Microfluidic reaction vessel array with patterned films
AssigneeKryptos Biotechnologies, Inc.
InventorsJun Ho Son, Luc Bousse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure describes various microfluidic devices that may be used in thermal cyclic fluid samples. Some of these devices may include a plurality of microwells that may be coupled by interconnected fluidic channels. These microwells may not be physically separated and yet may include features allowing for effective isolation of target molecules within each microwell. Other devices may include a plurality of microwells that may not be interconnected. The devices may also include mechanisms for causing a fluid to flow across the device. The devices may also include light-absorbing films for converting light energy to heat so as to allow for thermal cycling of samples within the microwells.
Claims11
A microfluidic device for thermal cycling portions of a fluid sample comprising a liquid and a plurality of cells, the microfluidic device comprising:
- a sample inlet;
- a plurality of microwells each fluidically coupled to the sample inlet by a respective fluidic channel, wherein each microwell is isolated from other microwells and each fluidic channel is isolated from other fluidic channels;
- a plurality of interconnected circulation channels each disposed around at least a portion of a perimeter of each of the plurality of microwells;
- a suction source coupled to each of the circulation channels and configured to evacuate the circulation channels to cause a gas within the fluidic channels to diffuse into the circulation channels and thereby draw the fluid sample into the plurality of microwells;
- and
- a plurality of discrete light-absorbing regions disposed adjacent to the plurality of microwells, wherein each discrete light-absorbing region is configured to absorb light energy from a light source to increase a temperature of an adjacent microwell.
A method of thermal cycling portions of a fluid sample comprising a liquid and a plurality of cells on a microfluidic device, the method comprising:
- engaging a suction source to draw the fluid sample into a plurality of microwells that are fluidically coupled to each other via a plurality of fluidic channels, wherein each of the plurality of microwells has a trapping region configured to trap a single cells;
- trapping, within each trapping region of one or more of the plurality of microwells, a single cell of the plurality of cells;
- causing a flushing solution to flow through the plurality of microwells to flush away untrapped cells;
- and
- directing light energy toward a plurality of discrete light-absorbing regions disposed adjacent to the plurality of microwells so as to cause the discrete light-absorbing regions to absorb the light energy and increase a temperature of an adjacent microwell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.