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The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Patent No.:

US 9733185 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 2017

Filed:

Nov. 13, 2012

Gradient structures interfacing microfluidics and nanofluidics, methods for fabrication and uses thereof

Applicant:

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (US);

Inventors:

Han Cao, San Diego, CA (US);

Jonas O. Tegenfeldt, Lund, SE;

Stephen Chou, Princeton, NJ (US);

Robert H. Austin, Princeton, NJ (US);

Assignee:

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (US);

Attorney:

Riverside Law LLP

Primary Examiner:

Bradley L Sisson

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 35/02 (2006.01); G01N 33/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/36 (2006.01); C12M 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B81C 1/00 (2006.01); B82Y 30/00 (2011.01); G01N 33/487 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 21/6486 (2013.01); B01L 3/502707 (2013.01); B01L 3/502746 (2013.01); B01L 3/502761 (2013.01); B81C 1/00119 (2013.01); B82Y 30/00 (2013.01); G01N 33/48721 (2013.01); G03F 7/2008 (2013.01); B01L 3/502715 (2013.01); B01L 2200/027 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0663 (2013.01); B01L 2200/12 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0654 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0896 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0415 (2013.01); B01L 2400/086 (2013.01); B81B 2201/058 (2013.01); B81C 2201/0157 (2013.01); B81C 2201/0159 (2013.01); Y10T 436/143333 (2015.01);
Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for interfacing nanofluidic and microfluidic components suitable for use in performing high throughput macromolecular analysis. Diffraction gradient lithography (DGL) is used to form a gradient interface between a microfluidic area and a nanofluidic area. The gradient interface area reduces the local entropic barrier to nanochannels formed in the nanofluidic area. In one embodiment, the gradient interface area is formed of lateral spatial gradient structures for narrowing the cross section of a value from the micron to the nanometer length scale. In another embodiment, the gradient interface area is formed of a vertical sloped gradient structure. Additionally, the gradient structure can provide both a lateral and vertical gradient.

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