Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120015822 | PARTICLE-ASSISTED NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCING - This invention generally relates to particle-assisted nucleic acid sequencing. In some embodiments, sequencing may be performed in a microfluidic device, which can offer desirable properties, for example, minimal use of reagents, facile scale-up, and/or high throughput. In one embodiment, a target nucleic acid may be exposed to particles having nucleic acid probes. By determining the binding of the particles to the target nucleic acid, the sequence of the target nucleic acid (or at least a portion of the target nucleic acid) can be determined. The target nucleic acid may be encapsulated within a fluidic droplet with the particles having nucleic acid probes, in certain instances. In some cases, the sequence of the target nucleic acid may be determined, based on binding of the particles, using sequencing by hybridization (SBH) algorithms or other known techniques. | 01-19-2012 |
20120121481 | SCALE-UP OF FLOW-FOCUSING MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES - Parallel uses of microfluidic methods and devices for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid are described. In some aspects, the present invention relates generally to flow-focusing-type technology, and also to microfluidics, and more particularly parallel use of microfluidic systems arranged to control a dispersed phase within a dispersant, and the size, and size distribution, of a dispersed phase in a multi-phase fluid system, and systems for delivery of fluid components to multiple such devices. | 05-17-2012 |
20120132288 | FLUID INJECTION - The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field. | 05-31-2012 |
20120167410 | SPRAY DRYING TECHNIQUES - The present invention generally relates to microfluidics, and to spray drying and other drying techniques. In some aspects, an article containing one or more channels or microfluidic channels is used to mix one or more fluids prior to spray drying. The mixing may occur immediately before the fluids are expelled through a nozzle or other opening into a drying region of the spray dryer. In one set of embodiments, for example, a first fluid is exposed to a second fluid, then the fluids are exposed to air or other gases before being expelled through a nozzle. In certain instances, the first fluid may contain a dissolved species that may precipitate upon exposure to the second fluid; such precipitation may occur immediately before expulsion through a nozzle or other opening, thereby resulting in controlled precipitation as part of the spray drying process. | 07-05-2012 |
20120211084 | MULTIPLE EMULSIONS CREATED USING JETTING AND OTHER TECHNIQUES - The present invention generally relates to emulsions, and more particularly, to multiple emulsions. In one aspect, multiple emulsions are formed by urging a fluid into a channel, e.g., by causing the fluid to enter the channel as a “jet.” Side channels can be used to encapsulate the fluid with a surrounding fluid. In some cases, multiple fluids may flow through a channel collinearly before multiple emulsion droplets are formed. The fluidic channels may also, in certain embodiments, include varying degrees of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity. As examples, the fluidic channel may be relatively hydrophilic upstream of an intersection (or other region within the channel) and relatively hydrophobic downstream of the intersection, or vice versa. In some cases, the average cross-sectional dimension may change, e.g., at an intersection. For instance, the average cross-sectional dimension may increase at the intersection. Surprisingly, a relatively small increase in dimension, in combination with a change in hydrophilicity of the fluidic channel, may delay droplet formation of a stream of collinearly-flowing multiple fluids under certain flow conditions; accordingly, the point at which multiple emulsion droplets are formed can be readily controlled within the fluidic channel. In some cases, the multiple droplet may be formed from the collinear flow of fluids at (or near) a single location within the fluidic channel. In addition, unexpectedly, systems such as those described herein may be used to encapsulate fluids in single or multiple emulsions that are difficult or impossible to encapsulate using other techniques, such as fluids with low surface tension, viscous fluids, or viscoelastic fluids. Other aspects of the invention are generally directed to methods of making and using such systems, kits involving such systems, emulsions created using such systems, or the like. | 08-23-2012 |
20120222748 | DROPLET CREATION TECHNIQUES - The present invention is generally related to systems and methods for producing droplets. The droplets may contain varying species, e.g., for use as a library. In some cases, at least one droplet is used to create a plurality of droplets, using techniques such as flow-focusing techniques. In one set of embodiments, a plurality of droplets, containing varying species, can be divided to form a collection of droplets containing the various species therein. A collection of droplets, according to certain embodiments, may contain various subpopulations of droplets that all contain the same species therein. Such a collection of droplets may be used as a library in some cases, or may be used for other purposes. | 09-06-2012 |
20120267549 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FLUORESCENCE SENSING EMPLOYING FRESNEL ZONE PLATES - Methods and apparatus for high-throughput fluorescence detection using integrated microfabricated optical element arrays are described. In one example, the optical element arrays may comprise one or more microfabricated Fresnel zone plates, which may be configured to collect light from samples flowing in microfluidic channels. Multiple samples may be inspected in parallel at significantly high rates (e.g., about 200,000 samples per second or higher). A relay lens combined with high numerical aperture integrated microfabricated optical elements provides significant signal enhancement (e.g., on the order of at least 200 times that of conventional fluorescence detection methods). | 10-25-2012 |
20130046030 | CONTROL OF EMULSIONS, INCLUDING MULTIPLE EMULSIONS - The present invention generally relates to emulsions, and more particularly, to double and other multiple emulsions. Certain aspects of the present invention are generally directed to the creation of double emulsions and other multiple emulsions at a common junction of microfluidic channels. In some cases, the microfluidic channels at the common junction may have substantially the same hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, a device may include a common junction of six or more channels, where a first fluid flows through one channel, a second fluid flows through two channels, and a third or carrying fluid flows through two more channels, such that a double emulsion of a first droplet of the first fluid, contained in a second droplet of the second fluid, contained by the carrying fluid, flows away from the common junction through a sixth channel. | 02-21-2013 |
20130213488 | ACOUSTIC WAVES IN MICROFLUIDICS - Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one set of embodiments, droplets may be sorted using surface acoustic waves. The droplets may contain cells or other species. In some cases, the surface acoustic waves may be created using a surface acoustic wave generator such as an interdigitated transducer, and/or a material such as a piezoelectric substrate. The piezoelectric substrate may be isolated from the microfluidic substrate except at or proximate the location where the droplets are sorted, e.g., into first or second microfluidic channels. At such locations, the microfluidic substrate may be coupled to the piezoelectric substrate (or other material) by one or more coupling regions. In some cases, relatively high sorting rates may be achieved, e.g., at rates of at least about 1,000 Hz, at least about 10,000 Hz, or at least about 100,000 Hz, and in some embodiments, with high cell viability after sorting. | 08-22-2013 |
20140026968 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SPLITTING DROPLETS - The present invention generally relates to fluidics and microfluidics and, in particular, to creating droplets in a fluidic system. In some aspects, the present invention is generally directed to systems and methods for splitting a parent droplet into two or more droplets, e.g., by urging the parent droplet towards an obstacle to split the parent droplet. In some cases, the parent droplet is split into at least first and second droplets which each are directed to separate channels. In some cases, the channels may be constructed and arranged such that the droplet velocities of the first and second droplets are substantially the same as the velocity of the parent droplet. In some cases, such droplets may be repeatedly split, e.g., a parent droplet is divided into 2 daughter droplets, then each droplet split again, etc., for example, such that one parent droplet may eventually be split into 2 | 01-30-2014 |
20140150916 | SURFACES, INCLUDING MICROFLUIDIC CHANNELS, WITH CONTROLLED WETTING PROPERTIES - The present invention generally relates to coating materials, including photoactive coating materials. In some aspects of the invention, a sol-gel is provided that can be formed as a coating on a microfluidic channel. One or more portions of the sol-gel can be reacted to alter its hydrophobicity, in some cases. For instance, in one set of embodiments, a portion of the sol-gel may be exposed to light, such as ultraviolet light, which can be used to induce a chemical reaction in the sol-gel that alters its hydrophobicity. In one set of embodiments, the sol-gel can include a photoinitiator, that upon exposure to light, produces radicals. Optionally, the photoinitiator may be conjugated to a silane or other material within the sol-gel. The radicals so produced may be used to cause a polymerization reaction to occur on the surface of the sol-gel, thus altering the hydrophobicity of the surface. In some cases, various portions may be reacted or left unreacted, e.g., by controlling exposure to light (for instance, using a mask). Such treated surfaces within a microfluidic channel may be useful in a wide variety of applications, for instance, in the creation of emulsions such as multiple emulsions. | 06-05-2014 |
20140303039 | PARTICLE-ASSISTED NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCING - This invention generally relates to particle-assisted nucleic acid sequencing. In some embodiments, sequencing may be performed in a microfluidic device, which can offer desirable properties, for example, minimal use of reagents, facile scale-up, and/or high throughput. In one embodiment, a target nucleic acid may be exposed to particles having nucleic acid probes. By determining the binding of the particles to the target nucleic acid, the sequence of the target nucleic acid (or at least a portion of the target nucleic acid) can be determined. The target nucleic acid may be encapsulated within a fluidic droplet with the particles having nucleic acid probes, in certain instances. In some cases, the sequence of the target nucleic acid may be determined, based on binding of the particles, using sequencing by hybridization (SBH) algorithms or other known techniques. | 10-09-2014 |
20140338753 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DROPLET PRODUCTION AND/OR FLUIDIC MANIPULATION - The present invention generally relates to systems and techniques for manipulating fluids and/or making droplets. In certain aspects, the present invention generally relates to droplet production. The droplets may be formed from fluids from different sources. In one set of embodiments, the present invention is directed to a microfluidic device comprising a plurality of droplet-making units, and/or other fluidic units, which may be substantially identical in some cases. Substantially each of the fluidic units may be in fluidic communication with a different source of a first fluid and a common source of a second fluid, in certain embodiments. In one aspect, substantially the same pressure may be applied to substantially all of the different sources of fluid, which may be used to cause fluid to move from the different sources into the microfluidic device. In some cases, the fluids may interact within the fluidic units, e.g., by reacting, or for the production of droplets within the microfluidic device. In some cases, the droplets may be used, for example, to form a library of droplets. | 11-20-2014 |
20150034163 | DROPLET FORMATION USING FLUID BREAKUP - The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for creating droplets. In one aspect, a plurality of droplets ( | 02-05-2015 |
20150065396 | MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES AND METHODS OF THEIR USE - Methods and systems for manipulating drops in microfluidic channels are provided. | 03-05-2015 |