World-to-chip automated interface for centrifugal microfluidic platforms
AssigneeNational Research Council of Canada
InventorsLiviu Clime, Keith Morton, Daniel Brassard, Mathias Geissler, Jamal Daoud, Harold Hebert, Teodor Veres
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A centrifugal microfluidic platform is combined with a stationary liquid pumping system which pumps liquids into microfluidic chips by dripping through a stationary dispensing nozzle without any physical contact or coupling between the nozzles and the microfluidic chips.
Claims16
A system for delivering liquid to a microfluidic chip, the system comprising:
- a centrifugal microfluidic platform including a rotor configured to receive at least one microfluidic chip on a top surface of said rotor;
- and
- a stationary liquid pumping system positioned adjacent to said centrifugal microfluidic platform, said liquid pumping system comprising at least one stationary nozzle positioned above said top surface for dripping liquid into said at least one microfluidic chip mounted on said top surface, without any physical contact or coupling between said at least one nozzle and said at least one microfluidic chip,
- the centrifugal microfluidic platform comprising an articulated centrifugal platform.
A method of delivering liquid to two or more ports on one or more microfluidic chips mounted to an articulated centrifugal microfluidic platform with two degrees of freedom, the method comprising:
- while retaining said chip on a top surface of a rotor of said platform, rotating said platform about a primary axis thereof, and rotating at least one chip about a secondary axis thereof, the secondary axis offset from said primary axis, until at least one first loading port is respectively aligned with at least one stationary liquid dispensing nozzle of a liquid pumping system;
- operating the liquid pumping system to dispense respective liquids to the first loading port or ports without any physical contact or coupling between said at least one nozzle and said chip;
- rotating said platform about the primary axis, and said at least one chip about said secondary axis to change an orientation of said chip until a second loading port is aligned with at least one second loading port is respectively aligned with the at least one stationary liquid dispensing nozzle of said system;
- and
- operating the liquid pumping system to dispense respective liquids to the second loading port or ports without any physical contact or coupling between said at least one nozzle and said chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.