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US 8,945,909 B2Granted
Tunable elastomeric nanochannels for nanofluidic manipulation
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsShuichi Takayama, Michael David Thouless, Dongeun Huh, Kristen L. Mills, Nicholas Joseph Douville
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Abstract
The invention relates to tunable elastomeric nanochannels for nanofluidic manipulation. In particular, the present invention relates to nanochannels for performing biological assays.
Claims21
A microfluidic system, comprising:
- a) a substrate comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet formed in said substrate, wherein said inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with one or more closed elastomeric nanochannels that span the distance between said inlet and said outlet and are in fluid communication with both of said inlet and said outlet, wherein said nanochannels are tunneling cracks formed in said substrate by stretching a substrate between said inlet and outlet, and wherein said elastomeric nanochannels are open to said inlet and said outlet when stretched and closed to said inlet and said outlet when relaxed;
- and
- b) a component configured to exert strain on said nanochannels to stretch said nanochannels.
A cell growth system, comprising:
- a) a substrate comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet formed in said substrate, wherein said inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with one or more closed elastomeric nanochannels that span the distance between said inlet and said outlet and are in fluid communication with both of said inlet and said outlet, wherein said nanochannels are tunneling cracks formed in said substrate by stretching a substrate between said inlet and said outlet, and wherein said elastomeric nanochannels are open to said inlet and said outlet when stretched and closed to said inlet and said outlet when relaxed;
- b) a component configured to exert strain on said nanochannels to stretch said nanochannels such that the cross section of said nanochannels are altered when stretched;
- and
- c) a plurality of cells or cellular portions contained within said nanochannels.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- a) contacting a biological molecule, nanoparticle, or cell with a system comprising i) a substrate comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet formed in said substrate, wherein said inlet and outlet are in fluid communication with one or more closed elastomeric nanochannels that span the distance between said inlet and said outlet and are in fluid communication with both of said inlet and said outlet, wherein said nanochannels are tunneling cracks formed in said substrate by stretching a substrate between said inlet and said outlet, and wherein said elastomeric nanochannels are open to said inlet and said outlet when stretched and closed to said inlet and said outlet when relaxed;
- and ii) a component configured to exert strain on said nanochannels to stretch said nanochannels such that the cross section of said nanochannels are altered when stretched;
- and
- b) performing a biological assay on said biological molecule, nanoparticle, or cell.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.