Microfluidic flow cell

Abstract

A microfluidic flow cell having a body with a fluid transport channel disposed therein, the fluid transport channel having a proximal end and a distal end defining a fluid flow path, a fluid inlet port disposed at the proximal end of the fluid transport channel at a central portion of the body and an outlet port disposed at the distal end of the fluid transport channel at an outer portion of the body, and a plurality sample wells disposed in the fluid transport channel substantially perpendicular to the fluid flow path in the fluid transport channel. The microfluidic flow cell may have hundreds or thousands of individual, sub-microliter sample wells. The microfluidic flow cell can be filled by applying a flowable liquid to the inlet port and spinning the flow cell to cause fluid to flow into fluid transport channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A microfluidic flow cell, comprising:
 a body having a circuitous fluid transport channel disposed therein, the fluid transport channel having a proximal end and a distal end defining a fluid flow path;   a fluid inlet port disposed at the proximal end of the fluid transport channel and an outlet port disposed at the distal end of the fluid transport channel; and   a multitude of sample wells in direct fluid communication with the fluid transport channel and substantially perpendicular to the fluid flow path in the fluid transport channel such that a volume of a liquid medium flowing through the fluid transport channel will flow into at least a first sample well with an excess of the liquid medium flowing into at least a second sample well.   
     
     
         2 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the circuitous fluid transport channel defines a winding flow path having at least one 180° bend in the flow path. 
     
     
         3 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the circuitous fluid transport channel defines a spiral flow path that winds around within a plane defined by the body. 
     
     
         4 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the body includes more than one fluid transport channel. 
     
     
         5 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , each of the sample wells having a volume between about 1 nl and about 100 nl. 
     
     
         6 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , each of the sample wells having a volume between about 10 nl and about 80 nl. 
     
     
         7 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , each of the sample wells having a volume between about 20 nl and about 50 nl. 
     
     
         8 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , the body further comprising at least first and second outer layers and an inner layer disposed between the first and second outer layers;
 the fluid transport channel being formed in the inner layer; and   the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet ports being disposed in the first or second outer layers.   
     
     
         9 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 5 , the fluid inlet port being disposed in the first outer layer and the fluid outlet port being disposed in the second outer layer. 
     
     
         10 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , the body further comprising at least a first layer and a second layer;
 the fluid transport channel being formed in the second layer;   the first layer being disposed over the second layer and over the fluid transport channel; and   the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet ports being disposed in the first or second layers.   
     
     
         11 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 10 , the fluid inlet port being disposed in the first layer and the fluid outlet port being disposed in the second layer. 
     
     
         12 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 1 , the circuitous fluid transport channel being fillable by applying a fluid to the proximal end of the fluid transport channel and spinning the body about its central axis. 
     
     
         13 . A microfluidic flow cell, comprising:
 a body having a fluid transport channel fillable by applying a fluid to a proximal end of the fluid transport channel and then spinning the body about its central axis, the body further including:
 a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port; 
 the fluid transport channel defining a fluid flow path in the body in direct fluid communication with the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port; and 
 a multitude of sample wells in direct fluid communication with the fluid transport channel, the multitude of sample wells being substantially perpendicular to a fluid flow direction in the fluid transport channel,
 wherein a fluid applied at the fluid inlet port will flow through the fluid transport channel along the fluid path toward the fluid outlet port in response to spinning the body about its central axis. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 13 , each of the sample wells having a volume between about 20 nl and about 50 nl. 
     
     
         15 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the body is substantially disc shaped. 
     
     
         16 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the fluid comprises a reaction mixture including a nucleic acid template, a multitude of primer strands for amplifying a sequence of interest, and an enzyme for amplifying the nucleic acid template. 
     
     
         17 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the multitude of primer strands includes at least one of a forward primer or a reverse primer for amplifying the sequence of interest. 
     
     
         18 . The microfluidic flow cell as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the fluid includes a reaction mixture for performing at least one of at least one of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR), transcription mediated amplification (TMA), rolling circle amplification (RCA), strand displacement amplification (SDA), or loop-mediated amplification (LAMP).