초록

A capillary electrophoresis system which provides a microfluidic chip for capillary electrophoresis and a microfluidic interface module which fluidicly couples the microfluidic chip to external fluid sources and or external repositories.

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1. A microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a CE chip having a first chip face and a second chip face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a carrier channel intersected by a cross channel, said carrier channel an

1. A microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a CE chip having a first chip face and a second chip face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a carrier channel intersected by a cross channel, said carrier channel and said cross channel each communicating with said first face of said CE chip in an inlet and an outlet;a microfluidic interface module having a first module face and a second module face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a plurality of microfluidic interface channels each communicating with said first module face in a plurality of interface ports each having a location on said first module face to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip to direct a sample fluid or a carrier fluid in a flow path between a supply port and a waste port of said microfluidic interface module;a movement assembly adapted to generate sufficient travel in said microfluidic interface module in a first direction to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple each of said plurality of interface ports to each said inlet and said outlet of said CE chip and in a second direction to fluidicly uncouple each of said plurality of ports from each said inlet and said outlet of said CE chip; anda switchable solenoid valve disposed in relation to at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels, said switchable solenoid valve operable in response to electrical signals to provide an open condition and a closed condition of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels to regulate flow of said sample fluid or said carrier fluid between said supply port and said waste port. 2. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module communicates with said first module face in a co-axial flow path having a first flow path co-axially surrounded by a second flow path, wherein each said inlet and each said outlet of said CE chip communicates with said first chip face in a fluid reservoir, and wherein said first flow path will direct said carrier fluid or sample fluid to said fluid reservoir and said second flow path will direct said carrier fluid or said sample fluid away from said reservoir. 3. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 2, wherein said co-axial flow path comprises an interface port recess through which a conduit co-axially passes to extend a distance sufficiently outward of said first module face of said microfluidic interface module to correspondingly locate a conduit end within said reservoir, said conduit defining said first flow path of said co-axial flow path and said interface port recess co-axially surrounding said conduit defining said second flow path of said co-axial flow path. 4. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 3, wherein said first flow path of said co-axial flow path switchably fluidicly couples to said supply port and said second flow path of said co-axial flow path switchably fluidicly couples to said waste port, wherein said first flow path in said open condition and said second flow path in said closed condition will direct said sample fluid or said carrier fluid to said carrier channel or to said cross channel, and wherein said first flow path of said co-axial flow path in said open condition and said second flow path of said co-axial flow path in said open condition will direct said carrier fluid or said sample fluid to said waste port. 5. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manifold having a first manifold face and a second manifold face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a distance apart and having a plurality of manifold ports which communicate between said first manifold face and said second manifold face, each of said plurality of manifold ports of said first manifold face having a location to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple a corresponding one of said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module and each of said plurality of manifold ports of said second manifold face having a location to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple a corresponding one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip. 6. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a CE chip enclosure which receives in fixed relation said CE chip, said CE chip enclosure being movable to releasably sealably fluidicly couple each said inlet and said outlet of said CE chip with said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module or said plurality of manifold ports of said manifold. 7. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 6, wherein said CE chip enclosure is rotatable in relation to said microfluidic interface module or said manifold to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple each of said inlet and said outlet of said CE chip with said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module or said plurality of manifold ports of said manifold. 8. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 7, wherein said CE chip enclosure is rotatable to sealably fluidicly couple each said inlet and said outlet of said CE chip with said plurality of manifold ports of said manifold, and wherein said movement assembly is adapted to generate sufficient travel in said microfluidic interface module in a first direction to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module with said plurality of manifold ports of said manifold and is adapted to generate sufficient travel in a second direction to fluidicly uncouple said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module from said plurality of manifold ports of said manifold. 9. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of high voltage pins which communicate between a first enclosure face and a second enclosure face of said microfluidic chip enclosure, each of said plurality of high voltage pins extending a distance outward of said first enclosure face to correspondingly contact an electrical terminal of a first electrical circuit which applies a high voltage between opposed ends of said carrier channel and opposed ends of said cross channel, and each of said high voltage pins extending a distance outward of said second enclosure face to electrically couple to an external power source. 10. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 9, further comprising one or more detection pins which communicate between a first enclosure face and a second enclosure face of said microfluidic chip enclosure, each of said one or more detection pins extending a distance outward of said first enclosure face to correspondingly contact an electrical terminal of a second electrical circuit including a detector located to interrogate at least one substance within said carrier channel of said CE chip, and each of said one or more detection pins extending a distance outward of said second enclosure face to electrically couple to an external analysis electronics which receives an electrical signal from said detector. 11. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels between said supply port and said waste port communicates with said second module face of said microfluidic interface module in a pair of bores, and wherein said switchable valve fluidicly couples said pair of bores to generate said open condition of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels. 12. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer processor which operates to match the open condition and the closed condition of each switchable valve against a time schedule to provide one or more configurations of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels of said microfluidic interface module to perform each of a plurality of steps in an event schedule. 13. A microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a CE chip having a first chip face and a second chip face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a carrier channel intersected by a cross channel, said carrier channel and said cross channel each communicating with said first face of said CE chip in an inlet and an outlet;a microfluidic interface module having a first module face and a second module face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a plurality of microfluidic interface channels each communicating with said first module face in a plurality of interface ports each having a location on said first module face to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip to direct a sample fluid or a carrier fluid in a flow path between a supply port and a waste port of said microfluidic interface module;a plurality of high voltage pins which communicate between the first module face and the second module face of said microfluidic interface module, each of said plurality of high voltage pins extending a distance outward of said first face of said microfluidic interface module to correspondingly contact an electrical terminal of a first electrical circuit which applies a high voltage between opposed ends of said carrier channel and opposed ends of said cross channel, and each of said high voltage pins extending a distance outward of said second face to electrically couple to an external power source; anda switchable solenoid valve disposed in relation to at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels, said switchable solenoid valve operable in response to electrical signals to provide an open condition and a closed condition of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels to regulate flow of said sample fluid or said carrier fluid between said supply port and said waste port. 14. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of claim 13, further comprising one or more detection pins which communicate between the first module face and the second module face of said microfluidic interface module, each of said one more detection pins extending a distance outward of said first module face to correspondingly contact an electrical terminal of a second electrical circuit which includes a detector located to interrogate at least one substance within said carrier channel of said CE chip, and each of said one or more detection pins extending a distance outward of said second manifold face to electrically couple to an external analysis electronics which receives an electrical signal from said detector. 15. The microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus of any one of claim 10 or 14, wherein said external analysis electronics is adapted to transform said signal received from said detector into a detection signal amplitude which varies based upon a detected amount of said substance within said carrier channel. 16. A microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a CE chip having a first chip face and a second chip face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a carrier channel intersected by a cross channel, said carrier channel and said cross channel each communicating with said first face of said CE chip in an inlet and an outlet;a microfluidic interface module having a first module face and a second module face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a plurality of microfluidic interface channels each communicating with said first module face in a plurality of interface ports each having a location on said first module face to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip to direct a sample fluid or a carrier fluid in a flow path between a supply port and a waste port of said microfluidic interface module; anda switchable valve disposed in relation to at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels, said switchable valve operable to provide an open condition and a closed condition of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels to regulate flow of said sample fluid or said carrier fluid between said supply port and said waste port;wherein each said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module communicates with said first module face in a co-axial flow path having a first flow path co-axially surrounded by a second flow path;wherein each said inlet and each said outlet of said CE chip communicates with said first chip face in a fluid reservoir; andwherein said first flow path will direct said carrier fluid or sample fluid to said fluid reservoir and said second flow path will direct said carrier fluid or said sample fluid away from said reservoir. 17. A microfluidic capillary electrophoresis apparatus, comprising: a CE chip having a first chip face and a second chip face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a carrier channel intersected by a cross channel, said carrier channel and said cross channel each communicating with said first face of said CE chip in an inlet and an outlet;a microfluidic interface module having a first module face and a second module face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a sufficient distance apart to have disposed within a plurality of microfluidic interface channels each communicating with said first module face in a plurality of interface ports each having a location on said first module face to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip to direct a sample fluid or a carrier fluid in a flow path between a supply port and a waste port of said microfluidic interface module;a manifold having a first manifold face and a second manifold face disposed in substantially opposed planar relation a distance apart and having a plurality of manifold ports which communicate between said first manifold face and said second manifold face, each of said plurality of manifold ports of said first manifold face having a location to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple a corresponding one of said plurality of interface ports of said microfluidic interface module, and each of said plurality of manifold ports of said second manifold face having a location to correspondingly sealably fluidicly couple a corresponding one of said inlet or said outlet of said CE chip; anda switchable valve disposed in relation to at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels, said switchable valve operable to provide an open condition and a closed condition of said at least one of said plurality of microfluidic interface channels to regulate flow of said sample fluid or said carrier fluid between said supply port and said waste port.