MICROSCALE LIQUID HANDLING SYSTEM

摘要

A microscale fluid handling system that permits the efficient transfer of nanoliter to picoliter quantities of a fluid sample from the spatially concentrated environment of a microfabricated chip to "off-chip" analytical or collection devices for further off-chip sample manipulation and analysis is disclosed. The fluid handling system is fabricated in the form of one or more channels, in any suitable format, provided in a microchip body or substrate of silica, polymer or other suitable non-conductive material, or of stainless steel, noble metal, silicon or other suitable conductive or semi-conductive material. The microchip fluid handling system includes one or more exit ports integral with the end of one or more of the channels for consecutive or simultaneous off-chip analysis or collection of the sample. The exit port or ports may be configured, for example, as an electrospray interface for transfer of a fluid sample to a mass spectrometer.