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Microfluidic device and methods of using same

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-01-04
FLUIDIGM CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes devices and methods for conducting microfluidic analyses, particularly thermal cycling reactions such as nucleic acid amplification reactions. The devices include elastomeric components and can include one or more elastomeric valves to regulate solution flow through the device. The devices can also have a high density of reaction sites, with each reaction site containing a reagent for conducting the analysis. The devices can be used to detect reactions at the reaction sites, and can also include a cavity and guard channels to reduce evaporation of fluid from the device. Overall, the devices and methods provide improved accuracy and efficiency for conducting microfluidic analyses.

Problems solved by technology

In other devices, however, the plurality of flow channels are isolated from each other such that fluid introduced into one flow channel cannot flow to another flow channel, and each flow channel comprises an inlet at one or both ends into which fluid can be introduced.

Method used

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  • Microfluidic device and methods of using same
  • Microfluidic device and methods of using same
  • Microfluidic device and methods of using same

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

EXAMPLE 1 Signal Strength Evaluations

I. Introduction

[0205] The purpose of this set of experiments was to demonstrate that successful PCR reactions can be conducted with a microfluidic device of the design set forth herein with signal strength greater than 50% of the Macro TaqMan reaction.

II. Microfluidic Device

[0206] A three layer microfluidic device, fabricated using the MSL process, was designed and fabricated for conducting the experiments described in the following example. FIG. 7A shows a cross-sectional view of the device. As shown, the device 700 includes a layer 722 into which is formed the flow channels. This fluid layer 722 is sandwiched between an overlaying layer 720 that includes the control and guard layers and an underlying sealing layer 724. The sealing layer 724 forms one side of the flow channels. The resulting three-layer structure is affixed to a substrate 726 (in this example, a slide or coverslip), which provides structural stiffness, increases thermal co...

example 2 spotting

EXAMPLE 2 Spotting Reagents

Introduction

[0217] The purpose of the experiment was to demonstrate successful spotted PCR reactions in a microfluidic device. The term “spotted” in this context, refers to the placement of small droplets of reagents (spots) on a substrate that is then assembled to become part of a microfluidic device. The spotted reagents are generally a subset of the reagent mixture required for performing PCR.

II. Procedure

[0218] A. Spotting of Reagents

[0219] Routine spotting of reagents was performed via a contact printing process. Reagents were picked up from a set of source wells on metal pins, and deposited by contacting the pins to a target substrate. This printing process is further outlined in FIG. 9. As shown, reagents were picked up from a source (e.g., microtiter plates), and then printed by bringing the loaded pin into contact with the substrate. The wash step consists of agitation in deionized water followed by vacuum drying. The system used to print t...

example 3

EXAMPLE 3 Genotyping

I. Introduction

[0228] The purpose of the following experiments was to demonstrate that genotyping experiments can be conducted utilizing a microfluidic device or chip such as described herein. Specifically, these experiments were designed to determine if reactions conducted in the device have sufficient sensitivity and to ensure that other primer / probe sets, besides β-actin, can be performed in the microfluidic device.

II. Methods / Results

[0229] A. RNase P Experiment

[0230] RNase P TaqMan reactions (Applied Biosystems; Foster City, Calif.) were performed in a microfluidic device as described in Example 1 to demonstrate that other primer / probe sets produce detectable results. RNaseP reactions also require a higher level of sensitivity because the RNaseP primer / probe set detects a single copy gene (2 copies / genome) in contrast to the β-actin primer / probe set. The β-actin set detects a single copy β-actin gene and several pseudogenes, which collectively total ap...

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Abstract

A variety of elastomeric-based microfluidic devices and methods for using and manufacturing such devices are provided. Certain of the devices have arrays of reaction sites to facilitate high throughput analyses. Some devices also include reaction sites located at the end of blind channels at which reagents have been previously deposited during manufacture. The reagents become suspended once sample is introduced into the reaction site. The devices can be utilized with a variety of heating devices and thus can be used in a variety of analyses requiring temperature control, including thermocycling applications such as nucleic acid amplification reactions, genotyping and gene expression analyses.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This Application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 10 / 306,798, filed Nov. 27, 2002, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 391,529, filed Jun. 24, 2002, and of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 335,292, filed Nov. 30, 2001.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Recently, there have been concerted efforts to develop and manufacture microfluidic systems to perform various chemical and biochemical analyses and syntheses, both for preparative and analytical applications. The goal to make such devices arises because of the significant benefits that can realized from miniaturization with respect to analyses and syntheses conducted on a macro scale. Such benefits include a substantial reduction in time, cost and the space requirements for the devices utilized to conduct the analysis or synthesis. Additionally, microfluidic devices have the potential to be adapted for use with automated ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C12M1/34G01N33/53B01F13/00B01L3/00C12M1/00C12Q1/25C12Q1/68C40B40/02C40B50/06C40B60/12C40B60/14F04B43/02G01N1/00G01N1/28G01N27/447G01N35/00G01N37/00
CPCB01F13/0059Y10T436/2575B01J2219/00353B01J2219/00403B01J2219/00495B01J2219/00585B01J2219/0059B01J2219/0072B01L3/502707B01L3/502715B01L3/50851B01L2300/0627B01L2300/123B01L2400/06C12Q1/6844C40B60/14G01N35/00029G01N2035/00366B01J2219/00337G01N35/0098C12Q2565/501Y10T137/87249Y10T137/2076Y10T137/2496Y10T137/86292B01F33/30F16K11/20C12Q1/68C12M1/38
Inventor UNGER, MARCMANGER, IANLUCERO, MICHAELYI, YONGMIYASHITA-LIN, EMILYWIENECKE, ANJAFACER, GEOFFREY
Owner FLUIDIGM CORP