Wells for optimized sample loading in microfluidic chips
AssigneeStilla Technologies
InventorsNicolas Fernandez, Étienne Fradet, Rémi Dangla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a loading well (320) comprising a lateral wall part (3211) in cross-section parallel to the base plan (x/y) and/or a bottom wall part comprising at least one sloped bottom section (32121). The present invention also relates to a microfluidic chip comprising the same: systems comprising the same configured to reduce the dead volume of a drop of sample to be loaded in the microfluidic chip and/or to trap a drop in a defined location; and methods using the same.
Claims14
A well (320) for loading a sample into a microfluidic chip, the well comprising a loading opening (325) having an open cavity (324),
- wherein the well prior to loading of said sample is at least partially filled with an oil continuous phase (312),
- wherein the well is bounded by a wall (321) which comprises a bottom wall part (3212) globally extending according to a bottom plane (wbp) parallel to the base plane (x/y) and a lateral wall part (3211) extending along a well lateral direction (wld) disposed according to an angle 0°<α<180° relative to the bottom plane (wbp),
- wherein the loading opening (325) is defined by a free end of the lateral wall part (3211) opposite to the bottom plane (wbp),
- wherein the bottom wall part (3212) comprises at least one sloped bottom section (32121), which has a main slope with an average sloping angle δ from about 5° to about 15° from the bottom plane (wbp) at the level of the lateral wall part (3211) to a position of higher depth d of the sloped bottom section (32121), and
- wherein an inlet port (330) is accommodated in the bottom wall part (3212), located off-center in the bottom wall part (3212) and at the position of higher depth d of the sloped bottom section (32121).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.