US 12,071,658 B2
Microfluidic process for treating and analysing a solution containing a biological material and corresponding microfluidic circuit
Charles Baroud, Paris (FR); Rémi Dangla, Paris (FR); Paul Abbyad, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Silvan Turkcan, Paris (FR)
Assigned to CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, Palaiseau (FR); and ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE, Paris (FR)
Filed by Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (FR); and Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Paris (FR)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/379,476.
Application 17/379,476 is a continuation of application No. 16/707,337, filed on Dec. 9, 2019, granted, now 11,066,699.
Application 16/707,337 is a continuation of application No. 15/787,457, filed on Oct. 18, 2017, granted, now 10,501,789, issued on Dec. 10, 2019.
Application 15/787,457 is a continuation of application No. 14/434,390, granted, now 9,816,133, issued on Nov. 14, 2017, previously published as PCT/EP2013/070966, filed on Oct. 8, 2013.
Claims priority of application No. 1259566 (FR), filed on Oct. 8, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0010363 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/686 (2018.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/686 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50273 (2013.01); B01L 3/502761 (2013.01); B01L 3/502784 (2013.01); B01L 3/502792 (2013.01); B01L 7/52 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0642 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0652 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0668 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0816 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0864 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0867 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0457 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0463 (2013.01); B01L 2400/084 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
 
1. A microfluidic process for partitioning a solution comprising cells and markers, said microfluidic process comprising the steps of:
a. providing a microfluidic circuit, wherein microchannels suitable for containing fluids are defined, said circuit comprising at least one device for forming a plurality of droplets of a solution in a carrier fluid, and at least one storage zone, wherein:
said at least one device for forming droplets further comprises said microchannels, wherein each of said microchannels comprise wall portions that diverge to detach a droplet of said solution under the effect of surface tension of said solution,
said at least one device for forming droplets opens onto at least one storage zone, and
the distance between a upper surface and a lower surface of the at least one storage zone is greater than the distance between a upper surface and a lower surface of said opening of the said at least one device for forming droplets;
b. filling the microfluidic circuit with the carrier fluid;
c. flowing the solution in the carrier fluid through the microchannels of the microfluidic circuit thereby generating a plurality of droplets; and
d. moving at least a portion of the plurality of droplets to the at least one storage zone in the microfluidic circuit, thereby concentrating the at least a portion of the plurality of droplets in said at least one storage zone.