313 results about "Lab-on-a-chip" patented technology

The present invention relates to a droplet microreactor, i.e. a microreactor consisting of a droplet of a specific liquid, the microreactor being wall-less, wherein the interface of the specific liquid with the ambient environment and with the support on which the droplet is deposited defines the limits of the microreactor. The microreactor is characterized in that it consists of a droplet comprising at least one ionic liquid. The present invention also relates to methods for carrying out chemical or biochemical reactions and/or mixes using said droplet microreactor, and also to a lab-on-chip comprising a microreactor according to the invention.

Disclosed herein is a fully-integrated, disposable biochip for point-of-care testing of clinically relevant parameters. Specifically, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the biochip is designed for POCT (point-of-care-testing) of an array of metabolic parameters including partial pressure of oxygen, Glucose, and Lactate concentration from venous blood samples. The biochip is fabricated on a low-cost plastic substrate using mass manufacturing compatible fabrication processes. Furthermore, the biochip contains a fully-integrated metallic micro-needle for blood sampling. The biochip also uses smart passive microfluidics in conjunction with low-power functional on-chip pressure generators for microfluidic sequencing. The design, configuration, assembly and operation of the biochip are ideally suited for a disposable biochip specifically targeted towards POCT applications.

The present invention provides a bio memory disc where a lab-on-a-chip process system including an assay-diagnosis unit, a nucleic acid hybridization assay unit, or an immuno-assay unit and a semiconductor memory is disposed, a bio memory disc drive apparatus including a controller for controlling and driving an optical disc including CD or DVD and the bio memory disc and an assay method using the same.

A biometric mobile device is capable of interacting with existing cellular, wireless, and wired telecommunication and other communication networks to support intelligence gathering, human body identification, special operations and other applications. A method of collecting biometric data at an accident or crime scene may comprise, for example, utilizing a camera to photograph the accident scene, collecting key entered data that may not be otherwise obtainable, using a fingerprint scanner to collect, digitize and store fingerprint data, using a lab-on-a-chip DNA profile device for collecting and analyzing a DNA specimen and generating identification and DNA profile data for bar code entry and other means for collecting any known form of biometric data including, but not limited to, vascular facial structure, dental structure, cornea, iris or other data which may be unique or limiting for identification purposes.

Disclosed herein is a thin-film layered centrifuge device and an analysis method using the same. One example of an embodiment of the present invention is a thin film layered centrifuge device where a device, such as a lab on a chip, a protein chip and a DNA chip, for diagnosing and detecting a small amount of material in a fluid is integrated into a rotatable thin-film layered body, and to an analysis method using the thin-film layered centrifuge device.

Techniques for the fabrication of fully-integrated lab-on-a-chips (or biochips) specifically oriented towards point-of-care detection of biomolecules using immunoassay based detection techniques are disclosed. A primary task for the development of such biochips is the development of techniques to precisely deposit and localize the capture antibody on pre-determined locations over the biochip. The use of selective surface modification, specifically control over the surface energy, to achieve localized adsorption of the capture antibody is disclosed. Another approach, also disclosed, describes the use of smart passive microfluidics to confine the flow of the capture antibody along certain paths of the biochip and thereby control the locations over which the capture antibody is adsorbed. Furthermore, the use of an integrated microlens array as means of enhancing the detection sensitivity of the biochip is also disclosed.

A bio-disc device including new valve control means and fluid movement system, a bio-driver apparatus in which a controller disc including a controller for the bio-disc is installed, and an assay method using the same, which are suitable for labs-on-a-chips for various diagnostic assays, nucleic acid hybridization assays, and immunoassays, are provided. The bio-driver apparatus is compatible with general optical discs, including audio CDs, CD-Rs, game CDs, DVDs, etc., and the assay method is compatible with general optical disc drivers, including CD-ROMs, DVD players, etc. Thus, the bio-driver apparatus and the assay method offer and economical and convenient alternative to existing products. In addition, the bio-driver apparatus can be readily and easily applied in connection with a computer for remote diagnosis via the Internet.

Methods and compositions for developing a series of microfluidic, USB-enabled, wireless-enabled, lab-on-chip devices, designed to reduce the chain-of-custody handling of samples between sample acquisition and final reporting of data, to a single individual. These devices provide on-the-spot testing for micro- and nanoscale (molecular) analysis of blood, urine, infectious agents, toxins, measurement of therapeutic drug levels, purity-of-sample testing and presence of contaminants (toxic and non-toxic, volatile and non-volatile); and for the identification of individual components and formal compounds—elemental, biological, organic and inorganic—inclusive of foodstuffs, air, water, soil, oil and gas samples. These devices may be relatively inexpensive, ruggedly designed, lightweight and capable of being employed—depending upon the specific application—by individuals with limited training, in remote and extreme environments and settings: including combat zones, disaster areas, rural communities, tropical/arctic/desert and other inhospitable climates and challenging terrains. The device may be comprised of materials that are reclaimed, are re-usable and are recyclable.

The invention relates to novel polymer-based microstructures, with outstanding shape accuracy and cost-effective processing. The novel polymers are based on hyperbranched macromolecules and enable remarkable property combination such as reduced shrinkage and associated low stress, high shape fidelity and high aspect ratio in patterned microstructures, with additional benefit of fast and low-cost production methods. The invention also relates to methods to produce these microstructures. The polymer-based microstructures are relevant for, but not limited to micro- and nano- technologies applications, including lab-on-a-chip devices, opto-electronic and micro- electromechanical devices, optical detection methods, in fields of use as diverse as automotive, aerospace, information technologies, medical and biotechnologies, and energy systems.

Provided is a method of purifying nucleic acid, the method including: contacting a nucleic acid-containing sample and a solution containing a kosmotropic salt on a solid support having a hydrophilic functional group on its surface to bind the nucleic acid to the solid support. Since the solid support is used as it is without any surface treatment, manufacture of the apparatus is very easy, and nucleic acid can be bound to the solid support without specific additives in a wide pH range, so that the apparatus can be used for a Lab-On-a-Chip.

Systems and methods for software-reconfigurable chemical process systems useful in a wide range of applications. Embodiments may include software control of internal processes, automated provisions for cleaning internal elements with solvents, provisions for clearing and drying gasses, and multitasking operation. In one family of embodiments, a flexible software-reconfigurable multipurpose reusable “Lab-on-a-Chip” or “embedded chemical processor” is realized that can facilitate a wide range of applications, instruments, and appliances. Through use of a general architecture, a single design can be economically manufactured in large scale and readily adapted to diverse specialized applications. Clearing and cleaning provisions may be used to facilitate reuse of the device, or may be used for decontamination prior to recycling or non-reclaimed disposal. In other embodiments, a flexible software-reconfigurable multipurpose reusable laboratory glassware setup may be realized, sparing talented laboratory staff from repetitive, complex, or low-level tasks occurring in analysis, synthesis, or small-scale chemical manufacturing.

This disclosure describes the design and function of a bead-based lab-on-a-chip portable analyzer for analyzing biomarker assay cards used in point-of-care testing.

The present invention relates to a lab-on-chip substrate, comprising a resin having a silicon content of 10% or less by weight as its base material and a hydrophilic polymer covalently bound onto the surface thereof by high-energy ray irradiation, and in particular, to a protein-processing chip. The present invention provides a lab-on-chip substrate resistant to washing and usable for an extended period of time without adsorption of proteins on the base material surface, i.e., a protein electrophoretic polymeric chip having a microchannel allowing high-accuracy analysis of trace amounts of proteins because of reduction in the amount of detection noise.

Minute or infinitesimal amounts of fluid can be accurately delivered through microchannels formed in an elastic polymeric substrate. External (mechanical) force is applied on the substrate to progressively squeeze the microchannel along its length to push or pull the fluid through the microchannel. Fluids can be delivered at a constant rate and amount regardless of the kind of the fluid since fluid delivery is not affected by the physical properties of the fluid. The delivery rate of the fluid is determined in the ranges between femtoliters/sec and milliliters/sec by the size of the microchannel and the area of the substrate being pressed by the applied external (mechanical) force. Such techniques of fluid delivery can be applied to various fields including lab-on-a-chip technology, monitoring of chemical and biological processing, portable analyzing instruments, fine chemistry, clinical diagnosis and development of new medicines.

An aspect of embodiment relates to a digital bio disc (DBD) including new valve control means and fluid movement system, a digital bio disc (DBD) driver apparatus, and an assay method using the same. More particularly, an aspect of embodiment relates to a DBD with a lab-on-a-chip for various diagnostic assays, nucleic acid hybridization assays, or immunoassays, a DBD driver apparatus integrated with a controller for controlling the DBD and a general optical disc (CD or DVD), and an assay method using the same.

Composite materials having colloidal photonic crystals patterned in substrates for use in different technologies including lab-on-chip and photonic chip technologies. The colloidal crystals are patterned either on or within surface relief patterns in the substrates of the composite materials and each colloidal crystal exhibits Bragg diffraction.

The present invention discloses a vortex-modulation based micromixer for enforced mass exchange. The micromixer of the present invention comprises a mixing chamber with grooves on one wall thereof and a special-shape barrier on another wall. As different fluids are injected into the mixing chamber respectively from two inlets of the micromixer, the grooves and barriers of the micromixer of the present invention create the constructive interferences to form the active-like agitation of the fluid. For every groove, the flux passed by can be increased via its high pressure gradient. Understandably, the mixing efficiency of the fluids can be greatly improved within a very short distance. At last, the outlet of the micromixer is located in the downstream of the mixing chamber and further is able to connect with other elements. The present invention is entirely a passive micromixer and no additional energy is required. The present invention can apply to a continuous chemical analysis, particularly to a lab-on-a-chip or a micro total analysis system.

The invention discloses a method and a device for automatically and quantitatively distributing a microfluid. The method uses surface tension of liquid in a leading position under a micron scale to be combined with flow shearing action of the other fluid which is insoluble with the fluid so as to make a sample liquid filled and positioned in a microcavity with certain volume, thereby realizing quantitative distribution of the sample liquid. The device by the method is formed by at least one microchannel and a group of micro-fluidic chips of the microcavity, wherein the microcavity is positioned on the side of the microchannel and is communicated with the microchannel; the sample liquid in the microchannel enters and is filled in the microcavity through the surface tension; and then, residual sample liquid in the microchannel is removed by the flow shearing action of the other fluid which is insoluble with the liquid, and the sample liquid is just filled in the microcavity, so that quantitation and distribution of sample liquid droplet can be realized. The invention provides simple, quick and high-flux method and device for automatically and quantitatively distributing the microfluid, and can be applied to a micro-biochemical reactor and a chip laboratory.

The present invention provides an integrated lab-on-a-chip device for carrying out a nucleic acid extraction process on a fluid sample containing cells and/or particles, the device comprising: (a) a sample inlet (1) for loading of a fluid sample, (b) a lysis unit (4) for lysis of cells and/or particles present in the fluid sample, (c) a reservoir of lysis fluid (7) for the lysis unit, (d) a nucleic acid extraction unit (5) downstream of the lysis unit, and (e) reservoirs of first washing buffer and eluant fluid (8, 9, 10) for the nucleic acid extraction unit, wherein the device further comprises (f) a mixing unit (6) downstream of the nucleic acid extraction unit, and (g) a source of mixing fluid (11) for the mixing unit. The reservoirs of lysis fluid, first washing buffer and eluant fluid may be provided parallel to one anther so that they may be actuated by a single pump.

A novel electrokinetic instability (EKI) micromixer and method takes advantage of the EKI to effect active rapid stirring of confluent microstreams of biomolecules without moving parts or complex microfabrication processes. The EKI is induced using an alternating current (A/C) electric field. Within seconds, the randomly fluctuating, three-dimensional velocity field created by the EKI rapidly and effectively stirs an initially heterogeneous solution and generates a homogeneous solution that is useful in a variety of biochemical and bioanalytical systems. Microfabricated on a glass substrate, the inventive EKI micromixer can be easily and advantageously integrated in molecular diagnostics apparatuses and systems, such as a chip-based “Lab-on-a-Chip” microfluidic device.

The invention discloses a field-programmable lab-on-a-chip based on microelectrode array architecture, concretely a system related to filed-programmable lab-on-chip (FPLOC) microfluidic operations, fabrications, and programming based on microelectrode array architecture. The FPLOC device by employing a microelectrode array interface may include the following: (a) a bottom plate comprising an array of multiple microelectrodes disposed on a top surface of a substrate covered by a dielectric layer; wherein each of the microelectrode is coupled to at least one grounding elements of a grounding mechanism, wherein a hydrophobic layer is disposed on the top of the dielectric layer and the grounding elements to make hydrophobic surfaces with the droplets; (b) a field programmability mechanism for programming a group of configured-electrodes to generate microfluidic components and layouts with selected shapes and sizes; and, (c) a FPLOC functional block, comprising: I/O ports; a sample preparation unit; a droplet manipulation unit; a detection unit; and a system control unit.

The invention relates to a surface acoustic wave micro-fluidic drive for a chip lab pertaining to the technical field of micro-electro-mechanical system and a manufacture method thereof. The drive of the invention comprises a base, an interdigital transducer and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein the base is a 128 degrees Y-X lithium niobate single crystal, an IDT formed by the intercrossed interdigital transducer is on the base, and the micro-fluidic channel is integrated with the base. The invention uses floating electrode type unidirectional transducer structure design to realize unidirectional driving of the micro fluid, the procedure of the method is: (1) processing of the floating electrode type unidirectional transducer; (2) micro-processing of the micro-fluidic channel; (3) integration of the base and the micro-fluidic channel. The whole processing procedure of the invention can be completely made by means of semiconductor material based micro-manufacture method, having characteristics of no moving micro-parts itself and no damage to the fluid dielectric etc., the processing has advantages of reliable operation, stabilization and long service life.

A major challenge for the general use of “lab-on-a-chip” (LOAC) systems and point-of-care (POC) devices has been the generally complex and need for sophisticated peripheral equipment, such that it is more difficult than anticipated to implement low cost, robust and portable LOAC/POC solutions. It would be beneficial for chemical, medical, healthcare, and environmental applications to provide designs for inexpensive LOAC/POC solutions compatible with miniaturization and mass production, and are potentially portable, using compact possibly hand-held instruments, using reusable or disposable detectors. Embodiments of the invention address improved circuit elements for self-powered self-regulating microfluidic circuits including programmable retention valves, programmable trigger valves, enhanced capillary pumps, and flow resonators. Additionally embodiments of the invention allow for the flow direction within a microfluidic circuit to be reversed as well as for retention of reagents prior to sale or deployment of the microfluidic circuit for eased user use.