Apparatus and method for filling and cleaning channels and inlet ports in microchips used for biological analysis

An apparatus for filling and cleaning an analytical substrate of the type having microchannels including a plurality of input ports and a plurality of anode ports separated by a length of said microchannels comprising:

• a container storing a liquid solution;
• a vacuum source;
• an arm that may be raised and lowered over a substrate having microchannels and microchannel openings;
• a manifold mounted on said arm joined to said container and said vacuum source such that said manifold could distribute liquid solution and vacuum from said container and vacuum source, respectively;
• a tube-in-tube assembly extending from said manifold and comprising a plurality of tube assembly pressure tubes and a plurality of tube assembly vacuum tubes paired one inside the other, wherein lowering of said arm allows tubes in said tube-in-tube assembly to seal over input ports on said substrate allowing solution distribution from said container to inlet ports of said substrate and also allowing solution removal by suction through said tube-in-tube assembly from said substrate inlet ports;
• and
• an injector mounted on said arm and spaced from said tube-in-tube assembly by a distance substantially corresponding to the length of the microchannel, wherein lowering said arm brings the injector in pressure communication with the anode ports, wherein said tube-in-tube assembly and said injector allow sealing of both input ports and anode ports when said arm is lowered.

An apparatus for filling and cleaning an analytical substrate of the type having microchannels including a plurality of microchannel inlet ports and a plurality of microchannel anode ports, said inlet ports and anode ports separated by a length of said microchannel comprising:

• a container;
• a vacuum source;
• an arm that may be raised or lowered over the substrate;
• a manifold mounted on the arm in pressure tight fluid communication with said container and vacuum source, wherein solution is provided from the container to said substrate and solution is removed from said substrate with said vacuum source, said manifold having an upper chamber having a plurality of first compartments having a first plurality of openings on a lower surface of each of said plurality of first compartments, and a lower chamber having a plurality of second compartments having a second plurality of openings on a lower surface of said plurality of second compartments, wherein said second plurality of openings on said lower surface of said lower chamber are larger than said first plurality of openings on said lower surface of said upper chamber first compartments, said first plurality of openings being in vertical alignment with said second plurality of openings;
• a plurality of pressure tubes inserted into first openings of said upper chamber first compartments and in fluid communication with said container through said manifold;
• a plurality of vacuum tubes inserted into said second openings of said lower chamber second compartments and in vacuum communication with said vacuum source through said manifold, wherein said pressure tubes extend through said vacuum tubes;
• an assembly for fluidic and pressure communication with said first and second compartments of said upper and lower chambers of said manifold and inlet ports of said substrate wherein said assembly allows for simultaneous distribution and suction of fluid to and from said substrate and said upper and lower chamber of said manifold;
• and
• an injector mounted on said arm and spaced from said tube-in-tube assembly by a distance substantially corresponding to the length of the microchannel such that when said arm is lowered the injector is in pressure communication with the substrate for injecting a liquid media into the microchannels through the anode ports of said substrate wherein each of said plurality of microchannels is formed on a surface of said substrate and has an inlet port.