Microfluidic Parking Loops for Nanoliter Fluid Trapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for conducting drug screens with primary cells derived from human tissues and biofluids face challenges in scaling down to nanoliter volumes due to fluid evaporation and pipetting errors, limiting the ease and parallelized fluid handling capabilities compared to drop-based microfluidics.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device with microchannel networks, including parking loops and fluidic traps, that allows for precise trapping and storage of nanoliter-scale fluid volumes using hydrodynamic traps and a cover to reduce evaporation, integrated with pipette-based handling for efficient sample manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiwell plates and pipetting systems are used for drug assays, then ease of operation and parallelized fluid handling are maintained, but scaling down to nanoliter volumes is difficult due to fluid evaporation and pipetting errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces microfluidic devices as an intermediary system between traditional multiwell plates and nanoliter-scale assays. The microfluidic device includes microchannels, parking loops, and fluidic traps that enable precise nanoliter volume handling while maintaining ease of operation through integrated fluid management structures
Solution Approach 2:
The microfluidic device segments the fluid handling process into distinct functional zones: microchannels for fluid transport, parking loops for temporary storage and evaporation prevention, and fluidic traps for precise volume control. This segmentation enables precise nanoliter volume handling while maintaining operational ease
2Manufacturing precision
If drop-based microfluidics is used to compartmentalize cells in picoliter volumes, then volume precision is improved, but ease of operation and parallelized fluid handling capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The microfluidic device performs multiple functions within a single integrated platform: it can handle picoliter to nanoliter volumes, prevent evaporation through covered microchannels, trap and store fluids in parking loops, and enable parallelized assays across multiple microchannels simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The microfluidic device serves as an intermediary between drop-based microfluidics and traditional multiwell plates, combining the volume precision of microfluidics with the operational ease and parallelization capability of multiwell plate formats
3Quantity of substance
If nanoliter volumes are used for drug screens with primary cells, then cell sample and compound volume requirements are reduced, but fluid evaporation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microfluidic device uses thin film structures including a top layer with openings that cover the microchannels containing nanoliter volumes. This thin film cover prevents evaporation from the exposed fluid surfaces while allowing access to the fluid through controlled openings
Solution Approach 2:
The device pre-establishes evaporation prevention measures by covering microchannels with a top layer before assays begin. Parking loops are designed with covers that prevent evaporation before fluids are loaded, and fluidic traps are positioned to minimize exposed surface area
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient trapping and storage of nanoliter-scale fluid volumes with minimal evaporation, facilitating high-throughput drug assays with maintained cell viability and precise control over fluid volumes, addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
A microfluidic device with microchannel networks, including parking loops and fluidic traps, that allows for precise trapping and storage of nanoliter-scale fluid volumes using hydrodynamic traps
Implementation Method 2
a cover to reduce evaporation
Data Source
AI summary
A microfluidic device includes a substrate and a cover. The substrate has an inlet port, a first microchannel, one or more parking loops, a second microchannel and an outlet port for each microchannel network. The first microchannel is connected to the inlet port, the second microchannel is connected to the outlet port, the parking loops are connected between the first and second microchannels. Each parking loop includes a parking loop inlet, a parking loop output, a fluidic trap connected between the parking loop inlet and the parking loop outlet, and a bypass microchannel connected to the parking loop inlet and the parking loop outlet. The cover is attached to a top of the substrate and has an inlet opening and an outlet opening through the cover for each microchannel network. The inlet and outlet openings of the cover are disposed above the inlet and outlet ports in the substrate.