MOVe Microfluidic Chips

MOVe™ Technology
IntegenX Microscale On-chip Valve (MOVe™) technology is a proven and elegant mechanism that is fundamental in creating systems of micro-valves, pumps and fluidic circuits used to automate and miniaturize complex chemistries. MOVe valves are revolutionary not only due to superior capabilities for mixing and moving minute volumes of liquids on a glass or plastic chip accurately, efficiently and with extremely small dead volumes (10 nL), but also because of the simple and inherently reliable process by which the valves perform these functions. This technology is proprietary and covered by patents exclusively licensed from UC Berkeley and on intellectual property developed at IntegenX.

How MOVe Technology Works
IntegenX MOVe valves and pumps are constructed by placing a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane between etched glass or molded plastic layers. The bottom layer is connected to an external conventional-scale pneumatics system in an instrument and is controlled by the instrument software. When a vacuum is applied to the pneumatic displacement chamber, the normally closed PDMS membrane deflects from the valve seat and the valve opens.

MOVe pumps are made by coordinating the operation of three or more valves to create flow in any desired direction through pressure changes similar to those in a diaphragm pump. Flow rates are controlled dependent on the valve design and the rate of actuation. Flows range from 20 nL to 1 µL per stroke, offering a wide range of choices for various fluidic applications.

Mixing Liquids on Microfluidic Chips
Mixing liquids has always been a challenge in the laboratory and it is even more challenging when attempting to mix small volumes. Microfluidic chips have been promoted as the answer to reducing reagent volumes for years, but have fallen short of these promises because of the inability to mix fluids efficiently. The dimensions of typical microfluidic channels produce conditions that lead to laminar, not turbulent, flow of liquids, and standard microfluidic chips relied upon diffusion to mix—which is very inefficient for large molecules. IntegenX takes a very different approach to mix fluids on chips efficiently. Our MOVe technology can be programmed to produce small, interspersed plugs of various materials, including microbeads, which then pass through a valve and undergo invective mixing as the surfaces of the channels retard the outer portions of the plug and create an internal flow (Patent Pending).

 

Simple Manufacturing Process
IntegenX MOVe valves, pumps and fluidic circuits are durable, fabricated at low cost, can operate in dense arrays and feature intrinsically low dead volumes. Arrays of valves, pumps, and fluidic circuits are readily assembled on microchips using two etched glass or molded plastic plates and a single sheet of PDMS membrane. This innovative technology enables IntegenX to create complex micro- and nanofluidic circuits that can put as many as 500 microfluidic pumps on a chip at the same cost as 5. Extremely intricate designs of many components and channels consume no more space than a standard business card.

Benefits of Microfluidics
For DNA sequencing, molecular diagnostics and human identification applications, the immediate benefits of an integrated, automated microfluidics workflow are substantial and include:

• Smaller footprint: Current technologies take up a large amount of precious laboratory space. IntegenX MOVe microfluidics technology miniaturizes sample preparation and will eventually integrate both sample preparation and analysis into small footprint ‘sample-to-answer’ devices for the laboratory.
• Better data: Automation on microchips inherently eliminates the possibility of human error once the process is ‘on-chip’. It also frees up precious human talent for higher value tasks.
• Reduced reagent use and cost: Automation on microchips reduce reaction volumes to microliter and sub-microliter scales, which can dramatically reduce the use of expensive reagents and precious samples.
• Faster results: IntegenX MOVe technology provides automation options not available previously; offering researchers new options for improving the efficiency of many tedious life science applications at an affordable price point..

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Unique Designs for Unique Applications
IntegenX MOVe technology has evolved from original research at UC Berkeley to a commercial platform that is an integral part of our sample preparation systems. The design of these structures allows for more efficient use of space and easier part fabrication.

	MOVe Pumps MOVe pumps can be configured in a variety of geometries; three MOVe valves constitute a diaphragm pump.
	MOVe Reagent Rail The newly designed MOVe Reagent Rail system allows for fine metering of reagent additions and is expandable for more complex reactions and multistep processes.
	Paramagnetic bead capture in MOVe valves MOVe valves fabricated without valve seats have been designed for paramagnetic bead capture and concentration of sample, adapting this process for a much smaller space and at significantly reduced volumes.

Additional microchip designs have been developed to meet the needs of specific applications. Some of these designs are shown below:

	MOVe Pump On-chip miniaturized valves can be formed into microscale pumps and routers that use off-chip air or vacuum to operate.
	MOVe Routers MOVe Routers are made by arranging three or more valves to create the flow in any desired configuration.
	MOVe-based Micro Devices MOVe-based microchip devices can pump or trap sets of paramagnetic beads.
	MOVe Mixers MOVe mixers rapidly mix samples and reagents.

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