Patent Document ID: 8268633
Application ID: 11696785
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of forming and transporting a series of discrete nano- to subnano-liter reaction volumes on a microfluidic microchip, comprising: providing a microfluidic microchip having formed therein a first microchannel and a source of a first liquid, the first microchannel having a first end in liquid communication with the source of first liquid and having a second end, and a second microchannel and a source of second liquid immiscible with the first liquid, the second microchannel having a first end in liquid communication with the source of second liquid and a second end interconnected with the first microchannel; providing a vacuum source in fluid communication with the second end of the first microchannel; and activating the vacuum source to simultaneously draw both a volume of the first liquid in the first microchannel through the first end of the first microchannel and a volume of second liquid into the first microchannel through the second end of the second microchannel to provide a series of discrete nano- to subnano-liter volumes of the second liquid within the first microchannel.