Device to operate a laboratory microchip

A device for operating a microchip with a microfluidic structure, the microchip including supply elements for supplying substances to the microfluidic structure and structures for receiving electric potentials, the structures for receiving electric potentials being such as to cause movement of the substances in the microfluidic structure, the device comprising:

• a supply unit for supplying the electric potentials for moving the substances in the microfluidic structure, the supply unit having first electric supply lines for the electric potentials to be coupled to the electric potential receiving structures,
• an interface element including an electrically insulating substrate carrying electrodes for supplying the electric potentials to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip corresponding with the electrodes, the electrodes including spring pins,
• a holder for selectively holding the interface element, the holder having a structure for cooperating with the interface element and for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder, the holder having second electric supply lines for the electric potentials to be coupled to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip, the second electric supply lines being adapted to be connected to the first electric supply lines,
• the interface element electrodes forming coupling structures for supplying the electric potentials from the second electric supply lines to the corresponding electric potential receiving structures of the microchip in response to the first and second electric supply lines being electrically and physically connected and the electric potentials being supplied to the first electric supply lines,
• the interface element and the holder structure for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder being arranged so that the coupling structures of the interface element between the second electric supply lines and the corresponding electric potential receiving structures of the microchip are (a) electrically and physically connected together in response to the physical connection occurring between the holder and the interface element, and (b) electrically and physically disconnected from each other in response to the physical disconnection occurring between the holder and the interface element,
• the interface element having a first surface that faces a surface of the microchip while (a) the physical connection occurs between the holder and the interface element and (b) the interface element supplies the electric potentials to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip,
• the interface element having a second surface that faces a surface of the holder while the interface element is physically connected to the holder.

An interface element for use with a system including (a) a microchip including a (i) microfluidic structure, (ii) supply elements for supplying substances to the microfluidic structure and (iii) structures for receiving potentials, the structures for receiving potentials being such as to cause movement of the substances in the microfluidic structure, (b) a supply unit for supplying the potentials for moving the substances in the microfluidic structure, the supply unit having first supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures, (c) a holder for selectively holding the interface element, the holder having a structure for cooperating with the interface element and for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder, the holder having second supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures of the microchip, the second supply lines being adapted to be connected to the first supply lines,

• the interface element comprising:
• coupling structures for supplying the potentials from the second supply lines to the potential receiving structures of the microchip corresponding with the coupling structures in response to the first and second supply lines being connected and the potentials being supplied to the first supply lines,
• the interface element being arranged so that the coupling structures of the interface element between the second supply lines and the corresponding potential receiving structures of the microchip are (a) physically connected together in response to the physical connection occurring between the holder and the interface element, and (b) physically disconnected from each other in response to the physical disconnection occurring between the holder and the interface element,
• the interface element having a first surface that faces a surface of the microchip while (a) the physical connection occurs between the holder and the interface element and (b) the interface element supplies the potentials to the potential receiving structures of the microchip, the first surface of the interface element having a surface area that is not substantially different from the surface area of the facing surface of the microchip,
• the interface element, while physically connected to the holder, having a second surface facing only a segment of a portion of the holder, the first and second surfaces of the interface element having about the same surface areas.

An interface element for use with a system including (a) a microchip including (i) a microfluidic structure, (ii) supply elements for supplying substances to the microfluidic structure and (iii) structures for receiving electric potentials, the structures for receiving electric potentials being such as to cause movement of the substances in the microfluidic structure, (b) a supply unit for supplying the electric potentials for moving the substances in the microfluidic structure, the supply unit having first electric supply lines for the electric potentials to be coupled to the electric potential receiving structures, (c) a holder for selectively holding the interface element, the holder having a structure for cooperating with the interface element and for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder, the holder having second electric supply lines for the electric potentials to be coupled to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip, the second electric supply lines being adapted to the connected to the first electric supply lines,

• the interface element comprising:
• an electrically insulating substrate carrying electrodes for supplying the electric potentials to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip corresponding with the electrodes, the electrodes including spring pins,
• the interface element electrodes forming coupling structures for supplying the electric potentials from the second electric supply lines to the corresponding electric potential receiving structures of the microchip in response to the first and second electric supply lines being electrically and physically connected and the electric potentials being supplied to the first electric supply lines,
• the interface element being arranged so that the electrodes of the interface element between the second electric supply lines and the corresponding electric potential receiving structures of the microchip are (a) electrically and physically connected together in response to the electrical and physical connection occurring between the holder and the interface element, and (b) electrically and physically disconnected from each other in response to the physical disconnection occurring between the holder and the interface element,
• the interface element having a surface that faces a surface of the microchip while (a) the electrical and physical connections occur between the holder and the interface element and (b) the interface element supplies the electric potentials to the electric potential receiving structures of the microchip,
• the interface element, while physically connected to the holder, being adapted to extend from a surface of the holder.

A device for operating a microchip with a microfluidic structure, the microchip including supply elements for supplying substances to the microfluidic structure and structures for receiving potentials, the structures for receiving potentials being such as to cause movement of the substances in the microfluidic structure, the device comprising:

• a supply unit for supplying the potentials for moving the substances in the microfluidic structure, the supply unit having first supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures,
• an interface element,
• a holder for selectively holding the interface element, the holder having a structure for cooperating with the interface element and for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder, the holder having second supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures of the microchip, the second supply lines being adapted to be connected to the first supply lines,
• the interface element having coupling structures for supplying the potentials from the second supply lines to the potential receiving structures of the microchip corresponding with the coupling structures in response to the first and second supply lines being connected and the potentials being supplied to the first supply lines,
• the interface element and the holder structure for enabling the interface element to be physically connected to and physically disconnected from the holder being arranged so that the coupling structures of the interface element between the second supply lines and the corresponding potential receiving structures of the microchip are (a) physically connected together in response to the physical connection occurring between the holder and the interface element, and (b) physically disconnected from each other in response to the physical disconnection occurring between the holder and the interface element,
• the interface element having a first surface that faces a surface of the microchip while (a) the physical connection occurs between the holder and the interface element and (b) the interface element supplies the potentials to the potential receiving structures of the microchip,
• the interface element having a second surface facing a segment of the holder while the interface element is physically connected to the holder,
• the supply unit and the holder having structures for enabling the holder to be physically connected to the supply unit and physically disconnected from the supply unit so that, when the supply unit and the holder are physically connected, the first and second supply lines are connected, and when the supply unit and the holder are physically disconnected there are no connections between the first and second supply lines.

A method of operating a device including a microchip with a microfluidic structure, the microchip including supply elements for supplying substances to the microfluidic structure and structures for receiving potentials, the structures for receiving potentials being such as to cause movement of the substances in the microfluidic structure, the device further including:

• a supply unit for supplying the potentials for moving the substances in the microfluidic structure, the supply unit having first supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures, an interface element, a holder for selectively holding the interface element, the holder having second supply lines for the potentials to be coupled to the potential receiving structures of the microchip, the interface element having coupling structures for supplying the potentials from the second supply lines to the potential receiving structures of the microchip corresponding with the coupling structures in response to the first and second supply lines being connected and the potentials being supplied to the first supply lines,
• the method comprising:
• supplying the potentials to the potential receiving structures of the microchip as result of the first and second supply lines being connected to each other, and by (a) physically connecting the coupling structures of the interface element to the holder, and (b) physically connecting the coupling structures of the interface element to the potential receiving structures of the microchip so that the potentials supplied by the supply unit are coupled to the potential receiving structures of the microchip by way of the first and second supply lines and the coupling structures of the interface element,
• the physical connection of the coupling structures of the interface element to the holder being provided by placing a first surface of the interface element in close proximity to a facing surface of the holder in such a manner that the interface element extends from the facing surface,
• the physical connection of the coupling structures of the interface element to the potential receiving structures of the microchip being provided by placing a second surface of the interface element in close proximity to a facing surface of the microchip,
• breaking the physical connection of the coupling structures of the interface element to the potential receiving structures of the microchip, and
• breaking the physical connection of the coupling structures of the interface element to the holder.