Flow control in multi-stream microfluidic devices
AssigneeNanostream, Inc.
InventorsEugene Dantsker, Christoph D. Karp, Marci Pezzuto, Steven E. Hobbs, Paren P. Patel
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices for splitting an established fluidic flow through a microfluidic channel among multiple downstream microfluidic channels include a plurality of elevated flow resistance regions to promote precise and predictable splitting. Each elevated resistance region imparts a flow resistance that is substantially greater than the characteristic resistance to established flow of its associated downstream channel. Elevated flow resistance regions may include one or more porous materials and/or alterations to the channel geometry of at least a portion of a downstream channel.
Claims26
A device for precisely splitting a first established microfluidic stream into a plurality of microfluidic streams in predictable proportions, the splitting device comprising:
- an upstream microfluidic channel containing a first established microfluidic flow;
- a plurality of downstream microfluidic channels in fluid communication with the upstream channel, each downstream channel having a characteristic flow resistance;
- and
- a plurality of regions of permanently elevated resistance to established flow, each resistance region being associated with one of said plurality of downstream channels and providing a flow resistance substantially greater than the characteristic resistance to established flow of its associated downstream channel.
A method for precisely splitting an established fluidic flow through a microfluidic channel among a plurality of microfluidic channels, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an upstream channel containing a first flow of fluid;
- providing a plurality of downstream channels in fluid communication with the input channel, each downstream channel having a characteristic resistance to established flow;
- and
- permanently elevating the flow resistance of each downstream channel by at least about 2 times its characteristic resistance to established flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.