초록 ▼

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. The invention provides a microsystem platform and a micromanipulation device for manipulating the platform that utilizes the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platf

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for performing microanalytic and microsynthetic analyses and procedures. The invention provides a microsystem platform and a micromanipulation device for manipulating the platform that utilizes the centripetal force resulting from rotation of the platform to motivate fluid movement through microchannels. The microsystem platforms of the invention are provided having arrays of thermal control regions, wherein fluid applied to the platform can be placed at a temperature and maintained at that temperature for a time that is dependent on the path length of the channel in the region, the cross-section dimension of the channel, and the rotational speed of the platform. Methods specific for the apparatus of the invention for performing any of a wide variety of microanalytical or microsynthetic processes are provided.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A centripetally-motivated microsystems platform comprising: a) a rotatable platform comprising a substrate having a surface comprising one or a multiplicity of microchannels embedded therein and defining a longitudinal path across the surface of the platform; b) a sample inpu

What is claimed is: 1. A centripetally-motivated microsystems platform comprising: a) a rotatable platform comprising a substrate having a surface comprising one or a multiplicity of microchannels embedded therein and defining a longitudinal path across the surface of the platform; b) a sample input port comprising a depression in the surface having a volumetric capacity of about 1 to about 200/μL; c) a collection chamber comprising a depression in the surface having a volumetric capacity of about 1 to about 200/μL; wherein the sample input port and collection chamber are fluidly connected to the microchannels; d) one or a multiplicity of heating elements comprising at least one region of the platform surface; wherein at least a portion of the longitudinal path of the microchannels is in thermal contact with the one or multiplicity of heating elements; wherein a volume of a fluid within the microchannels of the rotatable platform is moved through said microchannels by centripetal force arising from rotational motion of the rotatable platform for a time and a rotational velocity sufficient to move the fluid through the microchannels, and wherein fluid in the microchannels is heated with the one or a multiplicity of heating elements to a temperature greater than the ambient temperature of the platform as said fluid moves through the portion of the microchannels in thermal contact with the heating element. 2. A microsystem platform of claim 1 having one sample input port and a multiplicity of microchannels, wherein the sample input port is fluidly connected to each of the microchannels. 3. A microsystem platform of claim 1 having a multiplicity of sample input ports and a multiplicity of microchannels, wherein each microchannel is fluidly connected to a sample input port. 4. A microsystem platform of claim 1 having one collection chamber and a multiplicity of microchannels, wherein the collection chamber is fluidly connected to each of the microchannels. 5. A microsystem platform of claim 1 having a multiplicity of collection chambers and a multiplicity of microchannels, wherein each microchannel is fluidly connected to a collection chamber. 6. A microsystems platform of claim 1 wherein the heating element comprises a rectangular portion of the surface of the platform. 7. A microsystem platform of claim 1 wherein the heating element comprises a wedge-shaped portion of the surface of the platform. 8. A microsystem platform of claim 7, wherein the wedge-shaped portion is arrayed on the platform so that the longer annular diameter is farther from the center of the platform than the shorter annular diameter. 9. A microsystem platform of claim 1 that is a circular disk. 10. The microsystem platform of claim 9, wherein the microsystem platform is a circular disk having a radius of about 1 to about 25 cm. 11. The microsystem platform of claim 1, wherein the microsystem platform is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of an organic material, an inorganic material, a crystalline material and an amorphous material. 12. The microsystem platform of claim 11, wherein the microsystem platform further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, silica, quartz, a ceramic, a metal or a plastic. 13. The microsystem platform of claim 1, wherein the microsystem platform has a thickness of about 0.1 to 100 mm, and wherein the cross-sectional dimension of the microchannels embedded therein is less than 500 gm and from 1 to 90 percent of said cross-sectional dimension of the platform. 14. The microsystem platform of claim 1, wherein the microsystem platform further comprises a multiplicity of air channels, exhaust air ports and air displacement channels. 15. The microsystems platform of claim 1 wherein the microchannels are arrayed linearly from the center of the platform to the periphery. 16. The microsystems platform of claim 1 wherein the microchannels are arrayed concentrically from the center of the platform to the periphery. 17. The microsystem platform of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a resistive heater element. 18. A microsystem platform according to claim 1 comprising a multiplicity of heating elements. 19. A microsystem platform according to claim 18 wherein the multiplicity of heating elements comprises a pair of heating elements placed adjacent to on another on the surface of the platform. 20. A microsystem platform according to claim 19, wherein the adjacent heating elements are immediately adjacent to one another. 21. A microsystems platform according to claim 19, wherein the adjacent heating elements are separated by an unheated portion of the platform that is no wider than the width of one of the adjacent heating elements. 22. A microsystems platform according to claim 19, 20 or 21, wherein a portion of the longitudinal path of the microchannels is contained within the region of the platform surface comprising each of the heating elements. 23. A microsystem platform according to claim 19, wherein the platform comprises a multiplicity of adjacent pairs of heating elements separated by a portion of the platform. 24. A microsystems platform according to claim 19, wherein the platform comprises a multiplicity of adjacent three heating elements separated by an unheated portion of the platform. 25. A microsystems platform according to claim 22, wherein each of the heating elements is operated at a temperature greater than ambient temperature of the platform. 26. A microsystems platform of claim 25, wherein each of the heating elements is operated at a temperature different from the other heating element and greater than the ambient temperature of the platform. 27. A microsystems platform of claim 25 or 26 wherein one of the heating elements is operated at a temperature of from about 80�� C. to about 98�� C. and the other heating element is operated at a temperature of about 65�� C. to about 75�� C. 28. A microsystem platform according to claim 18 wherein the multiplicity of heating elements comprises three heating elements placed adjacent to one another on the surface of the platform. 29. A microsystem platform according to claim 28, wherein the adjacent heating elements are immediately adjacent to one another. 30. A microsystems platform according to claim 28, wherein one or both of the adjacent heating elements are separated by an unheated portion of the platform that is no wider than the width of one of the adjacent heating elements. 31. A microsystems platform according to claim 28, 29 or 30, wherein a portion of the longitudinal path of the microchannels is contained within the region of the platform surface comprising each of the heating elements. 32. A microsystems platform according to claim 31, wherein each of the heating elements is operated at a temperature greater than ambient temperature of the platform. 33. A microsystems platform of claim 32, wherein each of the heating elements is operated at a temperature different from the other heating element and greater than the ambient temperature of the platform. 34. A microsystems platform of claim 32 or 33 wherein one of the heating elements is operated at a temperature of from about 80�� C. to about 98�� C. one of the heating elements is operated at a temperature of about 40�� C. to about 65�� C., and the other heating element is operated at a temperature of about 60�� C. to about 75�� C. 35. A microsystems platform according to claim 34, wherein the heating element operated at a temperature of from about 60�� C. to about 75�� C. is positioned in between the other two heating elements. 36. A microsystems platform according to claim 35, wherein the portion of the longitudinal extent of the microchannels is greater in the region of the platform surface comprising the heating element operated at a temperature of from about 60�� C. to about 75�� C. than the portion of the microchannels in the regions comprising either of the other two heating elements. 37. A microsystem platform according to claim 18, wherein the multiplicity of heating elements comprise a thermal array. 38. A microsystem platform according to claim 31, wherein the thermal array comprises a single heating element. 39. A microsystem platform according to claim 38, wherein the thermal array comprises a multiplicity of heating elements. 40. A centripetally-motivated fluid micromanipulation apparatus that is a combination of a microsystem platform according to claim 1, and a micromanipulation device, comprising a base, a rotating means, a power supply and user interface and operations controlling means, wherein the rotating means is operatively linked to the microsystem platform and in rotational contact therewith wherein a volume of a fluid within the microchannels of the platform is moved through said microchannels by centripetal force arising from rotational motion of the platform for a time and a rotational velocity sufficient to move the fluid through the microchannels. 41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the rotating means of the device is an electric motor. 42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the device comprises a rotational motion controlling means for controlling the rotational acceleration and velocity of the microsystem platform. 43. A microsystem platform of claim 1, wherein the microchannels, sample input port and collection chamber are contained in the surface of the platform, and the heating elements comprise a platen in thermal contact with the microsystems platform. 44. A microsystems platform according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the longitudinal extent of the microchannels are linear, curved, spiral, zig-zag or meandering. 45. A microsystems platform according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the platform comprising the collection chamber is optically transparent. 46. A microsystems platform of claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of heating elements can be operated at different temperatures. 47. A microsystems platform of claim 46, wherein the proportion of time the fluid is maintained at a particular temperature is directly proportional to the longitudinal extent of the microchannel in the region. 48. The microsystems platform of claim 46, wherein the microchannels are arranged such that fluid traveling through the microchannels can repeatedly leave any particular temperature region on the disk.