Plastic microfluidic separation and detection platforms
Inventors
Tan, Eugene • Kan, Cheuk Wai • Lam, Heung Chuan
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-9994895-B2
Publication Date
2018-06-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
Plastic electrophoresis separation chips are provided comprising a plurality of microfluidic channels and a detection window, where the detection window comprises a thin plastic; and the detection window comprises a detection region of each microfluidic channel. Such chips can be bonded to a support provided an aperture is provided in the support to allow detection of samples in the electrophoresis chip at the thin plastic detection window. Further, methods for electrophoretically separating and detecting a plurality of samples on the plastic electrophoresis separation chip are described.
Core Innovation
The invention is a plastic electrophoresis chip for separation and detection of DNA fragments. A substrate and bonded cover layer form multiple non-intersecting microfluidic channels, each comprising a separation and detection region. Channel lengths, widths, and depths are adjusted so that channel resistances are substantially equivalent. A thin plastic detection window overlaps the detection region of each channel and essentially does not fluoresce under stated excitation and emission ranges.
Each channel communicates with a first via at an anode portion and a second via at a cathode portion. The disclosure covers support-mounted chip configurations, sample injection structures, channel coatings, sieving matrices, and methods for separating and detecting nucleic acid fragments labeled with at least four fluorescent dyes. Because the background section is omitted, the problem being solved is not explicitly described in patent.
Claims Coverage
The three independent claims cover one plastic electrophoresis chip and two methods for separating and detecting nucleic acid fragments, establishing three inventive features.
Plastic electrophoresis chip with equivalent channel resistances
Independent claim 1 covers a plastic electrophoresis chip with multiple non-intersecting microfluidic channels configured for DNA separation and detection. The channel dimensions are adjusted so that channel resistances are substantially equivalent, and a detection window less than 2 mm thick overlaps the detection region of each channel and essentially does not fluoresce under stated wavelengths.
Detection with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 3
Independent claim 25 covers separating and detecting nucleic acid fragments labeled with at least four fluorescent dyes in the microfluidic channels of the chip, with detection at a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 3.
Detection at single-base-pair resolution
Independent claim 27 covers separating and detecting nucleic acid fragments labeled with at least four fluorescent dyes in the microfluidic channels of the chip, with detection at single-base-pair resolution.
The independent claims cover the multi-channel plastic electrophoresis chip and methods for detecting fluorescently labeled nucleic acid fragments, with the method claims specifying signal-to-noise or single-base-pair resolution criteria.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Simultaneous electrophoretic separation and detection of samples containing DNA fragments and fluorescently labeled nucleic acid fragments in microfluidic channels.
Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, including reported five-color STR separation.
DNA sequencing, including reported single-base-pair DNA sequencing profiles.
Interested in licensing this patent?