DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING INDIVIDUAL PICOLITER DROPLETS FROM MICROFLUIDIC EMULSIONS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS AND SCALE-UP

摘要

The invention relates to a method and a system for the isolation of picoliter droplets from a continuous stream of carrier fluid in a microfluidic system. In particular the invention relates to a system that comprises a sorting unit (64), a detection unit (10, 18) and a collection unit (24). The sorting unit (64) serves for a selection of picoliter droplets (44) with a desired content based upon an optical signal obtained from the picoliter droplets. The selected picoliter droplets (44) are guided towards the detection unit that comprises a detection channel (18) that is arranged perpendicular to a light beam (32). By means of a photodetector (34) that is aligned with the optical axis of the light beam (32) the passage of the picoliter droplets (44) can be detected. The collection unit (24) comprises multiple wells and the detection of the passage of the picoliter droplets results in a relative movement of the detection unit and a collection unit (24) such that the picoliter droplet is isolated by depositing it into one of said wells. The invention moreover relates to a method that uses such a system to isolate individual picoliter droplets. In particular the invention relates to a method that allows for an analysis and/or further processing of the content of the picoliter droplets that have been isolated from a microfluidic system by depositing them into a well.