US 11,896,973 B2Granted

Thermal activated microfluidic switching

AssigneeCytonome/St, LLC

InventorsDonald Francis Perrault, Jr., Johnathan Charles Sharpe, Erin Koksal

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Abstract

A microfluidic chip assembly having a plurality of microfluidic flow channels is provided. Each channel has a switching region. The microfluidic chip may further include at least one bubble jet actuator configured to generate a pressure pulse in the switching regions of the channels to selectively deflect particles in the flow. The bubble jet actuator may be configured as a blind chamber, as an operative non-through flow chamber and/or as a self-replenishment chamber. The bubble jet actuator may include a trapped air bubble. The bubble jet actuator may include a plurality of heating elements individually controlled for pre-nucleation warmup and/or for triggering vapor bubble nucleation.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A microfluidic particle processing chip assembly comprising;

a substrate;
a flow channel formed in the substrate, the flow channel having:
a focusing region for focusing a flow of particles within the flow channel;
an interrogation region at least partially downstream of the focusing region;
a switching region at least partially downstream of the interrogation region;
a first output channel;
and
a second output channel;
a first side channel formed in the substrate and fluidically coupled to the flow channel;
a second side channel formed in the substrate and fluidically coupled to the flow channel opposite the first side channel;
a first bubble jet actuator fluidically coupled to the first side channel, the first bubble jet actuator including one or more heating elements disposed in the first side channel and configured to generate a pressure pulse in the flow in the switching region of the flow channel to switch particles into one of the first output channel or the second output channel;
and
a second bubble jet actuator fluidically coupled to the second side channel, the second bubble jet actuator including one or more heating elements disposed in the second side channel and configured to generate a pressure pulse in the flow of the switching region of the flow channel to switch particles into one of the first output channel or the second output channel.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/211,480Filed 24 Mar 2021 · continuation
Priority: 16 May 2014
Published: US 2021/0205808 A18 Jul 2021
Granted: 13 Feb 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B01L 3/502738
By integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g.…
B01L 3/502761
By integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g.…
G01N 21/00
Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using
G01N 35/00
Automatic analysis not limited to methods or materials provided for in any

Family

Application61/994,764Us provisional application · filed 16 May 2014
Application14/715,052Parent of this continuation · filed 18 May 2015
US 2021/0205808 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jul 2021
US 10,960,396 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0328637 A1Published application
US 11,896,973 B2This patent

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

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