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US 10,864,517 B2Granted
Vacuum battery system for portable microfluidic pumping
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsLuke P. Lee, Erh-Chia Yeh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluidic chip employing a vacuum void to store vacuum potential for controlled micro-fluidic pumping in conjunction with biomimetic vacuum lungs.
Claims32
A system for portable power-free fluidic pumping, the system comprising:
- a chip;
- a void disposed within the chip;
- the void comprising a volume completely enclosed within the chip, the void configured to store a vacuum upon subjecting the chip to a vacuum state;
- one or more vacuum channels coupled to and in communication with the void;
- one or more fluid channels, each fluid channel disposed adjacent to a vacuum channel such that a thin gas-permeable wall of material is disposed between the fluid channel and the vacuum channel;
- wherein the fluid channel and vacuum channel are not physically connected to each other;
- and
- a containment for maintaining the chip in said vacuum state;
- wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state in the containment, the stored vacuum within the void passively draws air across the thin gas-permeable wall into the void to advance a fluid sample into the fluid channel.
6 more elements
A method for portable fluidic pumping on a chip, the method comprising:
- (a) providing the system for portable fluidic pumping, said system comprising:
- (i) a chip;
- (ii) a void disposed within the chip;
- (iii) the void comprising a volume completely enclosed within the chip, the void configured to store a vacuum upon subjecting the chip to a vacuum state;
- (iv) a plurality of vacuum channels coupled to and in communication with the void;
- (v) a plurality of fluid channels, each fluid channel disposed adjacent to a vacuum channel such that a thin gas-permeable wall of material is disposed between the fluid channel and the vacuum channel;
- (vi) a containment for maintaining the chip in said vacuum state;
- wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state in the containment, the stored vacuum within the void passively draws air across the thin gas-permeable wall into the void to advance a fluid sample into the fluid channel;
- (b) applying a vacuum to the chip to charge the chip to store a vacuum within a volume of a void within the chip;
- (c) storing the chip to maintain the vacuum;
- (d) discharging the chip from the vacuum;
- (e) applying a fluid sample at a location on the chip;
- and
- (f) passively drawing air across a gas-permeable wall into the void to advance the fluid sample into the fluid channel as a result of the stored vacuum within the void.
11 more elements
A portable device for pumping a fluid sample, comprising:
- a chip comprising a plurality of vacuum channels and a plurality of fluid channels;
- a vacuum battery void disposed within the chip;
- the vacuum battery void comprising a volume completely enclosed within the chip, the void configured to store a vacuum upon subjecting the chip to a vacuum state;
- wherein the plurality of vacuum channels are adjacent with the plurality of fluid channels;
- wherein the plurality of vacuum channels are inter-digitated with the plurality of fluid channels to form a vacuum lung of thin gas-permeable walls;
- wherein the plurality of vacuum channels are coupled to and in communication with the vacuum battery void;
- wherein the plurality of vacuum channels and plurality of spaced apart fluid channels are not physically connected to each other;
- and
- wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, the stored vacuum within the vacuum battery void passively draws air across the thin gas-permeable walls into the vacuum battery void to advance the fluid sample into the plurality of spaced apart fluid channels.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.