Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide microfluidic devices.SOLUTION: The present invention provides substrates having individual fluid handling modules that can be combined into fluid processing systems so as to perform multi-step processing of isolated components, which is essential to perform biological, chemical and diagnostic applications, quickly, effectively and inexpensively. Using principles based on electrical manipulation of droplets, the microfluidic substrates can encapsulate reagents into droplets, which can be combined, analyzed, and sorted.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for detecting a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product in aqueous droplets.SOLUTION: The method for detecting a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product in aqueous droplets comprises the steps of: forming a plurality of aqueous droplets which have uniform capacity in a microfluidic chip: moving the plurality of aqueous droplets to an off-chip reservoir in which at least one of the aqueous droplets contains a reagent for nucleic acid and PCR reaction; performing PCR reaction while the aqueous droplets are present in the off-chip reservoir; moving the plurality of aqueous droplets from the off-chip reservoir to a channel; adding an immiscible carrier fluid between the aqueous droplets, thereby increasing intervals between the aqueous droplets in the channel; and detecting the PCR product in one or more of the aqueous droplets in the channel.