Microfluidic chemical reaction circuits
AssigneesFluidigm Corporation, California Institute of Technology, The Regents of the University of California, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsChung-cheng Lee, Guodong Sui, Arkadij Elizarov, Hartmuth C. Kolb, Jiang Huang, James R. Heath, Michael E. Phelps, Stephen R. Quake, Hsian-rong Tseng, Paul Wyatt, Antoine Daridon
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Abstract
New microfluidic devices, useful for carrying out chemical reactions, are provided. The devices are adapted for on-chip solvent exchange, chemical processes requiring multiple chemical reactions, and rapid concentration of reagents.
Claims20
A method for solvent exchange using a microfluidic device, said method comprising:
- i) providing a microfluidic device comprising a reactor, wherein said reactor
- a) is configured to fluidically communicate with at least one microfluidic channel;
- b) is configured to be fluidically isolated;
- and
- c) is defined by a wall at least a portion of which is permeable to a gas but substantially impermeable to a liquid corresponding to the gas;
- ii) introducing into the reactor a first solvent system comprising a first reactant;
- iii) fluidically isolating the reactor;
- iv) allowing some or all of the first solvent system to evaporate from the fluidically isolated reactor through said gas permeable wall or wall portion while retaining the first reactant in the reactor;
- and then
- v) introducing into the reactor a second solvent system different from the first solvent system.
A method for removing a solvent system
- from a microfluidic device comprising a reactor, wherein said reactor
- a) is configured to fluidically communicate with at least one microfluidic channel;
- b) is configured to be fluidically isolated;
- and
- c) is defined by a wall at least a portion of which is permeable to a gas but substantially impermeable to a liquid corresponding to the gas;
- the method comprising:
- i) combining in the reactor a first solvent system comprising a first solute and a second solvent system comprising a second solute;
- ii) fluidically isolating the reactor;
- and
- iii) allowing at least 25% of the volume of the combined solvent systems in the reactor to evaporate through said gas permeable wall or wall portion, so that the concentration of the first solute, the second solute, and/or a reaction product formed from either or both of said solutes increases in the volume that remains.
A method for carrying out a chemical reaction using a microfluidic device, said method comprising:
- i) providing a microfluidic device comprising a reactor, wherein said reactor
- a) is configured to fluidically communicate with at least one microfluidic channel;
- b) is configured to be fluidically isolated;
- and
- c) is defined by a wall at least a portion of which is permeable to a gas but substantially impermeable to a liquid corresponding to the gas;
- ii) introducing into the reactor a first solvent system comprising a first reactant;
- iii) introducing into the reactor a second solvent system comprising a second reactant so as to form a reaction solvent system comprising the first and second reactant,
- iv) maintaining the reactor in a fluidically isolated state for a time and under conditions sufficient for the first reactant and the second reactant chemically react in the reactor to generate a product;
- and
- v) allowing some or all of the reaction solvent system to evaporate through said gas permeable wall or wall portion while retaining the product in the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.