Self-flowing microfluidic analytical chip

Abstract

A self-flowing microfluidic analytical chip may undergo spontaneous flow of a fluidic sample through microfluidic channels without an internal or external pump or corresponding pumping support hardware for fluid pumping. A self-flowing microfluidic analytical device includes sample preparation locations, sample analysis locations, and sample extraction locations connected by a network of microfluidic channels. Self-flowing characteristics of a microfluidic analytical chip result from maskless patterning of a substrate surface, where sequential passes of a patterning head preserve, rather than destroy, a pattern of surface functionalization. Self-flowing properties may be preserved by avoiding use of mask-removing solvents common to mask-removal steps in traditional microfluidic chip manufacturing processes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising a first substrate having:
 a first substrate first face;   a plurality of microfluidic channels on the first substrate first face and being surface functionalized for self-flowing fluid manipulation, and being connected to:
 a sample extraction location, 
 a sample preparation location, and 
 a sample analysis location; wherein 
   the sample extraction location being configured to direct a fluid, received at the sample extraction location, into the plurality of microfluidic channels;   the sample preparation location having one or more preparation chambers comprising at least one of
 a reagent chamber for a chemical reagent, 
 a membrane chamber, 
 a filters chamber, 
 a micro heater chamber, 
 a fluid mixing chamber, 
 a fluid separation chamber, and 
 an optical fluorescence chamber, and 
 a waste collection chamber; and 
   the sample analysis location having one or more analysis chambers including at least one of:
 an electrochemical analyte detection chamber, the electrochemical analyte detection chamber using electrochemical analysis techniques; 
 an optical analyte detection chamber, the optical analyte detection chamber using optical/florescence techniques; 
 a biomaterial analyte detection chamber, the biomaterial analyte detection chamber using biomaterial-based detection; 
 a column chromatography analyte detection chamber, the column chromatography analyte detection chamber using column chromatography in the microfluidic channels; and 
 a spectrophotometry analyte detection chamber, the spectrophotometry analyte detection chamber using fluorescent tagging. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate having a second substrate first face and a second substrate body, the second substrate providing a cover for the microfluidic channels, the second substrate first face being between the first substrate first face and the second substrate body. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first substrate comprises a first substrate material, the first substrate material made of a first polymer, a first plastic, or a first inorganic oxide; and wherein   the second substrate comprises a second substrate material, the second substrate material made of a second polymer, a second plastic, or a second inorganic oxide.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein: the plurality of microfluidic channels are recessed channels below a major surface of the first substrate first face, wherein individual microfluidic channels of the plurality of microfluidic channels have:
 a channel width of at least 100 nanometers and not greater than 100,000 micrometers;   a channel length of at least 100 nanometers and not greater than 1,000 centimeters; and   a channel depth of at least 5 angstroms and not greater than 10 millimeter.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of microfluidic channels are recessed below a major surface of the first face of the first substrate by etching or embossing the major surface of first substrate first face. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microfluidic channels comprise control geometries to control a flow of the fluid, the control geometries comprising breaks and dotted sections. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microfluidic channels comprise mixing geometries to mix various fluids, the mixing geometries comprising at least serpentine structures, offset inlets in a circular location to allow swirling, and dotted channels. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of microfluidic channels are further surface functionalized to deter evaporation of liquid from the microfluidic channels, the liquid in the microfluidic channels having a lower energy state than in an evaporated state in air. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one microfluidic channel has a varied channel size configured to separate at least two component of the fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sample extraction location further comprises a needle insertion port comprising a polymer, a plastic, or an oxide. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sample extraction location further comprises an array of micro needles to receive fluid from skin or a fluid-filled feature, the array of micro needles comprising composite materials such as polymers and nano materials, or crystalline materials such as silicon and an inorganic oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the chemical reagent is retained in the reagent chamber by at least passive valve or a specific functionalization of reagents on the first substrate first face or valves created by disrupting the microfluidic channels or the second substrate first surface;   the membrane chambers are coupled to the first substrate first face by functionalizing the surface with membrane-binding chemistries to couple membrane materials to at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate;   the filters chamber comprise filters, the filters coupled to the first substrate first face by functionalizing the surface with filter-binding chemistries that allows binding of the filters to at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate;   the micro heaters chamber comprise micro heaters, the micro heaters located in the first substrate or the second substrate;   the electrodes chamber comprising electrodes, the electrodes printed on the first substrate or the second substrate by an electrode-printing functionalization technique;   the fluid mixing chamber comprising fluid mixing geometries to develop eddy currents to mix fluid mixing chamber fluids; and   the fluid separation chamber comprises separation channels, the separation channels containing a fluidic mixture, the size of the separation channels alterable to separate the fluidic mixture into fluidic mixture components.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrochemical analyte detection chamber comprises a first set of at least two electrodes printed or functionalized on the face of one or more of the first substrate and the second substrate;   the optical analyte detection chamber uses light transmitted light through the first substrate or the second substrate;   the enzyme analyte detection chamber comprises enzymes functionalized on the surface of the the first substrate or the second substrate;   the column chromatography analyte detection chamber comprises a chromatographic material, the chromatographic material functionalized onto the first substrate first face or the second substrate; and   the spectrophotometry analyte detection chamber uses light transmitted through the first substrate or the second substrate.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a combination of at least two locations comprises a fluid analytical device, the at least two locations chosen from the sample extraction location, the sample preparation location, and the sample analysis location. 
     
     
         15 . A microfluidic device comprising:
 a substrate having a first substrate face, the first substrate face having an unmodified area and a patterned area, the unmodified area having an unmodified surface functionalization and the patterned area having at least one other type of surface functionalization configured to promote self flow of a fluid, without pumping, across the first substrate first surface, wherein at least one of the first portion of the patterned area, having a first type of surface functionalization, and a second portion of the patterned area, having a second type of surface functionalization, is formed by at least one maskless surface functionalization process.   
     
     
         16 . The microfluidic device of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first type of surface functionalization and the second type of surface functionalization is a type of functionalization that is removed from a surface when a mask material is removed. 
     
     
         17 . The microfluidic analytical chip of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the patterned area further comprises lyophilized chemical pathways. 
     
     
         18 . A arrangement comprising a first substrate having:
 a first substrate first face;   a plurality of microfluidic channels on the first substrate first face and being surface functionalized for self-flowing fluid manipulation, and being connected to:
 a sample extraction location, 
 a sample preparation location, and 
 a sample analysis location; wherein 
   the sample extraction location being configured to direct a fluid, received at the sample extraction location, into the plurality of microfluidic channels;   the sample preparation location having one or more preparation chambers comprising at least one of
 a reagent chamber for a chemical reagent, 
 a membrane chamber, 
 a filters chamber, 
 a micro heater chamber, 
 a fluid mixing chamber, 
 a fluid separation chamber, and 
 an optical fluorescence chamber, and 
 a waste collection chamber; and 
   the sample analysis location having one or more analysis chambers including at least one of:
 an electrochemical analyte detection chamber, the electrochemical analyte detection chamber using electrochemical analysis techniques; 
 an optical analyte detection chamber, the optical analyte detection chamber using optical/florescence techniques; 
 a biomaterial analyte detection chamber, the biomaterial analyte detection chamber using biomaterial-based detection; 
 a column chromatography analyte detection chamber, the column chromatography analyte detection chamber using column chromatography in the microfluidic channels; and 
 a spectrophotometry analyte detection chamber, the spectrophotometry analyte detection chamber using fluorescent tagging.