Monolithic microfluidic concentrators and mixers
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJean M. J. Frechet, Frantisek Svec, Cong Yu, Thomas Rohr
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices comprising porous monolithic polymer for concentration, extraction or mixing of fluids. A method for in situ preparation of monolithic polymers by in situ initiated polymerization of polymer precursors within microchannels of a microfluidic device and their use for solid phase extraction (SPE), preconcentration, concentration and mixing.
Claims42
A microfluidic device for extracting, concentrating, or mixing, comprising a porous polymer monolith portions of a microchannel formed by a process comprising polymerizing selected areas of a mixture in said microchannel enabling a fluid flow, said porous polymer having pores of sizes in a range selected from the group of ranges consisting of:
- (a) about 10 μm to about 20 μm and (b) about 30 nm to about 1 μm, and further comprising at least one polymerized monomer unit bearing a hydrophilic group, a precursor of a hydrophilic group, an ionizable group, a precursor of an ionizable group, an affinity ligand, or a mixture thereof.
A method for fabricating a microfluidic device suitable for extraction, concentration, or mixing, said method comprising steps:
- (a) providing an inert solid substrate;
- (b) generating a single or multiple microchannels contoured into said solid substrate;
- (c) forming a polymerization mixture by admixing a monovinyl monomer, a cross-linking monomer, an initiator, and a porogenic solvent;
- (d) introducing the polymerization mixture, with sufficient porogen to form pores in a range of either (i) about 30 nm to about 1 μm or (ii) about 10 μm to about 20 μm, into a microchannel within a microfluidic device;
- and
- (e) initiating the in situ polymerization of the mixture by means of exposing to initiator only selected portions of the mixture, thereby forming a monolithic polymer within portions of the microfluidic channel.
A method for concentrating a composition in a microfluidic device, comprising:
- (a) providing and inert solid substrate having a microchannel wherein portions of the microchannel has a fluid path passing through pores defined by microglobules in a crosslinked polymer monolith formed from an acrylate, methacrylate or styrene monomer and formed by a process comprising polymerizing selected areas of a mixture in said microchannel crosslinked with a polyvinyl monomer;
- (b) passing a first fluid containing the composition to be concentrated through the polymer monolith so that the composition is absorbed onto the microglobules;
- and
- (c) passing a second fluid through the polymer monolith whereby the composition is eluted as a single fraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.