Patent ID: 8637301

Claim:
A microfluidic device for a confocal fluorescence detection system, comprising: an input channel defined by a body of said microfluidic device; a sample concentration section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said input channel; a mixing section defined by said body of said microfluidic device and in fluid connection with said concentration section; a droplet generator defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said mixing section; an output channel defined by said body of said microfluidic device and arranged in fluid connection with said droplet generator; and a detection region that is at least partially transparent to illumination light of said confocal fluorescence detection system and at least partially transparent to fluorescent light when emitted from a sample under observation as said sample flows through said detection region, wherein said droplet generator is configured to receive a mixed sample solution output from said mixing section to provide a stream of droplets to said output channel, wherein said sample concentration section comprises: a sample flow channel in communication with said input channel; an evaporation channel proximate said sample flow channel, and a solvent-permeable membrane formed between said sample flow channel and said evaporation channel, and wherein said solvent-permeable membrane is at least partially permeable to a solvent in which said sample will be mixed during operation.