Microfluidic device with incubator

Abstract

A microfluidic device having a supporting substrate, an inlet for receiving a fluid, a microsystems technology (MST) layer for processing the fluid, the MST layer incorporating an incubation section, the incubation section having at least one heater for maintaining the fluid at a predetermined incubation temperature, and, CMOS circuitry between the MST layer and the supporting substrate, the CMOS circuitry being connected to the at least one heater for operative control of the at least one heater.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to diagnostic devices that use microsystems technologies (MST). In particular, the invention relates to microfluidic and biochemical processing and analysis for molecular diagnostics.CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS[0002]The following applications have been filed by the Applicant which relate to the present application:GBS001USGBS002USGBS003USGBS005USGBS006USGSR001USGSR002USGAS001USGAS002USGAS003USGAS004USGAS006USGAS007USGAS008USGAS009USGAS010USGAS012USGAS013USGAS014USGAS015USGAS016USGAS017USGAS018USGAS019USGAS020USGAS021USGAS022USGAS023USGAS024USGAS025USGAS026USGAS027USGAS028USGAS030USGAS031USGAS032USGAS033USGAS034USGAS035USGAS036USGAS037USGAS038USGAS039USGAS040USGAS041USGAS042USGAS043USGAS044USGAS045USGAS046USGAS047USGAS048USGAS049USGAS050USGAS054USGAS055USGAS056USGAS057USGAS058USGAS059USGAS060USGAS061USGAS062USGAS063USGAS065USGAS066USGAS067USGAS068USGAS069USGAS070USGAS080USGAS081USGAS082USGAS083USGAS084USGAS085USGAS086USGAS087USGAS...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a microfluidic device that can incubate fluids at specific temperatures for specific periods of time. The device has a supporting substrate, an inlet for receiving the fluid, a microsystems technology (MST) layer with an incubation section, and CMOS circuitry connected to the MST layer for controlling the heating of the fluid. The device also has a sensor for feedback control of the heating, and can have multiple heating zones for different fluids or temperatures. The incubation section has a plurality of elongate chambers and elongate heaters for controlling the temperature. The device can also have a dialysis section for concentrating cells of different sizes, a reagent reservoir for holding reagents, a surface tension valve for controlling the reagent, a hybridization section with probes for hybridization with target nucleic acid sequences, and a nucleic acid amplification section for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The device is easy to use, inexpensive, and has low system complexity."

Problems solved by technology

Insufficient stringency can result in a high degree of nonspecific binding.

Excessive stringency can lead to a failure of appropriate binding, which results in diminished sensitivity.

Despite the advantages that molecular diagnostic tests offer, the growth of this type of testing in the clinical laboratory has been slower than expected and remains a minor part of the practice of laboratory medicine.

This is primarily due to the complexity and costs associated with nucleic acid testing compared with tests based on methods not involving nucleic acids.

However, controlling fluid flow through the LOC device, adding reagents, controlling reaction conditions and so on necessitate bulky external plumbing and electronics.

Connecting a LOC device to these external devices effectively restricts the use of LOC devices for molecular diagnostics to the laboratory setting.

The cost of the external equipment and complexity of its operation precludes LOC-based molecular diagnostics as a practical option for point-of-care settings.

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