US2004149568A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for loading and unloading macro-molecules from microfluidic devices

48
Priority: Jan 24, 2003Filed: Oct 30, 2003Published: Aug 5, 2004
Est. expiryJan 24, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Lotien Richard HuangJames C. Sturm
B01L 2200/027B01L 2300/0816G01N 27/44743B01L 2400/0415B01L 3/502753B01L 3/50273
48
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides an integrated microfluidic device comprising a sample chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein the sample chamber contains two or more electrodes capable of generating an electric field in the sample chamber. The two or more electrodes create electric fields for sample elution, transfer, and unloading.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An integrated microfluidic device comprising a sample chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein 
 the microfluidic channel comprises an inlet and an outlet,    the sample chamber occurs at the inlet of the microfluidic channel and comprises two electrodes capable of generating an electric field in the sample chamber, and wherein the electric field is configured to transfer charged molecules in the sample chamber to the inlet of the microfluidic channel.    
     
     
         2 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         3 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 2 , wherein the nucleic acid molecules are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         4 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         5 . An integrated microfluidic device comprising a sample chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein 
 the microfluidic channel comprises an inlet and an outlet,    the sample chamber occurs at the inlet of the microfluidic channel and comprises two electrodes capable of generating an electric field in the sample chamber, and a section of matrix material comprising charged molecules;    wherein the electric field is configured to electro-elute the charged molecules from the section of matrix material and to transfer the charged molecules to the inlet of the microfluidic channel.    
     
     
         6 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         7 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 6 , wherein the nucleic acid molecules are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         8 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 7 , wherein the deoxyribonucleic acids have a size greater than about 50 kilobases.  
     
     
         9 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         10 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the charged molecules are polypeptide-sodium dodecyl sulfate supra-molecules.  
     
     
         11 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the section of matrix material is a gel plug.  
     
     
         12 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 1  1, wherein the gel plug is an agarose gel plug.  
     
     
         13 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the sample chamber comprises three electrodes.  
     
     
         14 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 5 , wherein the two electrodes generate repeatedly inverted electric pulses.  
     
     
         15 . An integrated microfluidic device comprising a sample chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein 
 the microfluidic channel comprises an inlet and an outlet,    the sample chamber occurs at the outlet of the microfluidic channel and comprises two electrodes capable of generating an electric field in the sample chamber, and wherein the electric field is configured to transfer charged molecules from the outlet of the microfluidic channel into the sample chamber.    
     
     
         16 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 15 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         17 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 16 , wherein the nucleic acid molecules are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         18 . The microfluidic device of  claim 17 , wherein the deoxyribonucleic acids are greater than about 50 kilobases in size.  
     
     
         19 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 15 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         20 . An integrated microfluidic device comprising a sample chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, wherein 
 the microfluidic channel comprises an inlet and an outlet,    the sample chamber occurs at the outlet of the microfluidic channel and comprises two electrodes capable of generating an electric field in the sample chamber, and a section of matrix material;    and wherein the electric field is configured to transfer charged molecules from the outlet of the microfluidic channel into the section of matrix material.    
     
     
         21 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 20 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         22 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 21 , wherein the nucleic acid molecules are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         23 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 22 , wherein the deoxyribonucleic acids have a size greater than about 50 kilobases.  
     
     
         24 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 20 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         25 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 20 , wherein the section of matrix material is a gel plug.  
     
     
         26 . The integrated microfluidic device of  claim 25 , wherein the gel plug is an agarose gel plug.  
     
     
         27 . A method for loading charged molecules contained in a section of matrix material onto a microfluidic device comprising a loading chamber and a micro-fluidic channel, the method comprising: 
 introducing the section of matrix material containing the charged molecules into the loading chamber, wherein the loading chamber comprises two electrodes;    applying an electric field across the loading chamber;    electro-eluding the charged molecules from the section of matrix material; and    delivering the charged molecules to the microfluidic channel.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the deoxyribonucleic acids are greater than about 50 kilobases in size.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the section of matrix material is a gel plug.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the gel plug is an agarose gel plug.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the sample chamber comprises three electrodes.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the two electrodes generate repeatedly inverted electric pulses.  
     
     
         36 . A method for loading charged molecules onto a section of matrix material contained in an integrated microfluidic device comprising: 
 an unloading chamber comprising two electrodes and the section of matrix material, and    a micro-fluidic channel comprising an inlet and an outlet the method comprising:    applying an electric field across the unloading chamber;    transferring the charged molecules from the outlet of microfluidic channel into the unloading chamber; and    delivering the charged molecules onto the section of matrix material.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the charged molecules are nucleic acid molecules.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acids.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the deoxyribonucleic acids are greater than about 50 kilobases in size.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the charged molecules are proteins.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the section of matrix material is a gel plug.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the gel plug is an agarose gel plug.

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