Claims
- 1. An apparatus for effecting material transport, comprising:
a. an injection channel and a separation channel, wherein the separation and injection channels are covered by a cover plate, and wherein the separation channel has first and second ends and is in fluid communication with the injection channel at an intersection; b. first and second reservoirs in fluid communication with the injection channel and respectively containing first and second fluids containing first and second materials, respectively; c. a third reservoir in fluid communication with the separation channel at said first end and containing a third fluid containing a third material; and d. means for applying and actively controlling an electric potential at each of the first, second and third reservoirs simultaneously to impart movement of the first and third materials from the first and third reservoirs into the intersection and then into the separation channel said application and control of said electric potential causing the materials from the first and third reservoirs to be mixed.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intersection is between the first and second ends of the separation channel, and further comprising a fourth reservoir containing a fourth fluid containing a fourth material, in fluid communication with the second end of the separation channel, and further comprising means for introducing a fourth material into the separation channel between the intersection and the second end.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for applying and actively controlling an electric potential at each of the first, second and third reservoirs applies and actively controls the potential at each of the first and second reserviors to vary the ratio of the first fluid to the third fluid moved into the intersection.
- 4. An apparatus for effecting material transport in an interconnected channel structure, comprising:
a. a body having a first channel extending between an analyte reservoir and an analyte waste reservoir, a second channel extending between a first buffer reservoir and a buffer waste reservoir, and a cover plate covering the first and second channels; b. the first and second channels crossing to form a first fluid communicating intersection; and c. voltage means electronically coupled to each reservoir to establish a first flow pattern for moving analyte through the first channel into the intersection, and a second flow pattern in which each of said analyte reservoir, analyte waste reservoir, buffer reservoir and buffer waste reservoir have actively controlled voltages for moving analyte from the intersection into the second channel.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the body includes a glass substrate having first and second opposite planar surfaces, the first and second channels being formed in one of the first and second surfaces.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the body further includes a glass cover plate bonded to the substrate over and thereby enclosing the first and second channels.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a third channel extending between a second buffer reservoir and a third buffer reservoir, the first and third channels crossing to form a second fluid communicating intersection between the first buffer reservoir and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the voltage means comprises means for imparting differential voltages to select ones of the analyte reservoir, the analyte waste reservoir, the first, second, and third buffer reservoirs, and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the voltage means comprises an electric power source and a plurality of electrodes disposed respectively in the analyte reservoir, the analyte waste reservoir, the first, second and third buffer reservoirs, and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first channel has a buffer channel portion extending between the intersection and the buffer reservoir, and a separation channel portion extending between the intersection and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the separation channel portion of the first channel has a serpentine pattern.
- 12. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the voltage means comprises means for imparting differential voltages to select ones of the analyte reservoir, the analyte waste reservoir, the buffer reservoir and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the voltage means comprises an electric power source and a plurality of electrodes disposed respectively in the analyte reservoir, the analyte waste reservoir, the buffer reservoir and the buffer waste reservoir.
- 14. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected covered channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting a first and second reservoir via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting a third and fourth reservoir via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at an intersection, the method comprising:
a. actively controlling an electric potential simultaneously at each of the first, second, third and fourth ports, the step of actively controlling comprising:
i. applying potentials to the first, third and fourth reservoirs, and grounding the second reservoir, said potentials being effective to transport material contained in the first reservoir into the intersection in a pinched condition; and ii. changing the electric potentials of the four reservoirs to impart movement of material from the intersection towards the fourth reservoir by: b. applying an electric potential to the third reservoir; c. applying potentials to the first and second reservoirs that are less than the potential applied to the third reservoirs; and d. grounding the fourth reservoir.
- 15. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected covered channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second portions are in fluid communication with each other at a first intersection, and a third channel portion connecting a fifth reservoir via a fifth port, with the second channel portion at a point located between the first intersection and the fourth reservoir, the method comprising:
a. actively controlling the electric potential simultaneously in each of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports to create differences in potential sufficient to cause material to move through the interconnected channel structure in a controlled manner.
- 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of actively controlling further comprises placing a buffer in the first reservoir, a reagent in the fifth reservoir, placing an analyte in the third reservoir, and creating potential differences between the first, second, third, fourth and fifth reservoirs to impart movement of the analyte, reagent and buffer towards the fourth reservoir.
- 17. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected covered channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports, respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at a first intersection, and a third channel portion connecting fifth and sixth reservoirs via fifth and sixth ports, respectively, wherein the second and third channel portions are in fluid communication at a second intersection, the second intersection being located at a point between the first intersection and the fourth reservoir, the method comprising actively controlling the electric potential simultaneously in each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth ports to create differences in potential sufficient to cause material to move through the interconnected channel structure in a controlled manner.
- 18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of actively controlling further comprises placing a buffer in the third, fifth and sixth reservoirs, placing a sample in the first reservoir, creating a first distribution of electrical potential at the reservoirs to impart movement of sample into the first intersection and towards the second reservoir and buffer from the fifth and sixth reservoirs towards the fourth reservoir and the first intersection, and then creating a second distribution of electric potential at the reservoirs to impart movement of sample from the first intersection and buffer towards the fourth reservoir.
- 19. A method of effecting material transport in an interconnected covered channel structure, which structure comprises a first channel portion connecting first and second reservoirs via first and second ports, respectively, and a second channel portion connecting third and fourth reservoirs via third and fourth ports respectively, wherein the first and second channel portions are in fluid communication with each other at an intersection, the method comprising actively controlling an electric potential simultaneously at each of the first, second, third and fourth ports, the step of actively controlling comprising:
a. applying potentials to the first, third and fourth reservoirs, and applying a potential to the second reservoir that is less than potentials applied to the first, third and fourth reservoirs said potentials being effective to transport material contained in the first reservoir into the intersection in a pinched condition; and b. changing the electric potentials of the four reservoirs to impart movement of material from the intersection towards the fourth reservoir by:
i. applying an electric potential to the third reservoir; ii. applying potentials to the first and second reservoirs that are less than the potential applied to the third reservoir; and iii. applying a potential to the fourth reservoir that is less than the potentials applied to the first, and second reservoirs.
Parent Case Info
[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/909,638, filed Jul. 20, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/300,060, filed Apr. 27, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,142, issued Dec. 29, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/283,769, filed Aug. 1, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,229, issued Dec. 14, 1999, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated, by reference.
Government Interests
[0002] This invention was made with Government support under contract DE-AC05-840R21400 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy to Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. and the Government has certain rights in this invention.
Continuations (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09909636 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10434874 |
May 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09300060 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
09909636 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08283769 |
Aug 1994 |
US |
Child |
09300060 |
Apr 1999 |
US |