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US 10,159,979 B2Granted
Microfluidic device for high-volume production of monodisperse emulsions
AssigneeKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology
InventorsIan G. Foulds, David Conchouso González, David Castro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high volume microfluidic system for producing emulsions includes a fluid distribution network to produce uniformly sized emulsions and encapsulates.
Claims15
A multi-layer microfluidic device for parallelization of microfluidic systems comprising:
- plural layers arranged in top of each other;
- and
- a distribution network including a plurality of channels to control the flow of a fluid,
- the plural layers including first and second generator layers, made of plates or substrates, each of the first and second generator layer having a fractal pattern of fluid channels aligned between the layers by through-holes formed in each layer,
- the plural layers further including (1) a dispersed phase distribution layer and (2) a continuous phase distribution layer, each of the dispersed phase distribution layer and the continuous phase distribution layer having a fractal pattern of fluid channels,
- wherein the dispersed phase distribution layer receives a first fluid and allows the first fluid to flow through its fractal pattern of fluid channels,
- the continuous phase distribution layer receives a second fluid, different from the first fluid, and allows the second fluid to flow through its fractal pattern of fluid channels,
- the first and second fluids flow separately through the through-holes to the first generator layer and mix up and form an emulsion in the first generator layer and the emulsion flows through the fractal pattern of fluid channels of the first generator layer until arriving at an outlet, and
- the first and second fluids flow separately through the through-holes to the second generator layer and mix up and form another emulsion in the second generator layer and the another emulsion flows through the fractal pattern of fluid channels of the second generator layer until arriving at the outlet.
6 more elements
A method of forming an emulsion comprising:
- inputting a first fluid at a dispersed phase distribution layer, which has a first fractal pattern of fluid channels, the first fluid flowing from an input to multiple ends of the first fractal pattern of fluid channels;
- inputting a second fluid at a continuous phase distribution layer, which has a second fractal pattern of fluid channels, the second fluid flowing from another input to multiple ends of the second fractal pattern of fluid channels;
- passing the first and second fluids through a multi-layer device comprising, in addition to the dispersed phase distribution layer and the continuous phase distribution layer, at least first and second generator layers,
- wherein the first and second generator layers are connected by through-holes, and
- wherein each of the first and second generator layer includes a corresponding fractal pattern;
- mixing the first and second fluids to form the emulsion, in the first and second generator layers;
- and
- controlling the flow of the emulsion, through the fractal pattern of fluid channels of the first and second generator layers, to an outlet that dispenses the emulsion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.