Method and apparatus to identify fluidic path positions

A method of testing a microfluidic device comprising:

• providing a fluidic parameter testing system having a motor operable to rotate an internal rotary valve of the microfluidic device and a sensor operable to measure a fluidic parameter;
• interfacing the microfluidic device to a fluidic parameter testing system, wherein the fluidic parameter is one of air pressure and mass flow, the microfluidic device comprising:
• an internal rotary valve, and
• internal fluidic channels, each channel having a port with a predetermined port position that the rotary valve is to align to in order to select any one of a plurality of reagents which flow through the channels;
• rotating the rotary valve via the fluidic parameter testing system to a plurality of rotary valve positions of the rotary valve;
• measuring using the sensor one of an air pressure and a mass flow of the microfluidic device at each rotary valve position, wherein a plurality of valve positions are between port positions and the measuring includes measuring for leakages between the port positions;
• mapping the one of the air pressure and the mass flow relative to the rotary valve positions;
• providing a visual indication of the mapping to a user in the form of a graph or table;
• determining from the mapping if the rotary valve aligns with each of the predetermined port positions for a flow of the reagents through the channels;
• and
• determining from the mapping whether the microfluidic device is unacceptable for use wherein said determining is prior to use of the microfluidic device for a gene sequencing operation.

A method of testing a microfluidic device comprising:

• providing a fluidic parameter testing system having a motor operable to rotate an internal rotary valve of the microfluidic device and a sensor operable to measure a fluidic parameter;
• interfacing the microfluidic device to a fluidic parameter testing system, wherein the fluidic parameter is one of air pressure and mass flow, the microfluidic device comprising:
• an internal rotary valve, and
• internal fluidic channels, each channel having a port with a predetermined port position that the rotary valve is to align to in order to select any one of a plurality of reagents which flow through the channels;
• rotating the rotary valve with the motor in a clockwise direction to a plurality of clockwise rotary valve positions of the rotary valve;
• measuring using the sensor the one of the air pressure and the mass flow at each clockwise rotary valve position;
• clockwise mapping the one of the air pressure and the mass flow relative to the clockwise rotary valve positions;
• rotating the rotary valve with the motor in the counter-clockwise direction to a plurality of counter-clockwise rotary valve positions of the rotary valve;
• measuring using the sensor the one of the air pressure and the mass flow at each counter-clockwise rotary valve position;
• counter-clockwise mapping the one of the air pressure and the mass flow relative to the counter-clockwise rotary valve positions;
• and
• comparing the clockwise and counter-clockwise mappings to determine a microfluidic device hysteresis;
• determining from the hysteresis whether the microfluidic device is unacceptable for use wherein said determining is prior to use of the microfluidic device for a gene sequencing operation.