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Publication Number
US-12303889-B2
Publication Date
2025-05-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
A microfluidic device for thermocycling of a reaction mixture is provided. The device comprises an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a flow channel connecting the inlet opening and the outlet opening and defining a flow direction from the inlet opening through the flow channel to the outlet opening, wherein the flow channel comprises a first flow channel surface and a second flow channel surface opposite to the first flow channel surface, and an array of wells provided in the first flow channel surface for fluidic communication with the inlet opening and the outlet opening. Further, the first flow channel surface provides a first hydrophilicity and at least a part of the second flow channel surface provides a second hydrophilicity, wherein the first hydrophilicity is greater than the second hydrophilicity.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a microfluidic device for thermocycling a reaction mixture of a digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) assay. The device includes an inlet opening disposed on a first side and an outlet opening, connected by a flow channel defining a flow direction from the inlet opening through the flow channel to the outlet opening. The flow channel comprises a first flow channel surface and a second flow channel surface opposite to the first flow channel surface, with a honeycomb-structured array comprising hexagonal-shaped wells disposed on the first flow channel surface.
The honeycomb-structured array forms a fluidic interface between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and each hexagonal-shaped well comprises a well length, a well width, and a first vertex. The first vertex is oriented facing the first side, and each hexagonal-shaped well is elongated in the flow direction such that the well length is elongated relative to the well width. The described well geometry includes features intended to influence bubble entrapment, including reduced gas bubble entrapment and improved sealing behavior and separation-fluid displacement behavior while maintaining usable reaction-mixture volume.
A key aspect of the invention is that the first flow channel surface has a first hydrophilicity and at least a portion of the second flow channel surface has a second hydrophilicity, where the second hydrophilicity is less than the first hydrophilicity. The description characterizes this hydrophilicity difference as balancing filling-front progression to enable passive, bubble-free filling of wells, including embodiments defined by surface contact-angle differences. The description further characterizes consumable implementations and surface modifications used to provide the different hydrophilicity, including surface treatment or coating such as SiO2.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers a microfluidic device for thermocycling a dPCR reaction mixture with an inlet/outlet flow channel, a honeycomb-structured array of elongated hexagonal wells in fluidic communication with the inlet and outlet, and different hydrophilicity on opposing flow-channel surfaces. The independent claim specifies three main inventive features that define the device structure and hydrophilicity arrangement.
Microfluidic device for thermocycling a dPCR reaction mixture
A microfluidic device for thermocycling a reaction mixture of a digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) assay, the device comprising a first side, an inlet opening disposed on the first side, an outlet opening, and a flow channel connecting said inlet opening and said outlet opening and defining a flow direction.
Honeycomb-structured array of elongated hexagonal wells
A honeycomb-structured array comprising hexagonal-shaped wells disposed on said first flow channel surface in fluidic communication with the inlet opening and with the outlet opening, wherein each hexagonal-shaped well comprises a well length, a well width and a first vertex oriented facing the first side, and wherein each hexagonal-shaped well is elongated in the flow direction such that the well length is elongated relative to the well width.
Opposing flow-channel surfaces with different hydrophilicity
The first flow channel surface has a first hydrophilicity and at least a portion of the second flow channel surface has a second hydrophilicity, wherein said second hydrophilicity is less than said first hydrophilicity.
The core coverage is a thermocycling microfluidic device for dPCR with a honeycomb array of elongated hexagonal wells aligned with the flow direction, combined with a hydrophilicity difference between opposing flow-channel surfaces, where the second surface is less hydrophilic than the first.
Stated Advantages
Enable passive, bubble-free filling of wells.
Reduce gas bubble entrapment.
Improve sealing behavior and separation-fluid displacement behavior while maintaining usable reaction-mixture volume.
Documented Applications
Microfluidic thermocycling for a digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) assay, using a device with a honeycomb-structured array of wells in a flow channel connected to inlet and outlet openings.
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