Microfluidic device and method with trapping of sample in cavities having lids that can be opened or closed
OwnerDavid Storek, Niklaus Schneeberger +3inventors
InventorsDavid Storek, Niklaus Schneeberger, Britta Ottosson, Anafol Krozer, Robert P Otillar, Jr.
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Abstract
System and method for providing a sample preparing arrangement (10) submergible in a liquid medium that includes a carrier structure (11) having at least one cavity (12) therein and that is in communication with an arrangement (13) for controllable generation of a magnetic field through influence of a control signal. The sample preparing arrangement includes a magnetic covering structure (14) for covering and/or uncovering the cavity in operative interaction with the magnetic field.
Claims33
A sample preparing arrangement comprising:
- a carrier structure;
- at least one cavity in said carrier structure;
- a magnetic covering structure for covering/uncovering said cavity;
- a magnetic field generating element comprising an electric circuit proximal to the cavity for controllably generating a magnetic field, wherein the magnetic field regulates the positioning of the covering structure;
- a control signal for regulating the magnetic field generated by the element and for regulating the covering/uncovering of the cavity;
- and
- means for detecting the presence of the magnetic covering structure when it is covering the cavity, wherein the means for detecting the presence of the magnetic covering structure is selected from the group consisting of:
- a control circuit for detecting a chanae in the inductance of the electric circuit of the magnetic field generating element caused by the presence of the magnetic covering structure, an electromagnetic radiation detector inside the cavity, and a capacitance detector near the cavity.
The arrangement as recited in 1, wherein the magnetic covering structure is a magnetic bead that is directed onto the cavity using external magnets that create magnetic fields counteracting a field created by the magnetic field generating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.