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US 2025/0121372 A1Published application
Device for generating droplets
AssigneeBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsKevin D. NESS, Christopher F. KELLY, Donald A. MASQUELIER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system, including method and apparatus, for generating droplets suitable for droplet-based assays. The disclosed systems may include either one-piece or multi-piece droplet generation components configured to form sample-containing droplets by merging aqueous, sample-containing fluid with a background emulsion fluid such as oil, to form an emulsion of sample-containing droplets suspended in the background fluid. In some cases, the disclosed systems may include channels or other suitable mechanisms configured to transport the sample-containing droplets to an outlet region, so that subsequent assay steps may be performed.
Claims25
-20. (canceled)
A droplet generation system, comprising:
- a droplet generator plate including,
- a sample well and
- a background fluid well,
- wherein the droplet generator plate comprises one or more stacked material layers;
- a droplet generation region formed within the droplet generator plate;
- a sample channel configured to transport a sample-containing fluid from the sample well to the droplet generation region;
- a background fluid channel configured to transport a background fluid from the background fluid well to the droplet generation region, wherein the sample-containing fluid and the background fluid intersect within the droplet generation region to form sample-containing droplets suspended in the background fluid;
- and
- a droplet channel configured to transport sample-containing droplets from the droplet generation region to a droplet outlet region formed in the droplet generator plate,
- wherein, the sample channel and the droplet channel are integrally formed with a plurality of aligned apertures, forming a single-channel aperture that passes through the one or more stacked material layers of the droplet generator plate.
7 more elements
A method for generating droplets, comprising:
- receiving a sample-containing fluid into a sample well disposed on a droplet generator plate;
- receiving a background fluid into a background fluid well disposed to the droplet generator plate;
- applying positive pressure to the sample well and the background fluid well to transport the sample-containing fluid and the background fluid to a droplet generation region via a sample channel and a background fluid channel, respectively;
- applying negative pressure to a droplet outlet region formed in the droplet generator plate;
- intersecting the sample-containing fluid and the background fluid at the droplet generation region to form sample-containing droplets suspended in the background fluid;
- and
- transporting the sample-containing droplets through a droplet channel to the droplet outlet region,
- wherein, the sample channel and the droplet channel are integrally formed with a plurality of aligned apertures, forming a single-channel aperture that passes through the one or more stacked material layers of the droplet generator plate.
5 more elements
A droplet generation system, comprising:
- a substrate including,
- a sample well and
- a background fluid well,
- wherein the substrate comprises at least two primary material layers;
- a disk stack disposed between the at least two primary material layers to form a droplet generation region, wherein, the disk stack includes,
- an upper disk,
- a middle disk, and
- a lower disk;
- a sample inlet hole formed within the upper disk, configured to transport a sample-containing fluid to the droplet generation region;
- a background fluid inlet portion formed within the middle disk, configured to transport a background fluid to the droplet generation region, wherein the sample-containing fluid and the background fluid intersect within the droplet generation region to form sample-containing droplets suspended in the background fluid;
- and
- a droplet outlet hole formed within the lower disk, configured to transport the sample-containing droplets from the droplet generation region to a droplet outlet channel formed in the substrate,
- wherein, the sample inlet hole and the droplet outlet hole form a single hole with the assembled disk stack by a single drilling within the substrate.
10 more elements
A method for generating droplets, comprising:
- receiving a sample-containing fluid into a sample well positioned on a substrate;
- receiving a background fluid into a background fluid well, disposed on the substrate;
- applying pressure to transport:
- the sample-containing fluid through a sample inlet hole of an upper disk to a droplet generation region;
- and
- the background fluid through a background fluid inlet portion of a middle disk to the droplet generation region;
- forming sample-containing droplets suspended in the background fluid at the droplet generation region by the intersection of the sample-containing fluid and the background fluid;
- and
- transporting the sample-containing droplets from the droplet generation region through a droplet outlet hole of a lower disk to a droplet outlet channel,
- wherein, the sample inlet hole and the droplet outlet hole form a single hole with the assembled disk stack within the substrate.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.