US 7,459,128 B2 · Microfluidic mixing and dispensing

Abstract

A microfluidic dispensing tap, such as for use in screening assays, includes a dispensing tube translatable within a sealed reservoir housing. The tube has an outer surface and defines an inner cavity open at a lower end of the tube, and a metering aperture extending through a side wall of the tube between the inner cavity and the outer surface to define a known volume. The tube is movable against a seal at a lower end of the reservoir housing between a first position, in which the metering aperture is disposed below the seal, and a second position, in which the metering aperture is disposed above the seal and exposed to the reservoir for entraining a discrete dose of a sample liquid within the aperture. An injector is configured to inject a known quantity of a diluent into the inner cavity of the tube and into fluidic contact with the dose of sample liquid in the aperture, such that the dose of sample liquid diffuses into the diluent to form a discrete mixture for dispensing from an open end of the tube.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A device for storing and dispensing a mixture of a first liquid and a second liquid into an array of wells in a multi-well container, the device comprising

an array of isolated, sealed, tapped reservoir units, each unit containing an integrated metering tap including a dispensing tube having an outer surface and defining an inner cavity open at a lower end of the tube, the tube also defining a metering capillary extending through a side wall of the tube between the inner cavity and the outer surface, the metering capillary sized to draw in a known volume of the first liquid;
and
a tap drive channel in communication with the inner cavity, the tap drive channel pressurizable to
pump the second liquid along the inner cavity of the tube so that a lower meniscus edge of the second liquid is below the metering capillary;
draw the first liquid from the metering capillary into the second liquid via diffusion or forced vacuum;
mix the first liquid and second liquid in the tube by hydraulically moving the second liquid up and down inside the tube, to form a mixture;
and then to
expel the mixture from the tube by pumping the mixture to the end of the tube.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Microfluidic mixing and dispensing

Life of this patent

Microfluidic mixing and dispensing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16