Microfluidic solution for high-throughput, droplet-based single molecule analysis with low reagent consumption

1. A microfluidic device for a confocal fluorescence detection system, comprising:

an input channel defined by a body of said microfluidic device;

a sample concentration section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said input channel;

a mixing section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said concentration section;

a droplet generator defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said mixing section;

an output channel defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said droplet generator; and

a detection region that is at least partially transparent to illumination light of said confocal fluorescence detection system and at least partially transparent to fluorescent light when emitted from a sample under observation as said sample flows through said detection region,

wherein said droplet generator is configured to receive a mixed sample solution output from said mixing section to provide a stream of droplets to said output channel,

wherein said sample concentration section comprises:

a sample flow channel in communication with said input channel;

an evaporation channel proximate said sample flow channel, and

a solvent-permeable membrane formed between said sample flow channel and said evaporation channel, and

wherein said solvent-permeable membrane is at least partially permeable to a solvent in which said sample will be mixed during operation.

2. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said droplet generator is a hydrodynamic-focusing droplet generator.

3. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said droplet generator is a pneumatic valve actuator-based droplet generator.

4. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said detection region has a detection channel having a cross-sectional area that is less than cross-sectional areas of an output channel adjacent to said detection channel.

5. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said mixing section comprises a plurality of reagent input channels.

6. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said mixing section comprises a rotary chamber operable through peristaltic pumping.

7. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said mixing section comprises a serpentine channel.

8. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein said detection region comprises a detection channel and a deformable membrane at least partially defining a cross-sectional area of said detection channel,

wherein said deformable membrane is operable to change said cross-sectional area of said detection channel.

9. The microfluidic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of input channels defined by said body of said microfluidic device;

a plurality of sample concentration sections defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with a corresponding channel of said plurality of input channels; and

a plurality of mixing sections defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with a corresponding one of said plurality of concentration sections,

wherein said microfluidic device is operable to provide a plurality of sample droplets in a parallel mode to be separated sequentially in said output channel by a fluid that is immiscible with a fluid of said plurality of sample droplets.

10. A microfluidic detection system, comprising:

a microfluidic device having a detection region defined by a body of said microfluidic device;

an objective lens unit arranged proximate said microfluidic device;

an illumination system in optical communication with said objective lens unit to provide light to illuminate a sample through said objective lens unit; and

a detection system in optical communication with said objective lens unit to receive at least a portion of light that passes through said objective lens unit from said sample,

wherein said microfluidic device comprises:

an input channel defined by said body of said microfluidic device; a sample concentration section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said input channel;

a mixing section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said concentration section;

a droplet generator defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said mixing section; and

an output channel defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said droplet generator,

wherein said detection region is at least partially transparent to illumination light from said illumination system and at least partially transparent to fluorescent light when emitted from a sample under observation as said sample flows through said detection region,

wherein said droplet generator is configured to receive a mixed sample solution output from said mixing section to provide a stream of droplets to said output channel,

wherein said sample concentration section comprises:

a sample flow channel in communication with said input channel;

an evaporation channel proximate said sample flow channel; and

a solvent-permeable membrane formed between said sample flow channel and said evaporation channel, and

wherein said solvent-permeable membrane is at least partially permeable to a solvent in which said sample will be mixed during operation.

11. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said droplet generator is a hydrodynamic focusing droplet generator.

12. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said droplet generator is a pneumatic valve actuator-based droplet generator.

13. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said detection region has a detection channel having a cross-sectional area that is less than cross-sectional areas of an output channel adjacent to said detection channel.

14. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said mixing section comprises a plurality of reagent input channels.

15. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said mixing section comprises a rotary chamber operable through peristaltic pumping.

16. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said detection region comprises a detection channel and a deformable membrane at least partially defining a cross-sectional area of said detection channel,

wherein said deformable membrane is operable to change said cross-sectional area of said detection channel.

17. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , said microfluidic device further comprising:

a plurality of input channels defined by said body of said microfluidic device;

a plurality of sample concentration sections defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with a corresponding channel of said plurality of input channels; and

a plurality of mixing sections defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with a corresponding one of said plurality of concentration sections,

wherein said microfluidic device is operable to provide a plurality of sample droplets in a parallel mode to be separated sequentially in said output channel by a fluid that is immiscible with a fluid of said plurality of sample droplets.

18. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said detection region comprises a detection channel and said confocal fluorescence spectroscope comprises of a confocal aperture, high numeric aperture (NA) objective, and photon detector to allow single molecule detection.

19. The microfluidic detection system of claim 10 , wherein said detection region comprises a detection channel and said illumination system comprises a beam-shaping lens unit constructed and arranged to provide a substantially planar illumination beam that subtends across, and is wider than, a lateral dimension of said detection channel, said substantially planar illumination beam having a diffraction limited width in a direction substantially orthogonal to said lateral dimension of said detection channel.

20. The microfluidic detection system of claim 19 , wherein said detection system comprises an aperture stop defining a substantially rectangular aperture having a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension, and

wherein said aperture stop is arranged so that the substantially rectangular aperture is confocal with an illuminated portion of said detection channel such that said transverse dimension of said substantially rectangular aperture substantially subtends said lateral dimension of said detection channel without extending substantially beyond said detection channel and said lateral dimension of said substantially rectangular aperture substantially matches said diffraction limited width of said planar illumination beam.

21. The microfluidic detection system of claim 19 , wherein said beam-shaping lens unit comprises a cylindrical lens.

22. The microfluidic detection system of claim 20 , wherein said rectangular aperture of said aperture stop is less than 30% of the area of said substantially planar illumination beam incident upon said microfluidic device.

23. The microfluidic detection system of claim 19 , wherein said substantially planar illumination beam incident upon said microfluidic device is uniform in intensity across said fluid channel to within ±10%.

24. The microfluidic detection system of claim 19 , wherein said substantially planar illumination beam is incident upon said detection channel in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a direction of fluid flow through said detection channel.