# US 12,179,207 B2 · Digital PCR system and digital PCR droplet formation method

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- Number: US 12,179,207 B2
- Document ID: US12179207B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/044,500
- Filed: 2018-11-23
- Published: 2021-07-22
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-13
- Assignees: Shanghai Industrial µ Technology Research Institute
- Applicants: Shanghai Industrial μTechnology Research Institute
- Inventors: Xuanye Wu; Yimin Guan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179207B2

## CPC

- B01L 7/52: {with provision for submitting samples to a predetermined sequence of different temperatures, e.g. for treating nucleic acid samples}
- C12Q 1/6851: Quantitative amplification
- B01L 3/502784: {specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics}
- C12M 1/00: Apparatus for enzymology or microbiology
- C12M 1/34: Measuring or testing with condition measuring or sensing means, e.g. colony counters
- C12M 1/38: Temperature-responsive control
- C12Q 1/686: Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
- B01L 3/502715: {characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces}
- B01L 2200/147: Employing temperature sensors
- B01L 2200/16: Reagents, handling or storing thereof
- B01L 2300/041: Connecting closures to device or container
- B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
- B01L 2300/123: Flexible; Elastomeric
- B01L 2300/1822: using Peltier elements
- B01L 2300/1827: using resistive heater
- B01L 2300/1844: using fans
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}

## Abstract

A digital PCR system includes a droplet formation assembly and a droplet ejection hole assembly, the droplet ejection hole assembly being connected below the droplet formation assembly. The droplet formation assembly includes a cover plate and at least one annular step connected to a lower surface of the cover plate, and the droplet ejection hole assembly has a plurality of droplet ejection holes. The upper surface of the droplet ejection hole assembly, the lower surface of the cover plate and the annular step jointly enclose to form a droplet formation chamber. A vaporization component is provided within the droplet ejection holes, being used for vaporizing a liquid layer of a digital PCR solution in the droplet ejection holes and quickly pushing same into droplet formation oil in the droplet formation chamber so as to form digital PCR droplets.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system, comprising:
a droplet generation component, comprising a cover plate and at least one annular step connected to a lower surface of said cover plate; and
a droplet nozzle member, connected to a bottom of the droplet generation component, and comprising a plurality of droplet nozzles, said plurality of droplet nozzles has openings on a upper surface of said droplet nozzle member, said plurality of droplet nozzles extends toward, but not through, a lower surface of said droplet nozzle member,
wherein the upper surface of the droplet nozzle member, the lower surface of the cover plate and the annular step together form a droplet generation chamber,
said plurality of droplet nozzles are connected to said droplet generation chamber, and each of said plurality of droplet nozzles have a single vaporizing part for vaporizing digital PCR solution inside said plurality of droplet nozzles, and generate a vapor of digital PCR solution into droplet generating oil in said droplet generation chamber to generate digital PCR droplets at a rate of more than 1000 droplets per second, and
wherein said droplet nozzle member comprises a thermal bubble print chip.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein a height of said annular step is less than twice a diameter of the generated digital PCR droplets, so that the generated digital PCR droplets spread out to form a one-layer structure in said droplet generation chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein said droplet generation component further comprises at least one droplet generating oil injection hole, said at least one droplet generating oil injection hole is connected to said droplet generation chamber through said cover plate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein said droplet generation component further comprises at least one exhaust port of droplet generation chamber, said at least one exhaust port of droplet generation chamber is connected to said droplet generation chamber through said cover plate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein the single vaporizing part of each of said plurality of droplet nozzles is on a lower surface of each respective droplet nozzle of the plurality of droplet nozzles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of droplet nozzles comprises an opening that has a cross-sectional shape that is round, ellipse, or polygon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein each respective single vaporizing part comprises a heating element for vaporizing liquid layers of said digital PCR solution by heating.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The digital PCR system of claim 7, wherein said heating elements comprise at least one metal layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The digital PCR system of claim 1, wherein said PCR system further comprises at least one PCR reagent chamber for storing the digital PCR solution, said droplet nozzle member has a flow channel, and said plurality of droplet nozzles are connected to said at least one PCR reagent chamber through said flow channel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The digital PCR system of claim 9, wherein said flow channel comprise at least one main flow channel and a plurality of branch flow channels connecting to said at least one main flow channel, and each of said plurality of droplet nozzles is connected to one of said plurality of branch flow channels.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The digital PCR system of claim 9, wherein said digital PCR system further comprises a substrate, said at least one PCR reagent chamber is disposed in said substrate and has an opening an upper surface of said substrate, and said droplet nozzle member is connected to the upper surface of said substrate and covers the opening of said at least one PCR reagent chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The digital PCR system of claim 11, wherein at least one digital PCR solution injection hole is provided in a lower surface of said substrate, said digital PCR solution injection hole being connected to said at least one PCR reagent chamber.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The digital PCR system of claim 11, wherein at least one exhaust port of the PCR reagent chamber is provided on a lower surface of said substrate, said exhaust port of PCR reagent chamber is connected to said at least one PCR reagent chamber.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The digital PCR system of claim 11, wherein said digital PCR system further comprises a flexible circuit board, said flexible circuit board is connected from above and to the substrate, said flexible circuit board has a through hole for accommodating said droplet nozzle member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The digital PCR system of claim 14, wherein said flexible circuit board is connected to said substrate by a glue.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The digital PCR system of claim 15, wherein a cross-sectional area of said droplet generation component is larger than a cross-sectional area of the opening of said at least one PCR reagent chamber, at least one channel for preventing the glue from flowing to said droplet nozzle member is provided on a region of said substrate surface covered by said droplet nozzle member.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The digital PCR system of claim 15, wherein an annular channel is provided on the upper surface of said substrate for preventing the glue from flowing to said droplet nozzle member, said annular channel is arranged around said droplet nozzle member.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The digital PCR system of claim 14, wherein further comprising at least two positioning through holes arranged in said flexible circuit board, and positioning bumps at positions corresponding to the at least two positioning holes are provided on the upper surface of said substrate.