Patent ID: 6896855
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: B01J,B01L

Abstract:
1. A miniaturized temperature-zone flow reactor, for use in thermally controlled biochemical and molecular-biological processes, said reactor comprising: at least one closed, multifold, winding flow path, each comprising a plurality of microstructured channels and at least three partial paths, in a planar substrate; three substrate chips, made from a material having a thermal conductivity at least as high as that of silicon; each one of said three substrate chip having at least one face, of which at least a portion thereof contains some of said plurality of microstructured channels; heating elements, on each of said three substrate chips, for providing heating to at least that portion of each said substrate chip containing some of said plurality of microstructured channels; a first one of said substrate chips having a plurality of inlets thereon, corresponding in number to a number of flow paths on said substrate chip; a third one of said substrate chips having a plurality of outlets thereon, corresponding in number to a number of flow paths on said substrate chip; each of said three substrate chips having n channel sections, each of said n channel sections having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, such that said inlet opening and said outlet opening of each said channel are linearly positioned adjacent to one another on one side of a section of each said substrate chip; a connecting chip, having a thermal conductivity that is lower than the thermal conductivity of said substrate chips, and is at least as low as that of borosilicate glass; said connecting chip further having: still further such that: