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US 10,583,439 B2Granted
Hydrodynamic focusing apparatus and methods
AssigneeCytonome/St, LLC
InventorsErin Koksal, Johnathan Charles Sharpe, Kristopher Scott Buchanan, Blair D. Morad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microfluidic chip having a micro channel for processing a sample is provided. The micro channel may focus the sample by using focusing fluid and a core stream forming geometry. The core stream forming geometry may include a lateral fluid focusing component and one or more vertical fluid focusing components. A microfluidic chip may include a plurality micro channels operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.
Claims23
A microfluidic assembly for use with a particle processing instrument, the microfluidic assembly comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a flow channel formed in the substrate, the flow channel having:
- an inlet configured to receive a sample stream;
- a fluid focusing region configured to focus the sample stream, the fluid focusing region having a lateral fluid focusing feature, a first vertical fluid focusing feature, and a second vertical fluid focusing feature, the lateral, the first vertical, and the second vertical fluid focusing features provided at different longitudinal locations along the flow channel, wherein a bottom surface of the flow channel lies in a first plane upstream of the first and second vertical fluid focusing features and the bottom surface of the flow channel shifts vertically upward to lie in a second plane downstream of the first and second vertical focusing features;
- and
- an inspection region at least partially downstream of the fluid focusing region.
4 more elements
A microfluidic chip comprising:
- a substantially planar chip substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- a microfluidic flow channel provided within the chip substrate;
- a first inlet port formed on the upper surface of the chip substrate for receiving a focusing fluid;
- wherein the first inlet port is in fluid communication with the microfluidic flow channel,
- wherein the microfluidic flow channel includes a first focusing fluid inlet configured to introduce focusing fluid from the first inlet port into the microfluidic channel in a first direction, a second focusing fluid inlet configured to introduce focusing fluid from the first inlet port into the microfluidic channel in a second direction, and a third focusing fluid inlet configured to introduce focusing fluid from the first inlet port into the microfluidic channel in a third direction,
- wherein the microfluidic flow channel includes a fluid flow focusing region having an upstream end region and a downstream end region,
- wherein the first focusing fluid inlet is configured to introduce focusing fluid into the fluid flow focusing region in the upstream end region,
- wherein the second and third focusing fluid inlets are configured to introduce focusing fluid into the fluid flow focusing region in the downstream end region, and
- wherein a bottom surface of the microfluidic flow channel lies in a first plane upstream of the second and third focusing fluid inlets and the bottom surface of the microfluidic flow channel lies in a second plane downstream of the second and third focusing fluid inlets.
6 more elements
A microfluidic chip comprising:
- a substantially planar substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- a microfluidic channel formed in the substantially planar substrate and having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- an inlet port formed on the upper surface of the substantially planar substrate and configured to receive a focusing fluid;
- a first focusing fluid channel in fluid communication with the inlet port and configured to introduce focusing fluid into the microfluidic channel via a first aperture in the upper surface of the microfluidic channel;
- and
- a second focusing fluid channel in fluid communication with the inlet port and configured to introduce focusing fluid into the microfluidic channel via a second aperture in the lower surface of the microfluidic channel,
- wherein a bottom surface of the microfluidic channel lies in a first plane upstream of the first aperture and the bottom surface of the microfluidic channel lies in a second plane downstream of the second aperture.
4 more elements
A microfluidic assembly for use with a particle processing instrument, the microfluidic assembly comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a flow channel formed in the substrate, the flow channel having:
- an inlet configured to receive a sample stream;
- and
- a fluid focusing region configured to focus the sample stream, the fluid focusing region having a lateral fluid focusing feature, a first vertical fluid focusing feature, and a second vertical fluid focusing feature, the lateral, the first vertical, and the second vertical fluid focusing features provided at different longitudinal locations along the flow channel, wherein a top surface of the flow channel lies in a first plane upstream of the first and second vertical fluid focusing features and the top surface of the flow channel shifts vertically upward to lie in a second plane downstream of the first and second vertical focusing features.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.