Patent ID: 9278354
Filing Date: 2016-03-08
CPC Classification: B01L,G01N,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method of using an environmental control reagent to maintain optimal conditions within a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device having a channel segment with walls, the method comprising: selecting a first fluid including an environmental control reagent having a viscosity adjusting reagent; introducing the first fluid into a first length of the channel segment, the first fluid forming a spacer fluid region completely filling the first length of the channel segment and directly contacting the walls of the first length; and introducing a second fluid into the first length of the channel segment adjacent to and abutting the spacer fluid region to urge the spacer fluid region from a portion of the first length of the channel segment, the second fluid forming a reaction fluid region completely filling the portion of the first length of the channel segment and directly contacting the walls of the portion of the first length, the second fluid including a component of a reaction mixture; driving the spacer fluid region and the reaction fluid region through the channel segment; wherein the selecting includes selecting the viscosity adjusting reagent to provide a predetermined flow resistance to the driving, and wherein viscosity of the first fluid is different than viscosity of the second fluid.