Device for controlling exposure of reservoir contents to surroundings
View Patent ↗Microchip devices are provided that include a substrate; a plurality of reservoirs in the substrate, each reservoir defining an internal volume; and a reservoir cap positioned on or in each of the reservoirs bounding the internal volume from an external environment, the reservoir cap being formed of a material that undergoes a phase change upon heating, wherein the internal volume can communicate with the external environment upon heating said reservoir cap to cause said reservoir cap to undergo a phase change and rupture.
1. A microchip device comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of reservoirs in the substrate, each reservoir defining an internal volume; and
a reservoir cap bounding the internal volume of each of said reservoirs from an external environment, the reservoir cap being formed of a material that undergoes a phase change upon heating,
wherein the internal volume can communicate with the external environment upon heating said reservoir cap to cause said reservoir cap to undergo a phase change and rupture.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a means for heating said reservoir cap.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reservoir cap comprises a metal film.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said reservoir cap can be heated and ruptured with substantially no heating of a material disposed in the internal volume.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the internal volume comprises a protein.