| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090060795 | MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES WITH INTEGRATED RESISTIVE HEATER ELECTRODES INCLUDING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING THE TEMPERATURES OF SUCH HEATER ELECTRODES - The invention relates to methods and devices for control of an integrated thin-film device with a plurality of microfluidic channels. In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling the temperature of a heater electrode associated with a microfluidic channel of a microfluidic device, wherein power applied to the heater electrode is regulated by varying the duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM). In another aspect, the present invention a controller configured to compute the temperature of the heater electrode during the power-on portion of the duty cycle and the during the power-off portion of the duty cycle and to adjust the duty cycle as necessary to achieve a desired temperature in the heater electrode. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090061489 | MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES WITH INTEGRATED RESISTIVE HEATER ELECTRODES INCLUDING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING THE TEMPERATURES OF SUCH HEATER ELECTRODES - The invention relates to methods and devices for control of an integrated thin-film device with a plurality of microfluidic channels. In one embodiment, the microfluidic device includes a microfluidic chip comprising a first zone having a plurality of microfluidic channels and a second zone having a plurality of microfluidic channels, wherein the microfluidic channels in the first and second zones are in fluid communication. The microfluidic device further comprising a thin-film heater in thermal communication with each of the microfluidic channels in the first and second zones. The microfluidic device also includes a control system configured to independently control the temperature of each of the thin-film heaters using pulse width modulation (PWM) control signals that are optimized for each of the thin-film heaters. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090248349 | MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES WITH INTEGRATED RESISTIVE HEATER ELECTRODES INCLUDING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING THE TEMPERATURES OF SUCH HEATER ELECTRODES - The invention relates to methods and devices for control of an integrated thin-film device with a plurality of microfluidic channels. In one embodiment, a microfluidic device is provided that includes a microfluidic chip having a plurality of microfluidic channels and a plurality of multiplexed heater electrodes, wherein the heater electrodes are part of a multiplex circuit including a common lead connecting the heater electrodes to a power supply, each of the heater electrodes being associated with one of the microfluidic channels. The microfluidic device also includes a control system configured to regulate power applied to each heater electrode by varying a duty cycle, the control system being further configured to determine the temperature each heater electrode by determining the resistance of each heater electrode. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090317874 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AMPLIFYING NUCLEIC ACIDS - An apparatus for performing a thermocyclic process, such as amplifying DNA, includes a microfluidic chip with a channel formed therein and one or more thermal distribution elements disposed over portions of the chip. Each thermal distribution element is configured to distribute thermal energy from an external thermal energy source substantially uniformly over the portion of the chip covered by the thermal distribution element. The portion of the chip covered by the thermal distribution element thereby comprises a discrete temperature zone. Other temperature zones can be defined by other thermal distribution elements or by portions of the chip not covered by a thermal distribution element. The channel is configured so that a fluid flowing through the channel would enter and exit the different temperature zones a plurality of times, thereby alternately exposing the fluid to the temperature of each zone for a period of time required for the fluid to traverse the zone. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090320930 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MICROFLUIDIC FLOW CONTROL - A system and method for controlling fluid flow within a microchannel includes a fluid circuit comprising a fluid outlet well and one or more fluid inlet wells, all in communication with a microchannel. A negative pressure differential is applied to the outlet well and fluid flow from an inlet well into the microchannel is controlled by opening or closing the inlet well to atmospheric pressure. To stop fluid flow from the inlet well, a negative pressure differential may be applied to the inlet well to equalize pressure between the inlet and outlet wells. By sequentially opening and closing different inlet wells to atmosphere, controlled amounts of different reagents can be serially introduced into the microchannel. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090324037 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING THE AMPLIFICATION AND DISSOCIATION BEHAVIOR OF DNA MOLECULES - The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring the amplification of DNA molecules and the dissociation behavior of the DNA molecules. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100028980 | REAL-TIME PCR IN MICRO-CHANNELS - The present invention relates to methods for amplifying nucleic acids in micro-channels. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for performing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a continuous-flow microfluidic system and to methods for monitoring real-time PCR in such systems. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100068765 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE AMPLIFICATION OF DNA - A system for amplifying nucleic acids is disclosed which, in one embodiment, includes a fluidic device having a sample channel and a heat exchange channel disposed sufficiently close to the sample channel such that a heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange channel can cause a sample in the sample channel to gain or lose heat at desired levels. In one illustrative embodiment, the system further includes three reservoirs coupled to the heat exchange channel and a temperature control system configured to heat fluids stored in the respective reservoirs at different temperatures. One or more pumps and a controller are configured to cause fluid stored in the reservoirs to enter and flow through the heat exchange channel at different times. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100191482 | MICROFLUIDIC FLOW MONITORING - The present invention relates to systems and methods of monitoring velocity or flow in channels, especially in microfluidic channels. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to systems and methods of monitoring velocity or flow rate in systems and methods for performing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a continuous-flow microfluidic system. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20110081136 | COMBINED THERMAL DEVICES FOR THERMAL CYCLING - The invention relates to systems and methods including a combination of thermal generating device technologies to achieve more efficiency and accuracy in PCR temperature cycling of nucleic samples undergoing amplification. | 04-07-2011 |
