Nucleic acid amplification using microfluidic devices

• Main Authors: LIU JIAN, QUAKE STEPHEN R, MA CHIEM, ENZELBERGER MARKUS M, HANSEN CARL L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.11.2010
• Subjects: ACTUATING-FLOATS; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; BLASTING; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMISTRY; COCKS; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; SPIRITS; TAPS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; VALVES; VINEGAR; WEAPONS; WINE

The present invention provides microfluidic devices and methods using the same in various types of thermal cycling reactions. Certaom devices include a rotary microfluidic channel and a plurality of temperature regions at different locations along the rotary microfluidic channel at which temperature is regulated. Solution can be repeatedly passed through the temperature regions such that the solution is exposed to different temperatures. Other microfluidic devices include an array of reaction chambers formed by intersecting vertical and horizontal flow channels, with the ability to regulate temperature at the reaction chambers. The microfluidic devices can be used to conduct a number of different analyses, including various primer extension reactions and nucleic acid amplification reactions.