Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Ecole Polytechnique

Santa Clara University

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-cnrs

Paul Abbyad

Rémi Dangla

Charles Baroud

Silvan Turkcan

Étienne Fradet

Jonathan Tullis

Cedar A Waldherr Smith

The subject matter of the present invention is a microfluidic process for treating and analysing a solution containing a biological material, comprising a step of introducing the solution into microchannels of a microfluidic circuit (), a step of forming drops of this solution, under the effect of modifications of the surface tension of the solution, a step of moving the drops to one or more drop storage zones(s) (), under the effect of modifications of the surface tension of the drops, a step of treating the drops and a step of analysing the drops.

Microfluidic process for treating and analysing a solution containing a biological material and corresponding microfluidic circuit

The subject of the present invention is a microfluidic circuit in which are defined microchannels able to contain fluids and including at least one device for forming drops of a solution, guiding the drops to a storage zone in which one of the drops can be brought into contact with a drop of another solution, the walls of the microchannel portion forming the first drop-formation device diverging so as to cause drops of the first solution to detach under the effect of the surface tension of the first solution; the first guide include wall portions of the microchannels that diverge so as to cause the drops to move along under the effect of the surface tension of the first solution.

Microfluidic circuit allowing drops of several fluids to be brought into contact, and corresponding microfluidic method

Provided herein are microfluidic circuits that include at least one device for forming a quantity of drops of a solution in a carrier fluid and at least one storage zone for storing drops produced by the microfluidic device. Such microfluidic circuits are useful, for example, for the analysis of a solution containing a biological sample.

A method of forming microdroplets is provided that includes forming a well plate, using lithography, where the well plate includes a microchannel and a microwell in a surface of the fluid channel, flowing a first fluid into the microchannel, where the microchannel and the microwell are filled with the first fluid, and flowing a second fluid into the microchannel, where the first fluid is displaced from the microchannel, where the first fluid remains in the microwell, where a microdroplet of the first fluid is formed.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Paul Abbyad