SELF-FLOWING MICROFLUIDIC ANALYTICAL CHIP
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.
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.