Microfluidic configuration for dosing liquids

Abstract

The invention relates to a microfluidic arrangement for metering one or more first metered amounts of liquid (A) and for separating the latter from a second amount of liquid (B), having the following features: the arrangement has a first channel and one or more one or more second channels; the first channel has one inlet and one outlet; in the area of the outlet the arrangement has a capillarity, which is greater than or equal to the capillarity in the area of the inlet; the one or more second channels branch off from the first channel at one or more branch points; the one or more second channels have a greater capillarity than the first channel at the branch points; and the one or more second channels have a predetermined volume. In the arrangement as depicted in the invention a liquid is transported in the first channel from the inlet to the outlet. At the branch points one portion of the liquid at a time enters the one or more second channels and fills them completely with the first metered amounts of liquid (A). The portion of the liquid remaining after the last branch point in the first channel emerges as the second amount of liquid via the outlet from the first channel. The amounts of liquid (A) metered in the one or more second channels are separated from the remaining amount of liquid (B) by a gas, which is located in the first channel after filling all second channels.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a microfluidic device for dispensing and separating one or more first dosed fluid volumes from a second fluid volume. Background technique [0002] Various such microfluidic devices are disclosed in the prior art. Such microfluidic devices are used, for example, for dispensing doses and injecting liquids for wet chemical, biochemical and diagnostic analyses. In this respect, the volume element is filled with a defined first fluid volume. This determined liquid volume is separated from the remaining second liquid volume. Currently, the remaining liquid volume is generally separated from the dispensed volume by means of mechanical elements or a gas phase. The gas phase can be maintained by sucking off the remaining liquid volume. It is likewise possible to "blow off" the remaining liquid quantity from the liquid quantity of the dispensed dose by means of a pressure shock. [0003] A disadvantage of hitherto microflui...

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Problems solved by technology

[0003] A disadvantage of hitherto microfluidic devices for dosing and separation by means of the gas phase is that a pressure must be provided in order to generate underpressure or overpressure (suction or blow-off) to separate the first volume from the second volume. generating means, by means of which the necessary pressure shocks are produced

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