Microfluidic transport
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsAlexander Govyadinov, Erik D Torniainen, Pavel Kornilovich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for microfluidic transport includes a first fluid reservoir, a second fluid reservoir spaced from the first fluid reservoir, a main fluid channel communicated with the first fluid reservoir and the second fluid reservoir, an auxiliary fluid channel communicated with the main fluid channel, and a fluid actuator within the auxiliary fluid channel asymmetric to the main fluid channel such that operation of the fluidic actuator is to induce fluid flow in the main fluid channel from the first reservoir toward the second reservoir.
Claims15
A device for microfluidic transport, comprising:
- a first fluid reservoir;
- a second fluid reservoir spaced from the first fluid reservoir;
- a main fluid channel communicated with the first fluid reservoir and the second fluid reservoir, wherein the main fluid channel is to provide a direct path for fluid flow;
- an auxiliary fluid channel communicated with the main fluid channel, the auxiliary fluid channel being outside the direct path of the main fluid channel;
- and
- a fluid actuator within the auxiliary fluid channel, wherein the fluid actuator is asymmetric to the main fluid channel, and wherein operation of the fluid actuator is to induce the fluid flow in the direct path for fluid flow through the main fluid channel from the first fluid reservoir toward the second fluid reservoir.
A device for microfluidic transport, comprising:
- first and second fluid reservoirs;
- a main fluid channel extended between the first and second fluid reservoirs along a direct path;
- an auxiliary fluid channel communicated with the main fluid channel and including a segment asymmetric to the first and second fluid reservoirs, the auxiliary fluid channel being outside the direct path of the main fluid channel;
- and
- a fluid actuator within the segment of the auxiliary fluid channel, the fluid actuator to induce fluid flow in the main fluid channel along the direct path between the first and second fluid reservoirs.
A method of microfluidic transport, comprising:
- communicating a main fluid channel with a first reservoir and a second reservoir spaced from the first reservoir, the main fluid channel providing a direct path between the first reservoir and the second reservoir;
- communicating an auxiliary fluid channel with the main fluid channel, the auxiliary fluid channel being outside the direct path of the main fluid channel;
- and
- operating a fluid actuator positioned within the auxiliary fluid channel asymmetric to the main fluid channel, including inducing fluid flow in the main fluid channel from the first reservoir toward the second reservoir along the direct path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.