Methods and systems for control of general purpose microfluidic devices

摘要

The present invention provides control methods, control systems, and control software for microfluidic devices that operate by moving discrete micro-droplets through a sequence of determined configurations. Such microfluidic devices are preferably constructed in a hierarchical and modular fashion which is reflected in the preferred structure of the provided methods and systems. In particular, the methods are structured into low-level device component control functions, middle-level actuator control functions, and high-level micro-droplet control functions. Advantageously, a microfluidic device may thereby be instructed to perform an intended reaction or analysis by invoking micro-droplet control function that perform intuitive tasks like measuring, mixing, heating, and so forth. The systems are preferably programmable and capable of accommodating microfluidic devices controlled by low voltages and constructed in standardized configurations. Advantageously, a single control system can thereby control numerous different reactions in numerous different microfluidic devices simply by loading different easily understood micro-droplet programs.

主权项

1. A microprocessor-based method for controlling a microfluidic device, the method comprising:
selecting a micro-droplet processing request from a pre-selected group of micro-droplet processing requests,
wherein each request in the group specifies the creation or transformation of at least one micro-droplet confined in at least one microchannel in the microfluidic device, andwherein the microfluidic device comprises at least one resistive temperature detector which provides a sense signal indicative of a result of performing at least one selected micro-droplet processing request, wherein the microfluidic device is configured to perform two or more different processes relating to the micro-droplet processing requests on the micro-droplet contained in the microchannel,wherein the result comprises a temperature or a position of a micro-droplet; in response to each selected processing request, generating one or more control signals that, when applied to the microfluidic device, cause the device to perform the micro-droplet creation or the micro-droplet transformation specified by the processing request; for each sense signal provided for the at least one selected micro-droplet processing request, determining one or more of a position or a temperature of a micro-droplet, wherein selecting the micro-droplet processing request next after the at least one selected request is conditional upon the result of performing the at least one selected request, and repeating the selecting, the generating, and as applicable the determining, until the process is completed.