US 10,919,008 B2Granted

Fluid injection

AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College

InventorsDavid A. Weitz, Adam R. Abate, Tony Hung, Pascaline Mary

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

providing a microfluidic system comprising a first microfluidic channel and a second microfluidic channel contacting the first microfluidic channel at an intersection, wherein the second microfluidic channel connects to the intersection via an orifice having a cross-sectional dimension of no more than about 90% of an average cross-sectional dimension of the second microfluidic channel, and wherein the microfluidic system further comprises first and second electrodes positioned on the same side or opposing sides of the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel to create an electric field maximum within the intersection;
providing a first fluidic droplet in the first microfluidic channel and a second fluid in the second microfluidic channel, wherein the first fluidic droplet and the second fluid contact each other forming a fluidic interface at least partially within the intersection and
flowing a predetermined volume of the second fluid into the first fluidic droplet by applying a voltage to the first and second electrodes, wherein the volume of the second fluid flowing into the first fluidic droplet is controlled by controlling the voltage applied to the first and second electrodes to adjust a location of the fluidic interface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/659,307Filed 25 Jul 2017 · division
Priority: 26 Jun 2009
Published: US 2017/0354937 A114 Dec 2017
Granted: 16 Feb 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification29 codes

B01F 25/314
In conduits or tubes through which the main component flows: wherein additional components are introduced at the circumference of the conduit
B01F 33/3021
The materials to be mixed flowing in the form of droplets: the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these…
B01F 33/3022
The materials to be mixed flowing in the form of droplets: the components being formed by independent droplets which are alternated, the mixing of…
B01F 33/3031
Micromixers: using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids

Family

Application61/220,847Us provisional application · filed 26 Jun 2009
PCT/US2010/040006Parent of this division · filed 25 Jun 2010
US 2017/0354937 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Dec 2017
Application13/379,782Parent of this division
US 9,757,698 B2Parent of this division
US 2012/0132288 A1Published application
US 10,919,008 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.