluidic structure transmitting the fluid using centrifugal force due to rotation of the body of revolution; and magnetic beads contained in one of the chambers which collect a target material from a biomaterial sample flowing into the chamber, wherein the microfluidic structure washes the magnetic beads which collect the target material, and separates nucleic acid by electromagnetic wave irradiation from an external energy source to the magnetic beads. The microfluidic system includes the microfluidic device; a rotation operating unit which rotates the body of revolution; and an external energy source which irradiates electromagnetic waves.

Provided is a microfluidic device suitable for analyzing a liquid sample. The device includes a first chamber to contain a sample; a second chamber to contain a liquid first reagent; a third chamber containing a lyophilized second reagent; a plurality of channels connecting the first, second, and third chambers.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the rapid serial processing of multiple nucleic acid assays. More particularly, the present invention provides for the real time processing of nucleic acid during polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and thermal melt applications. According to an aspect of the invention, a system for the rapid serial processing of multiple nucleic acid assays is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes, but is not limited to: a microfluidic cartridge having microfluidic (flow-through) channels, a fluorescence imaging system, a temperature measurement and control system; a pressure measurement and control system for applying variable pneumatic pressures to the microfluidic cartridge; a storage device for holding multiple reagents (e.g., a well-plate); a liquid handling system comprising at least one robotic pipettor for aspirating, mixing, and dispensing reagent mixtures to the microfluidic cartridge; systems for data storage, processing, and output; and a system controller to coordinate the various devices and functions.

A method of detecting one or more diseased blood cells in a blood sample includes introducing a blood sample into at least one inlet of a microfluidic device comprising one or more linear channels wherein each channel has a length and a cross-section of a height and a width defining an aspect ratio adapted to isolate diseased blood cells along at least one portion of the cross-section of the channel based on reduced deformability of diseased blood cells as compared to non-diseased blood cells, wherein diseased blood cells flow along a first portion of the channel to a first outlet and non-diseased blood cells flow along a second portion of the channel to a second outlet. The one or more channels can be adapted to isolate cells along portions of the cross-section of the channel based on cell size. In some embodiments, the one or more channels can be spiral channels.