Strategy for repetitive pinched injections on a microfluidic device

A microfluidic valve was fabricated with a cross intersection and two tee intersections in close proximity and evaluated for repetitive pinched injections. Electrokinetic forces were used to mobilize the sample and control diffusive transport at a cross intersection to produce sample plugs of short axial extent in an analysis channel similar to the standard pinched valve. The addition of a tee intersection in the sample channel maintained the sample close to the injection valve under "pullback"conditions allowing more rapid loading into the cross intersection. A second tee intersection allowed unidirectional transport in the analysis channel enabling loading of subsequent injections during an analysis. The two tee intersections were each located 80 microm from the cross intersection. Injection frequencies of 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 Hz were tested with a duty cycle of 0.5 for sample loading and dispensing. With 1 kV applied to the microchip during dispensing, the relative standard deviation of the peak areas for 15 injections was 1.6%. The peak width (4sigma) for the repetitive injections increased from 71 to 96 microm compared to a standard pinched injection due to the presence of the tee intersection in the analysis channel.