Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/20180119204
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 10:58:36
Document Index: 157635923

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 371', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'application No. 60']

US Patent Application for SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THERMAL ACTUATION OF MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES Patent Application (Application #20180119204 issued May 3, 2018) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents US Patent Application for SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THERMAL ACTUATION OF MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES Patent Application (Application #20180119204)
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/550,126, filed Nov. 21, 2014 and scheduled to issue on Jun. 13, 2017 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,677,121, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/847,415, filed Mar. 19, 2013 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,894,947 on Nov. 25, 2014, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/929,877, filed Oct. 30, 2007 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,420,015 on Apr. 16, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/910,255, filed Aug. 2, 2004 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,829,025 on Nov. 9, 2010, which is a continuation-in-part of (a) U.S. application Ser. No. 10/489,404, with a § 371(c) date of Mar. 7, 2005 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,674,431 on Mar. 9, 2010, which is a U.S. national stage application of International Application No. PCT/US02/29012, filed Sep. 12, 2002; (b) U.S. application Ser. No. 09/949,763, filed Sep. 12, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,287 on Feb. 8, 2005; and (c) U.S. application Ser. No. 09/819,105, filed Mar. 28, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,391 on Mar. 7, 2006. U.S. application Ser. No. 10/910,255 also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/491,264, filed Jul. 31, 2003; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/491,539, filed Aug. 1, 2003; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/491,269, filed Jul. 31, 2003; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/551,785, filed Mar. 11, 2004; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/553,553, filed Mar. 17, 2004. The disclosures of all of the above-referenced prior applications, publications, and patents are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The computer -readable medium may include code to compare, based upon the received data indicative of the electrical characteristic: the second, lower current and a predetermined current, and code to increase an electrical potential across the resistive element during the second actuation state if the second, lower current is less than the predetermined current, code to decrease an electrical potential across the resistive element during the second actuation state if the second, lower current exceeds the predetermined current, and code to receive electrical potential data indicative of the electrical potential across the resistive element during the second actuation state if the second, lower current is within a predetermined range of the predetermined current.
In some embodiments, the resistive element has a thermal dissipation constant (DC) and, during the first actuation state, the code can be configured to control the resistive element to dissipate a power k, wherein the ratio k/DC≥40° C., ≥55° C., or ≥65° C. The ratio may be k/DC<300° C., <250° C., <200° C., <175° C., or <150° C.
Locations of network 110 downstream from the input module typically include process modules 156, 158, 160, 166 and 162 for processing the sample and reagent materials. Within these process modules, a sample is subjected to various physical and chemical process steps. For example, enrichment module 156 receives a particle-containing fluid and prepares a fluid sample having a relatively higher concentration of particles. Lysing module 158 releases material from particles of an enriched sample, e.g., the module can release intracellular material from cells. Lysing can be accomplished using, for example, thermal, ultrasonic, mechanical, or electrical techniques. Exemplary lysing and enrichment modules are discussed in U.S. provisional application No. 60/491,269, filed Jul. 31, 2003, International application no. ______ filed concurrently herewith and titled Processing Particle-Containing Samples (The Processing Application), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/014,519, filed Dec. 14, 2001, which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
More generally, the number of I/O contacts required for the independent control of a plurality of heat sources, e.g., resistive heaters, may be reduced by arranging the contact wiring to each resistor in the form of a logical array. The resulting compression of the number of I/O contacts advantageously simplifies communication with the entire processor. Because each resistor requires two leads to complete an electrical circuit, according to a conventional arrangement of leads and contacts, a device having N resistors requires 2N leads and 2N contacts. By configuring the contact wiring in a shared array, however, the number of required contacts can be reduced to as few as 2N½. For example, in a device comprising 100 resistors, the number of external contacts can be reduced from 200 to 20.
a plurality of microfluidic networks, each processing a distinct and separate liquid sample in its network; each of the microfluidic network comprises at least one of each of a thermally actuated valve and a thermally actuated reaction chamber;
a second substrate defining a plurality of heat sources, each heat source being in thermal communication with a respective one of the valve and reaction chamber; and
at least two of thermally actuated components belonging to two distinct microfluidic network are configured to receive the same current or the same driving voltage.
32. The microfluidic system of claim 31, further comprising a controller.
33. The microfluidic system of claim 31, further comprising a processor.
34. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein a microfluidic device includes the plurality of microfluidic networks.
35. The microfluidic system of claim 31, further comprising a heat source driver configured to supply a specified amount of current.
36. The microfluidic system of claim 31, further comprising a heat source driver configured to supply a particular voltage.
37. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein each heat source has a unique pair of contacts in an array.
38. The microfluidic system of claim 37, wherein each heat source is individually actuatable by supplying current to the appropriate pair of contacts.
39. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein different networks are configured to perform a different function.
40. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein different networks are located within a single substrate.
41. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein multiple valves are configured to be closed simultaneously.
42. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein multiple reaction chambers are configured to be heated simultaneously to perform multiple reactions.
43. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein each thermally actuated valve comprises a thermally responsive substance.
44. The microfluidic system of claim 43, wherein the thermally responsive substance is wax.
45. The microfluidic system of claim 43, wherein the thermally responsive substance is configured to obstruct or allow passage of a sample along a channel.
46. The microfluidic system of claim 43, wherein pressure from a pressure source moves the thermally responsive substance.
47. The microfluidic system of claim 43, wherein the thermally responsive substance comprises a volume of about 250 nanoliters or less.
48. The microfluidic system of claim 43, wherein a chamber of gas is configured to be heated to move the thermally responsive substance.
49. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein each thermally actuated valve is configured to reversibly open and close.
50. The microfluidic system of claim 31, wherein the samples are configured to be manipulated to determine the presence or absence of a target.
Patent Grant number: 10351901
Application Number: 15/619,753
International Classification: C12Q 1/6806 (20060101); B01L 3/00 (20060101); B01L 7/00 (20060101); G01N 1/40 (20060101);