US 9,789,482 B2Granted

Methods of introducing a fluid into droplets

AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College

InventorsDarren Roy Link, David A. Weitz, Galder Cristobal-Azkarate, Zhengdong Cheng, Keunho Ahn

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Abstract

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets, according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of introducing a fluid into a droplet, comprising:

flowing a plurality of liquid droplets through a first microchannel in a carrier liquid, wherein each of the plurality of liquid droplets comprises a first liquid that is immiscible with the carrier liquid;
flowing a single phase liquid stream in a second microchannel, wherein the second microchannel intersects the first microchannel at an opening into the first microchannel;
directly injecting a portion of the single phase liquid stream that is flowing in the second microchannel into each of the plurality of liquid droplets as each of the plurality of liquid droplets in the first microchannel comes into contact with the opening of the second microchannel, thereby introducing a portion of the single phase liquid stream into each of the plurality of liquid droplets to form mixed liquid droplets;
and
collecting at least a portion of the mixed liquid droplets in a collection region operably associated with the first microchannel and downstream from the intersection of the first and second microchannels, wherein the mixed liquid droplets contact each other but do not fuse with each other.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/255,101Filed 17 Apr 2014 · continuation
Priority: 27 Aug 2003
Published: US 2014/0305799 A116 Oct 2014
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification48 codes

B01L 3/5027
With fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures: by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are…
B01F 25/433
Mixing tubes, e.g. wherein the material is moved in a radial or partly reversed direction: mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences…
B01F 25/4338
Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly…
B01F 25/45
Static mixers: mixers in which the materials to be mixed are pressed together through orifices or interstitial spaces, e.g. between beads

Family

Application60/498,091Us provisional application · filed 27 Aug 2003
PCT/US2004/027912Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Aug 2004
Application11/360,845Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Feb 2006
US 2014/0305799 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Oct 2014
US 8,765,485 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2007/0003442 A1Published application
US 9,789,482 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.