| abstract |
A microscale fluid handling system (10) 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 (23) for further off-chip sample manipu-lation and analysis is disclosed. The fluid handling system (10) is fabricated in the form of one or more channels (12), in any suitable format, provided in a mi-crochip body or substrate of silica, poly-mer or other suitable non-conductive ma-terial, or of stainless steel, noble metal, silicon or other suitable conductive or semi-conductive material. The microchip fluid handling system (10) includes one or more exit ports (16) integral with the end of one or more of the channels (12) for consecutive or simultaneous off chip analysis or collection of the sample. The exit port or ports (16) may be configured, for example, as an electrospray interface for transfer of a fluid sample to a mass spectrometer (23). |