3199 results about "Microfluidic chip" patented technology

Nucleic acid from cells and viruses sampled from a variety of environments may purified and expressed utilizing microfluidic techniques. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, individual or small groups of cells or viruses may be isolated in microfluidic chambers by dilution, sorting, and/or segmentation. The isolated cells or viruses may be lysed directly in the microfluidic chamber, and the resulting nucleic acid purified by exposure to affinity beads. Subsequent elution of the purified nucleic acid may be followed by ligation and cell transformation, all within the same microfluidic chip. In one specific application, cell isolation, lysis, and nucleic acid purification may be performed utilizing a highly parallelized microfluidic architecture to construct gDNA and cDNA libraries.

A microfluidic device having integrated components for conducting chemical operations. Depending upon the desired application, the components include electrodes for manipulating charged entities, heaters, electrochemical detectors, sensors for temperature, pH, fluid flow, and other useful components. The device may be fabricated from a plastic substrate such as, for example, a substantially saturated norbornene based polymer. The components are integrated into the device by adhering an electrically conductive film to the substrate. The film may be made of metal or an electrically conducting ink and is applied to the device through metal deposition, printing, or other methods for applying films. Methods for reducing bubble formation during electrokinetic separation and methods for heating material in a microfluidic device are also disclosed.

Disclosed are methods, devices and systems for biological and chemical sample processing using microfluidic chips. The disclosed microfluidic chips contain at least two detection zones for interacting with pre-selected RNA sequences, DNA sequences, antibodies, or antigens to determine their presence in the sample. Systems are also described comprising a cassette having at least one port and a sample inlet in fluid communication with a detection zone for interacting with pre-selected RNA sequences, DNA sequences, antibodies, or antigens, or mixtures thereof, if present, in a sample. Methods for concurrent testing of at least two of RNA, DNA, antibody, and antigen in a sample are also described, as are methods for testing for pre-selected pathogens and microfluidic methods.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sample assay structure in a microfluidic chip for quantitative analysis which comprises a sample inlet port for inputting a testing sample; an analyte detection region, coupled to the sample inlet port, consisting of at least one microfluidic channel, in which a plurality of immobilized substances capable of reacting with the analyte are placed; and a fluid driving device, capable of controlling the speed of the flow of the test sample through the analyte detection region, allowing the quantity of the analyte be indicated by the length of the portion of the microfluidic channel where the analyte reacted with the immobilized substances.

Microfluidic systems and components. A microfluidic system includes one or more functional units or microfluidic chips, configured to perform constituent steps in a process and interconnected to form the system. A multi-layer microfluidic system includes a separate dedicated fluid layer and dedicated electromechanical layer connected via through-holes. Electromechanical components are formed on the electromechanical layer.

This invention provides microfluidic devices that comprise a fluidics layer having microfluidic channels and one or more regulating layers that regulate the movement of fluid in the channels. The microfluidic devices can be used to mix one or more fluids. At least a portion of the fluidics layer can be isolated from the regulating layer, for example in the form of a shelf. Such isolated portions can be used as areas in which the temperature of liquids is controlled. Also provided are instruments including thermal control devices into which the microfluidic device is engaged so that the thermal control device controls temperature in the isolated portion, and a movable magnetic assembly including magnets with shields so that a focused magnetic field can be applied to or withdrawn from the isolated portion or any other portion of the microfluidic device. Also provided are methods of mixing fluids. The methods include stacking a plurality of alternating boluses of different liquids in a microfluidic channel, and moving the stacked boluses through the channel. In another method, the boluses are moved into a diaphragm valve having a volume able to accommodate several boluses, and then pumping the liquids out of the valve.

Disclosed are microflulidic chips that include a plurality of vias; a functionalized porous polymer monolith capable of being in fluid communication with a via; a microarray capable of being in fluid communication with the functionalized porous polymer monolith; and an observation port through which at least one target disposed within the microarray is capable of being detected. The disclosed microfluidic chips contain microarrays that can be effectively coupled to functionalized porous polymer monoliths for capturing and concentrating sample nucleic acids. Also disclosed are microfluidic chips containing microarray probes having observation ports that enable the preparation of microarrays and the detection of targets. These microfluidic chips are capable of capturing and concentrating genetic material for the analysis and identification of biological organisms, such as so-called “threat genes” from chimeric bioweapons.

Microfluidic assay detectors and microfluidic assay detection methods are disclosed. A microfluidic chip is coupled to a light emitting device, emission filters and excitation filters. Excited fluorescent light is detected by a camera and a lens. The correspondent reading allows parallel detection of features such as antigens and biomarkers. A microfluidic filter and related methods are also disclosed. The filter can be used with on-chip fluid filtration such as whole blood filtration for microfluidic blood analysis. The filter is able to filter the necessary volume of fluid and in particular blood in an acceptable time frame.

The invention relates to a multichannel micro-fluidic chip specially used for AIDS diagnosis and comprising quasi-one-dimensional sensitive electrodes, belonging to the field of test. One of the hopes in the progress of medical techniques is to quickly diagnose AIDS at low cost. The invention provides a micro-fluidic chip that uses a plurality of AIDS characteristic antibodies to simultaneously detect and quickly diagnose AIDS. The chip is provided with three micro liquid storage tanks. The key points of the proposal lie in that the inner of the chip contains capillary channels of parallel structure, the parallel structure contains four micro-channels mutually connected in parallel, four working electrodes of bead string structure in total are respectively arranged in the four micro-channels, the substances on the superficial coats of the four working electrodes of bead string structure are respectively four antibody substances, namely, AIDS antibodies p24, gp41, gp120 and gp36. The application of the chip is conducive to increasing the diagnosis efficiency of AIDS as shown by the structural characteristics.

The invention relates to a special micro-fluidic chip for cholera diagnosis with one-dimensional self-assembly magnetic bead chain electrodes, belonging to the field of testing. Rapid diagnosis of fulminating infectious disease cholera with low cost is one of many expectations in the development of medical technology, and the invention provides a micro-fluidic chip for simultaneously detecting and rapidly diagnosing cholera by using multiple characteristic antibodies of cholera. The chip is provided with three micro liquid storage tanks, and the invention is characterized in that capillary passages in parallel configuration contain in the chip, the parallel configuration contains four micro-passages that are mutually in parallel, four magnetic bead chain working electrodes are respectively installed inside the four micro-passages, the surface substances of the four magnetic bead chain working electrodes are respectively four antibody substances that are cholera TP0821 antibody, cholera TP0319 antibody, cholera TP0624 antibody and cholera O139 mycoprotein antibody. The integrated structure and the appearances of specific magnetic bead chain working electrodes facilitate to improve the diagnosis efficiency of cholera diseases.

This invention provides methods and systems for flushing, washing, and priming microscale devices for reuse. Washing and priming methods include flowing solutions from a manifold to flush wells and microchannels of a microfluidic chip. Systems include manifolds adapted to seal and flow solutions or gasses into chip wells. Devices include microfluidic devices with data storage modules to track the reprocessing status of the microscale devices.

A method for preparing microcapsules using a droplet-based microfluidic chip. Monodisperse microcapsules, which are hollow or can be loaded with a desired material, are prepared using a droplet-based microfluidic chip through the movement of a monomer molecule from the inside of droplets to the interface of droplets, the diffusion of a photoinitiator to the interface of droplets, and the suppression of radical activity by oxygen in droplets. The method involves the use of a simple microfluidic channel and selectively photopolymerizing the shell of the droplets without needing the use of a chemically treated microfluidic channel or a complex microfluidic channel.

The invention relates to a micro-fluidic chip special for diagnosing syphilis by aid of organic conductor material technology, belonging to the field of analytical testing. One of the improved purposes of the related therapy is to rapidly and cheaply diagnose the syphilis; the invention provides a micro-fluidic chip aiming at the purpose. The technical proposal is that: the chip comprises four branch pipes which are mutually connected in parallel; four fibrous working electrodes are installed in the four branch pipes; the fibrous working electrodes are composed by fibrous electrodes and golden coating sensitive films adhered on the fibrous electrodes and embedded with syphilis-specific antigen; each golden coating sensitive film at surface of the four fibrous working electrodes is respectively embedded with four different syphilis-specific antigen substances; the four antigen substances are respectively syphilis-specific antigen TP0684, TP0453, TP0821 and TP0319. The body materials of the fibrous working electrodes are pyrolysis conductive macromolecule materials. The chip in the invention has low cost and multiple channels.

The invention relates to a micro-fluidic chip and a micro-fluidic chip system for single cell analysis and a single cell analyzing method. The micro-fluidic chip for single cell analysis comprises a transparent top cover, a microfluid channel, a substrate with a micropore array and a bottom plate with a cavity body, which are sequentially connected from top to bottom in a sealing manner, wherein the transparent top cover is provided with an inflow hole and an outflow hole which are used for communicating the outside and the microfluid channel, the micropore array of the substrate is arranged below the microfluid channel and is communicated with the microfluid channel, each micropore is internally provided with an electrode, each electrode is provided with a cathode and an anode, each micropore can contain a single cell only, the bottom of each micropore is provided with a channel which is communicated with the cavity body of the bottom plate, and the cross section of the channel is smaller than the size of each single cell. With the adoption of the micro-fluidic chip, the micro-fluidic chip system and the single cell analyzing method, the capturing, identifying and disruption processes of each single cell are integrated on one micro-fluidic chip; as a corresponding operation method is provided, the content of each single cell is rapidly acquired and accurately analyzed.

An optical system for acquiring fast spectra from spatially channel arrays includes a light source for producing a light beam that passes through the microfluidic chip or the channel to be monitored, one or more lenses or optical fibers for capturing the light from the light source after interaction with the particles or chemicals in the microfluidic channels, and one or more detectors. The detectors, which may include light amplifying elements, detect each light signal and transducer the light signal into an electronic signal. The electronic signals, each representing the intensity of an optical signal, pass from each detector to an electronic data acquisition system for analysis. The light amplifying element or elements may comprise an array of phototubes, a multianode phototube, or a multichannel plate based image intensifier coupled to an array of photodiode detectors.

An apparatus for performing microchemistry having:—

• (a) a vapour permeable microfluidic chip structure (1) having:—
  • a supply conduit (11a-c) enclosed in the chip structure having first and second opposed ends to enable first and second fluid materials to interact by flowing the first and second fluid materials towards one another from the opposed ends of the supply conduit, and
  • a valve mechanism (13b) in the chip structure operable to open and close the supply conduit at an intermediate position (55) located between the first and second ends thereof whereby the chip structure is sequentially movable from a filling state in which the intermediate position is closed to enable the fluid materials to be blind-filled in the supply conduit on opposed sides of the intermediate position and an interaction state in which the intermediate position is open to enable the fluid materials to interact; and
• (b) a vaporizer (100) for forming a vaporous environment about the chip structure to compensate for evaporation of the fluid materials from the supply conduit of the chip structure in the interaction state.

An apparatus and method of identifying objects includes: a microfluidic chip in which are disposed a plurality of channels, the microfluidic chip including: a main fluid channel into which a sample fluid mixture of objects to be identified is introduced; a plurality of sheath fluid channels into which sheath fluids are introduced, the sheath fluids which orient the objects in the main fluid channel in a predetermined direction while still maintaining laminar flow in the main fluid channel; an interrogation apparatus which detects and interrogates the oriented objects in the main fluid channel; and a focused energy apparatus which performs an action on the objects.

The invention encompasses methods and devices for diagnosing, theranosing, or prognosing a condition in a patient by enriching a sample in rare cells or other particles. The devices can be a microfluidic device comprising an array of obstacles and one or more binding moieties. The devices and methods can allow for enrichment of cells based on size and affinity, recovery of cells or other particles in locations on the microfluidic device, release of cells or other particles from the microfluidic device, flow of sample through the microfluidic device, and retention of rare cells or other particles from a sample obtained from a patient having a condition.

A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

The invention relates to a microfluidic chip and a manufacturing method thereof. The microfluidic chip comprises an upper chip unit and a lower chip unit; the surfaces of the chip units are respectively provided with a liquid storing hole, a liquid channel communicated with the liquid storing holes and a microchannel communicated with the liquid channel; the upper chip unit and the lower chip unit are attached to each other and the microchannel is sealed between the two chip units; the microfluidic chip also comprises a micro valve, wherein the micro-valve main body is one of the following structures: a three-dimensional micrometer and three-dimensional nanometer hierarchical structure of polymers formed on the microchannel in array arrangement, a three-dimensional micrometer structure ofpolymers formed on the microchannel in array arrangement or a three-dimensional nanometer structure of polymers formed on the microchannel in array arrangement; the polymers can generate specific responses to an external field under the action of the external field; and the specific responses are reversibility transformation of one or more of surface chemical compositions of the polymers, the above structures and surface properties, thus realizing controllable operations for the flow state of a microfluid in the microchannel. The micro valve in the microfluidic chip is manufactured in situ and miniaturized on the microfluidic chip, thus realizing switch gradient control for the flow of the microfluid and fast switch reversibility transformation.

An interface cartridge for a microfluidic chip, with microfluidic process channels and fluidic connection holes at opposed ends of the process channels, provides ancillary fluid structure, including fluid flow channels and input and/or waste wells, which mix and/or convey reaction fluids to the fluidic connection holes and into the process channels of the microfluidic chip.

The invention provides a bio-sensing nanodevice comprising: a stabilized G-protein coupled receptor on a support, a real time receptor-ligand binding detection method, a test composition delivery system and a test composition recognition program. The G-protein coupled receptor can be stabilized using surfactant peptide. The nanodevice provides a greater surface area for better precision and sensitivity to odorant detection. The invention further provides a microfluidic chip containing a stabilized G-protein coupled receptor immobilized on a support, and arranged in at least two dimensional microarray system. The invention also provides a method of delivering odorant comprising the step of manipulating the bubbles in complex microfluidic networks wherein the bubbles travel in a microfluidic channel carrying a variety of gas samples to a precise location on a chip. The invention further provides method of fabricating hOR17-4 olfactory receptor.

The invention discloses a cell sorter micro-fluidic chip based on the immunomagnetic separation technology and application thereof in the aspect of enrichment of rare cells, belonging to the technicalfield of micro-fluidic chips. The micro-fluidic chip, improved on the basis of the existing Y-type micro-fluidic chip, comprises a substrate and a cover-slip, wherein a Y-shaped micro-channel, a sample cell (1) and a buffer cell (2) respectively located at two end points of the upper part of the Y-shaped micro-channel, and an effluent cell (3) located at the end point of the lower part of the Y-shaped micro-channel are arranged on the substrate; and an antigen/antibody immunological reaction chamber (4) located on the micro-channel between the cross point (5) of the Y-shaped micro-channel andthe effluent cell (3) is further arranged on the substrate, wherein the width of the antigen/antibody immunological reaction chamber (4) is 2 to 5 times that of the micro-channel. The chip of the invention can effectively and rapidly fix the magnetic beads, increase the sample size of cells, improve the analysis flux, reduce the dead volume of sample introduction and reduce the retention and cross infection.

The invention belongs to the technical field of preparing the surface of a composite structure, and in particular relates to a method for preparing super-hydrophobic antireflective silicon surface with a micron and nanometer composite structure. The method comprises the following steps: cleaning a silicon chip; preparing a micron-level silicon island and a gridding structure on the surface of the silicon chip; carrying out catalytic etching taking silver or aurum nanoparticles as blockage; obtaining the surface of the micron and nanometer composite structure; and carrying out chemical modification of the surface of the composite structure. A static contact angle between the super-hydrophobic antireflective material surface prepared by the method and water is more than 150 degrees, and a static rolling angle of water is less than 3 degrees. The surface has superior antireflective performance, and in particular, the light reflectivity within the wavelength range between 800 and 1,100 nm is less than 3 percent. With application of the method, the super-hydrophobic antireflective silicon surface of the micron and nanometer composite structure can be produced on scale, can be widely applied to a solar cell, a microfluidic chip, a photoelectric device, and the like, and has good industrial application prospect.

The invention discloses a micro-fluidic chip structure for a flow cytometer, and a preparation method a micro-fluidic chip. The chip comprises a sample liquid inlet 1, a column array structure 6, a conical focusing structure 7, a micro-channel 8, a detection zone 4, a flow expanding channel 9 and a waste liquid outlet end 5, wherein the column array structure 6 can play a role of filtering agglomerate protein impurities and other large biological solids inside sample liquid; and the conical focusing structure 7 has a focusing effect which is similar to that of the traditional sheath liquid system, so that cell granules flow inside the micro-channel 8 one by one; and the micro-channel 8 restricts the cells through the channel, so that the cells pass through the detection zone 4 one by one. By adopting the chip structure disclosed by the invention, the focusing effect without sheath flow liquid can be achieved; and blockage is not generated, so as to reduce use of the sheath flow liquid; and meanwhile, the situation that the cell granules pass through the detection zone one by one is ensured. The processing method of the micro-fluidic chip is convenient; the used bonding method is a common bonding method, and is simple and convenient to operate; and the used material PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) is easy to process and has good biocompatibility.

The invention provides a full-automatic nucleic acid extraction and PCR amplification micro-fluidic chip which comprises at least one main body, wherein the main body is distributed in equal distance around the chip; the main body comprises a nucleic acid extraction unit, a PCR amplification unit, a waste liquid unit and an exhaust unit, wherein the nucleic acid extraction unit is positioned on the main body and is used for extracting, washing and eluting nucleic acid in sequence under the driving of centrifugal force and capillary force; the PCR amplification unit is adopted for PCR reaction amplification; the waste liquid unit comprises a waste liquid cavity which is used for storing a waste liquid; the exhaust unit comprises exhaust holes and a plurality of exhaust channels; and the plurality of exhaust channels are communicated with the nucleic acid extraction unit, the PCR amplification unit and the waste liquid unit and are used for exhausting air. The invention discloses a micro-fluidic chip for achieving full-automatic nucleic acid extraction and PCR reaction through centrifugal force, capillary force and siphon phenomenon, the micro-fluidic chip has no integrated equipment such as pumps or valves, so that the manufacturing difficulty and cost of the chip are greatly reduced, and moreover the reliability of the chip is improved.

The invention relates to a special AIDS diagnosis device combining and utilizing a high polymer anoxybiotic pyrolysis product, belonging to the test field. Aiming at rapid and low-cost AIDS diagnosis which is one of medical technical progress expectations, the invention provides a micro-fluidic chip for simultaneously detecting and rapidly diagnosing AIDS by utilizing a plurality of AIDS characteristic antibodies, and the chip is provided with three micro liquid storage tanks. The invention is characterized in that the chip comprises capillary channels in parallel construction containing four micro channels mutually connected in parallel; four fibrous working electrodes are respectively mounted in the four micro channels; and four antibody substances, i.e. an AIDS antibody p24, an AIDS antibody gp41, an AIDS antibody gp120 and an AIDS antibody gp36 are respectively arranged on the surfaces of the four fibrous working electrodes which are originally made of pyrolysis conductive macromolecular material. The chip has low cost and multiple channels.

The invention relates to a microfluidic control chip which is formed by bonding and sealing PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) material integrated with a micro valve, and comprises an upper layer of air control passage, a middle layer of PDMS membrane and a lower layer of microfluidic passage. A real-time PCR virus quick detection device comprises the microfluidic control chip, a temperature control unit, a signal detection unit and a data processing and control unit. The invention designs the microfluidic control chip which is integrated with the micro valve, is in a three-layer PDMS structure, andis used for virus detection and the real-time fluorescent PCR detection device. Compared with the traditional method, the invention has the advantages of short time, less sample usage, quick detection speed, simpleness and convenience in operation, integration and the like.

The invention discloses an integrated chip system for high-throughput sorting and counting detection of biological particles, and an application. The chip system comprises a main microfluidic chip, a micropipe, a sample liquid micropump, an exchange liquid micropump, a first waste liquid collecting device, a second waste liquid collecting device, a third waste liquid collecting device, laser emitters, photoelectric conversion devices, optical fibers and a computer, wherein the main microfluidic chip comprises an asymmetric curved flow path, a first branch channel, a second branch channel, a third branch channel, a main flow path, a branch flow path, aligning marks, etc. The system utilizes the asymmetric curved flow path to realize pre-focusing and sorting for the particles, utilizes a liquid changing flow channel to realize change of a carrier liquid of to-be-tested particles and particle cleaning, and utilizes a viscoelastic effect and an inertial effect of a viscoelastic fluid to realize focus of single equilibrium position of section centers of the particles. The system does not need a sheath liquid, complex pre-cleaning of the particles, and optical alignment, has advantages of high speed, high precision, integration, miniaturization, automation, low cost, simple production process, easy batch production, etc.

The invention discloses a method for preparing mono-disperse microemulsion, liposome and microspheres based on a microfluidic technology. The method comprises the following steps: taking aqueous solution (or oily solution) of a hydrophilic medicine (or a lipid-soluble medicine) as a disperse phase; taking an oil phase (or an aqueous phase) as a continuous phase; and respectively conveying the disperse phase and the continuous phase into corresponding micro-channels of a microfluidic chip device, shearing the phases into mono-disperse liquid drops of the encapsulated medicine, then curing the liquid drops by a certain curing method, and finally obtaining the medicine-carrying liposome, microspheres or the biodegradable microspheres with uniform size and dispersion stability. Under an optimum condition, the diameter distribution coefficients of the microemulsion and the microspheres can be less than 5%, and the diameter is 10-500microns. By utilizing the method, the problems such as uneven size, low embedding rate, poor dispersibility, poor targeting property, low bioavailability, low bioactivity of enzyme and cells, immune suppression and the like of the medicine-carrying microemulsion, the liposome and the microspheres prepared by the traditional ultrasonic method, agitation emulsification method and film hydration-dispersion method are solved.