# US 10,864,517 B2 · Vacuum battery system for portable microfluidic pumping

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- Number: US 10,864,517 B2
- Document ID: US10864517B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/951,582
- Filed: 2018-04-12
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-17
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of California
- Applicants: The Regents of the University of California
- Inventors: Luke P. Lee; Erh-Chia Yeh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864517B2

## CPC

- B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids}
- F04B 19/006: {Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence)}
- B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
- B01L 2300/0864: comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
- B01L 2300/0883: Serpentine channels
- B01L 2400/049: vacuum
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)

## Abstract

A fluidic chip employing a vacuum void to store vacuum potential for controlled micro-fluidic pumping in conjunction with biomimetic vacuum lungs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1:
wherein the vacuum channels are inter-digitated with the fluid channels to form a vacuum lung of thin gas-permeable walls.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the vacuum lung is configured to mimic lung alveoli gas exchange by allowing air to diffuse across the thin gas-permeable walls between the fluid channels and the vacuum channels and void.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the lung is configured to control gas diffusion across the thin gas-permeable walls, thereby regulating flow properties of fluid in the fluid channels.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2:
wherein the fluid channel further comprises a plurality of dead-end wells coupled in series; and
wherein the fluid sample is configured to be sequentially drawn into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, further comprising:
a plurality of auxiliary vacuum channels inter-digitated with the plurality of dead end wells to form a second set of thin gas-permeable walls between the dead-end wells and auxiliary vacuum channels; and
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, air is drawn across the second set of thin gas-permeable walls to advance the fluid sample into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, further comprising:
an auxiliary void coupled to the auxiliary vacuum channels;
the auxiliary void comprising a volume configured to store a vacuum upon subjecting the chip to a vacuum state;
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, the stored vacuum within the auxiliary void draws air across the second set of thin gas-permeable walls to advance the fluid sample into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a reservoir coupled to the fluid channel;
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, fluid is advanced from the fluid channel into the reservoir along the fluid channel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, further comprising:
a reservoir coupled to the fluid channel; and
an inlet disposed in the chip;
the inlet being coupled to and in communication with the fluid channel and configured to receive a sample fluid;
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, fluid is advanced from the inlet and sequentially through the plurality of dead-end wells, the reservoir, and then the plurality of fluid channels.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the chip comprises:
a first layer of gas-permeable material;
the first layer comprising one or more of the vacuum channel, fluid channel, and void; and
a second layer capping the first layer to close off one or more of the vacuum channel, fluid channel, and void.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1:
wherein the chip comprises multiple layers; and
wherein one or more of the vacuum channel, fluid channel, and void are disposed on separate layers.

### Claim 12

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.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein storing the chip to maintain the vacuum comprises placing the chip in a vacuum-sealed pouch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein discharging the chip comprises opening the vacuum-sealed pouch to break the vacuum.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12:
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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:
controlling gas diffusion across the gas-permeable walls to regulate a rate of flow of the sample fluid into the fluid channels.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12:
wherein the fluid channel comprises a plurality of dead-end wells; and
wherein the method further comprises sequentially drawing the fluid sample into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12:
wherein the fluid channel further comprises a reservoir; and
wherein advancing the fluid sample comprises advancing the fluid sample from a chip location to the fluid channel and reservoir.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12:
wherein the fluid channel further comprises an inlet, a plurality of dead-end wells and a reservoir; and
wherein advancing the fluid sample comprises advancing the fluid sample from the inlet sequentially into the plurality of dead-end wells, the reservoir, and then into the plurality of fluid channels.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein storing the chip to maintain the vacuum comprises storing the chip for at least a day prior to release of the chip from the vacuum state.

### Claim 21

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.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, wherein the vacuum lung is configured to mimic lung alveoli gas exchange by allowing air to diffuse through the thin gas permeable walls across the fluid channels and the vacuum channels and vacuum battery void.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The portable device of claim 22, wherein the lung is configured to control gas diffusion across the gas-permeable walls, thereby regulating flow properties of fluid in the plurality of fluid channels.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, further comprising:
a plurality of dead-end wells coupled to the plurality of fluid channels;
wherein the fluid sample is configured to be sequentially drawn into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The portable device of claim 24, further comprising:
a plurality of auxiliary vacuum channels inter-digitated with the plurality of dead end wells to for a second set of thin gas-permeable walls between the dead-end wells and auxiliary vacuum channels; and
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, air is drawn across the second set of thin gas-permeable walls to advance the into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The portable device of claim 25, further comprising:
an auxiliary vacuum battery void coupled to the auxiliary vacuum channels;
the auxiliary vacuum battery void comprising a volume configured to store a vacuum upon subjecting the chip to a vacuum state;
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, the stored vacuum within the auxiliary vacuum battery void draws air across the second set of thin gas-permeable walls to advance the fluid sample into the plurality of dead-end wells.

### Claim 27 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, further comprising:
a reservoir coupled to the plurality of fluid channels;
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, the fluid sample is advanced from the plurality of fluid channels and into the reservoir.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The portable device of claim 24:
wherein the chip further comprises a reservoir and an inlet coupled to the plurality of fluid channels, the inlet disposed at a location on the chip; and
wherein upon release of the chip from the vacuum state, the fluid sample is sequentially advanced from the inlet into the plurality of dead-end wells, into the reservoir, and then into the plurality of fluid channels.

### Claim 29 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, wherein the chip comprises:
a first layer of gas-permeable material;
the first layer comprising one or more of the plurality of vacuum channels, plurality of fluid channels, and battery vacuum void; and
a second layer capping the first layer to close off one or more of the plurality of vacuum channels, plurality of fluid channels, and battery vacuum void.

### Claim 30 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21:
wherein the chip comprises multiple layers; and
wherein one or more of the vacuum channels, fluid channels, and battery vacuum void are disposed on separate layers.

### Claim 31 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, further comprising;
a pair of non-permeable layers coupled to top and bottom surfaces of the chip.

### Claim 32 (depends on 21)

The portable device of claim 21, further comprising a containment for maintaining the chip in said vacuum state prior to release of said vacuum state.