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US 7,744,762 B2Granted
Microfluidic devices and methods facilitating high-throughput, on-chip detection and separation techniques
AssigneeVirginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
InventorIuliana M. Lazar
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Abstract
The present invention provides a microfluidic device and method for facilitating on-chip complex sample processing and detection. In general, the device comprises at least a separation channel of a separation system, an interface, and an array of microreservoirs disposed within the same chip. The interface is configured to orthogonally transfer separated components from the separation channel into the array of microreservoirs, enabling direct analyte detection from the chip and high-throughput analysis.
Claims34
A microfluidic device for on-chip complex sample processing, comprising:
- a separation system including at least one pump and a separation channel for separating a complex liquid sample, wherein the separation channel includes a liquid chromatography medium;
- an interface fluidly coupled to the separation channel and configured to transfer separated sample components from the separation channel into an array of microreservoirs;
- wherein the interface comprises multiple microchannels having cross-sectional diameters or depths small enough to act as valves by way of hydraulic resistance, which substantially precludes leakage of the sample out of the separation channel and into the microchannels,
- wherein different microreservoirs in said array of microreservoirs are connected by different microchannels positioned at different points along a length of said separation channel,
- wherein the microchannels in the interface are adapted to translate separated components by an electroosmotic mechanism, such that when separation in the separation channel is completed, and the pump is turned off, a potential differential applied across the separation channel via the interface transfers the contents of the separation channel to the microreservoirs by said electroosmotic mechanism;
- and
- wherein at least the separation channel, interface, and microreservoirs are disposed within the same chip, facilitating analyte detection directly on the chip.
4 more elements
A method for microfluidic on-chip complex sample processing, said method comprising:
- providing a microchip including:
- a pump and a separation channel of a complex sample separation system, and
- an array of microreservoirs, and an interface fluidly coupling the separation channel and array of microreservoirs;
- wherein the interface comprises a plurality of microchannels having cross-sectional diameters or depths small enough to act as valves by way of hydraulic resistance, which substantially precludes leakage of the sample and/or sample components out of the separation channel and into the microchannels;
- turning on the pump;
- separating the sample components in the separation channel;
- when the sample components are separated in the separation channel, turning off the pump;
- and
- applying a potential differential across the separation channel and the interface to orthogonally transfer the separated sample components from the separation channel into the array of microreservoirs through an electroosmotic mechanism, facilitating analyte detection directly from the chip and further comprising performing HPLC in the separation channel.
6 more elements
A device for on-chip complex sample processing, said device comprising:
- a separation means including a pump and a separation channel for receiving a complex sample and separating it into components wherein the separation channel includes a liquid chromatography medium;
- an interface means coupled to the separation channel for transferring the separated sample components into a plurality of microreservoirs;
- wherein the interface means comprises multiple microchannels having cross-sectional diameters or depths small enough to act as valves by way of hydraulic resistance, which substantially precludes leakage of the sample and/or separated components out of the separation channel and into the microchannels,
- wherein different microreservoirs in said plurality of microreservoirs are connected by different microchannels in said interface means that are positioned at different points along a length of said separation channel,
- wherein the microchannels in the interface means are adapted to translate separated components by an electroosmotic mechanism, such that when separation in the separation channel is completed, and the pump is turned off, a potential differential applied across the separation channel via the interface means transfers the contents of the separation channel to the microreservoirs by said electroosmotic mechanism, and
- wherein at least the separation channel, interface means, and the plurality of microreservoirs are fabricated within a single chip, facilitating analyte detection on the chip.
3 more elements
A mass spectrometry (MS) interface disposed within a microfluidic device enabling high-throughput, on-chip complex sample processing, said interface in fluid connection with a separation channel of separation means which includes a pump communicating a sample to the sample channel, the interface and comprising a plurality of microchannels, the microchannels having cross-sectional diameters or depths small enough to act as valves by way of hydraulic resistance, which substantially precludes leakage of the sample and/or sample component out of the separation channel and into the microchannels, the interface, separation means, microchannels and microreservoirs all being fabricated on a single chip;
- and the microchannels configured to orthogonally transfer separated components from a complex sample separation channel to an array of microreservoirs using Electroosmotic Flow (EOF) after separation of sample components in the separation channel is complete, facilitating analyte detection directly on the chip wherein the separation channel includes a liquid chromatography medium;
- and wherein the different microreservoirs in said array of microreservoirs are connected by different microchannels positioned at different points along a length of said separation channel.
A microchip integrated complex sample processing system comprising:
- a separation system comprising:
- one or more pumps, including an eluent inlet reservoir, an eluent outlet reservoir, the eluent inlet and outlet reservoirs being fluidly connected by hundreds/thousands of micro/nanochannels,
- a mixer receiving outputs for said one or more pumps,
- a separation channel,
- a sample inlet reservoir,
- a sample outlet reservoir, and
- injector means for coupling the output of the mixer and a sample in the sample reservoir to the separation channel;
- a waste reservoir and side packing channel located at a far end of the separation channel,
- wherein the separation channel is a Liquid Chromatography (LC) separation system;
- an interface, and
- an array of microreservoirs, wherein the array of microreservoirs flanks the separation channel to one side, and the interface fluidly couples sections of the separation channel to the microreservoirs, the interface including a plurality of eluting microchannels between the separation channel and the microreservoirs, wherein different microreservoirs in said array of microreservoirs are connected by different microchannels positioned at different points along a length of said separation channel, wherein when separation in the main channel is completed, the pumps are turned off, and a potential differential is applied across the separation channel via the interface, transferring the contents of channel to reservoirs through an electroosmotic mechanism, facilitating analyte detection directly on the chip.
8 more elements
A method for microfluidic on-chip complex sample processing, comprising the steps of:
- providing a separation system comprising:
- one or more pumps, including an eluent inlet reservoir, and an eluent outlet reservoir, the eluent inlet and outlet reservoirs being fluidly connected by hundreds/thousands of micro/nanochannels
- a mixer receiving outputs from said one or more pumps,
- a separation channel,
- a sample inlet reservoir,
- a sample outlet reservoir, and
- injector means for coupling the output of the mixer and a sample in the sample reservoir to the separation channel;
- a waste reservoir and side packing channel located at a far end of the separation channel;
- wherein the separation channel is a Liquid Chromatography (LC) separation system,
- providing an interface, and
- providing an array of microreservoirs, wherein the array of microreservoirs flanks the separation channel to one side, and the interface fluidly couples sections of the separation channel to the microreservoirs, the interface including a plurality of eluting microchannels between the separation channel and the microreservoirs;
- turning on said one or more pumps;
- separating the sample components in the separation channel;
- and
- when separation in the separation channel is completed, turning pumps off;
- applying a potential differential across the separation channel via the interface;
- orthogonally transferring separated sample components from the separation channel to reservoirs through an electroosmotic mechanism, facilitating analyte detection directly on the chip.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.