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US 12,215,023 B2Granted
Microfluidic devices and associated methods
AssigneeThe Texas A&M University System
InventorsArum Han, Jose A. Wippold, Adrian R. Guzman, Can Huang, Dimitra Stratis-Cullum
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Abstract
A microfluidic device includes a microfluidic channel formed in the microfluidic device and defined by a floor and a ceiling positioned vertically above the floor, wherein the microfluidic channel includes at least one fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid flow and at least one fluid outlet, and wherein at least one of the ceiling and the floor of the microfluidic channel is sloped relative to a horizontal plane.
Claims19
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber defined by a gas permeable membrane;
- and
- a microfluidic channel formed in the microfluidic device and defined by a floor and a ceiling positioned vertically above the floor, wherein the microfluidic channel is in communication with the vacuum chamber:
- wherein the microfluidic channel comprises at least one fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid flow and at least one fluid outlet:
- and
- wherein the ceiling of the microfluidic channel is sloped relative to both a horizontal plane and the floor in the direction of the permeable membrane whereby the sloped ceiling is configured to direct one or more air bubbles suspended in the fluid flow towards the permeable membrane to form an air bubble trap of the microfluidic device.
3 more elements
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a microfluidic channel formed in the microfluidic device and defined by a floor and a ceiling positioned vertically above the floor;
- wherein the microfluidic channel comprises at least one fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid flow and at least one fluid outlet:
- and
- wherein the ceiling of the microfluidic channel is sloped relative to a horizontal plane such that a vertical height of the microfluidic channel measured between the floor and ceiling increases gradually moving from the at least one fluid inlet toward the at least one fluid outlet of the microfluidic channel and whereby buoyancy of one or more air bubbles suspended in the fluid flow urge the one or more air bubbles vertically upwards along the sloped ceiling of the microfluidic channel to form an air bubble trap of the microfluidic device.
1 more element
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber defined by a gas permeable membrane;
- and
- a microfluidic channel formed in the microfluidic device and defined by a floor and a ceiling positioned vertically above the floor;
- wherein the microfluidic channel comprises at least one fluid inlet configured to receive a fluid flow and at least one fluid outlet:
- and
- wherein the ceiling of the microfluidic channel is sloped relative to both a horizontal plane and the floor, and the permeable membrane is located vertically at above the sloped ceiling of the microfluidic channel to form an air bubble trap of the microfluidic device.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.