# US 2010/0167355 A1 · Microreactor with vent channels for removing air from a reaction chamber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167355 A1 - Document ID: US20100167355A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/648,226 - Filed: 2009-12-28 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29 - Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l. - Inventors: Michele Palmieri; Gaetano Panvini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167355A1 ## CPC - B01L 3/502707: {characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components} - B01L 3/502723: {characterised by venting arrangements} - B01L 3/567: {Valves, taps or stop-cocks} - C12P 19/34: Polynucleotides, e.g. nucleic acids, oligoribonucleotides - C12Q 1/686: Polymerase chain reaction [PCR] - B01L 2200/0684: Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles - B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices - B01L 2300/048: enabling gas exchange, e.g. vents - B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions - B01L 2300/0861: Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices - B01L 2300/0874: Three dimensional network - B01L 2300/1822: using Peltier elements - B01L 2400/0406: capillary forces - B01L 2400/0688: surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - 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 ## Abstract A microreactor for performing chemical reactions, includes a body (2, 3), a first chamber (5) and a second chamber (7), both formed in the body (2,3). Interconnections (8) are provided for fluidly coupling the first chamber (5) and the second chamber (7) through the body (2, 3). The microreactor also includes a venting passage (10; 110; 210) formed in the body (2,3) and having a venting outlet (10b) in the second chamber (7) and at least one venting inlet (10a) in the first chamber (5), at a location where formation of bubbles is expected upon introduction of a liquid in the first chamber (5). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microreactor for performing chemical reactions, comprising: a body; a first chamber and a second chamber, formed in the body; interconnections for fluidly coupling the first chamber and the second chamber through the body; characterized by a vent passage formed in the body and having a vent outlet in the second chamber and at least one vent inlet in the first chamber, at a location where formation of bubbles is expected upon introduction of a liquid in the first chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microreactor of claim 1, wherein the first chamber includes a microfluidic channel having a first end, accessible from outside through an aperture, and a second end, opposite to the first end, and wherein the interconnections have respective interconnection inlets at the second end. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The microreactor of claim 2, wherein the vent inlets are spaced a distance apart from the interconnection inlets of the interconnections, along longitudinal axes of the first chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The microreactor of claim 3, wherein the first chamber has a hydraulic equivalent diameter (DH) and the vent inlet is located at a distance of about one hydraulic equivalent diameter (DH) form the second end. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The microreactor of claim 4, wherein the first chamber has a trapezoidal cross-section and the hydraulic equivalent diameter (DH) is given by D H = 2  ( W   tan   θ - h )  h W   tan   θ + h  ( 1 / cos   θ - 1 ) where W and h are respectively a width and a height of the trapezoidal cross-section of the reaction chamber and θ is an angle formed by a prolongation of a smaller base and one side of the trapezoidal cross-section of the reaction chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microreactor of claim 1, wherein the vent passage has a plurality of vent inlets in the first chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The microreactor of claim 6, wherein the vent passage extends along a longitudinal axis of the first chamber and the vent inlets are uniformly spaced along the vent passage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The microreactor of claim 1, wherein: the body comprises a first chip and a second chip, bonded to one another; the first chamber and the second chamber are formed in the first chip and delimited on one side by the second chip; and the vent passage includes a microfluidic channel formed in the second chip. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The microreactor of claim 8, wherein the vent passage has a buried portion accommodated in the second chip and the vent inlet extends perpendicular to the buried portion of the vent passage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The microreactor of claim 9, wherein an intersection of the vent inlet and of the buried portion of the vent passage is configured to define a capillary stop valve. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The microreactor of claim 1, comprising heaters thermally coupled to the first chamber and connectable to an external power source for controllably delivering thermal power into the first chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The microreactor of claim 1, comprising a microarray of nucleic acid probes, accommodated in the second chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A chemical analysis apparatus comprising a microreactor; a processing unit; a power source controlled by the processing unit; a reader device, for receiving the microreactor and coupling the microreactor to the power source; wherein the microreactor is made according to claim 1. ### Claim 14 A method for carrying out chemical reactions, comprising: providing microreactor including a body, a first chamber and a second chamber formed in the body, and interconnections for fluidly coupling the first chamber and the second chamber through the body; characterized by fluidly coupling a location of the first chamber—where formation of bubbles is expected upon introduction of a liquid in the first chamber—with the second chamber through a vent passage formed in the body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, comprising determining the location of the first chamber based on a hydraulic equivalent diameter (DH) of the first chamber.