US 11,998,912 B2
Tubing-free, sample-to-droplet microfluidic system and chip
Tza-Huei Jeff Wang, Germantown, MD (US); Kuangwen Hsieh, Baltimore, MD (US); Yi-Fan Frank Hsieh, New Taipei (TW); Aniruddha Mrithinjay Kaushik, Baltimore, MD (US); Fangchi Shao, Baltimore, MD (US); and Pengfei Zhang, Baltimore, MD (US)
Assigned to The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed by The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (US)
Filed on Sep. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/954,000.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/248,797, filed on Sep. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0110440 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502738 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0636 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0883 (2013.01); B01L 2400/02 (2013.01); B01L 2400/049 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0666 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sample-to-droplet microfluidic system, comprising:
a sample-to-droplet microfluidic chip;
a valve control system connected to said sample-to-droplet microfluidic chip;
a vacuum system fluidly connected to said sample-to-droplet microfluidic chip; and
a droplet formation pressure system fluidly connected to said sample-to-droplet microfluidic chip,
wherein said sample-to-droplet microfluidic chip comprises:
a sample-to-droplet interface section;
a droplet mixing section in fluid connection with said sample-to-droplet interface section to received droplets therefrom;
an incubation section in fluid connection with said droplet mixing section to receive droplets therefrom; and
a detection section in fluid connection with said incubation section to receive droplets therefrom;
wherein said sample-to-droplet interface section comprises:
a first sample input channel with a first open port configured to receive a sample input,
a vacuum channel fluidly connected to said first sample input channel when a pair of intermediate valves therein are open, a first droplet forming region being between said pair of intermediate valves,
a first fluid pressure channel arranged to intercept said first droplet forming region with a valve prior to said first droplet forming region, said first fluid pressure channel further intercepting a droplet channel with a valve therebetween, said droplet channel leading to said droplet mixing section,
wherein said sample-to-droplet interface section further comprises:
a second sample input channel with an open port configured to receive a sample input, said vacuum channel being further fluidly connected to said second sample input channel when a pair of intermediate valves therein are open, a second droplet forming region being between said pair of intermediate valves, and
a second fluid pressure channel arranged to intercept said second droplet forming region with a valve prior to said droplet forming region, said second fluid pressure channel further intercepting said droplet channel with a valve therebetween.