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.
Claims18
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 to focus the sample stream laterally and first and second vertical fluid focusing features to focus the sample stream vertically after the sample stream is focused laterally, 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 fluid focusing features, the sample stream and a focusing fluid entering the fluid focusing region in a same plane;
- and
- an inspection region at least partially downstream of the fluid focusing region.
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 adjacent to the lateral fluid focusing feature, and a second vertical fluid focusing feature disposed downstream of the first vertical fluid focusing feature, 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 fluid focusing features.
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 adjacent to the lateral fluid focusing feature, and a second vertical fluid focusing feature downstream of the first vertical fluid focusing feature, 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 fluid focusing features, the sample stream and a focusing fluid entering the fluid focusing region in a same plane;
- and
- an inspection region at least partially downstream of the fluid focusing region.
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 disposed downstream of the lateral focusing feature, and a second vertical fluid focusing feature disposed downstream of the first vertical fluid focusing feature, 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 fluid focusing features, the sample stream and a focusing fluid entering the fluid focusing region in a same plane;
- and
- an inspection region at least partially downstream of the fluid focusing region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.