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US 2003/0198130 A1Published application
Fluidic mixer in microfluidic system
AssigneeNanostream, Inc.
InventorsChristoph D. Karp, Stephen D. O'Connor, Paren P. Patel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices capable of efficiently mixing two or more fluid are provided. Two or more microfluidic inlet channels defined in different sheets of material meet at an overlap region in fluid communication with an outlet channel. The channels are defined through the entire thickness of stencil sheets. The overlap region may include an aperture-defining spacer layer, and/or an impedance element, such as a porous membrane, adapted to distribute at least one fluid across the entire width of the outlet channel to promote reliable fluid mixing.
Claims38
A microfluidic device comprising:
- a plurality of stacked, substantially planar sheets of material including a first stencil sheet, a second stencil sheet, a spacer sheet disposed between the first stencil sheet and the second stencil sheet, an upper cover sheet, and a lower cover sheet, each sheet having an upper surface, an opposing lower surface, at least one edge, and a thickness, wherein each sheet of the plurality of sheets is joined to at least one other adjacent sheet such that the plane of the joint is substantially parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of each sheet;
- a first microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a first fluid, the first inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the first stencil sheet;
- a second microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a second fluid, the second inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the second stencil sheet;
- and
- a microfluidic outlet channel disposed downstream of the first inlet channel and the second inlet channel, the outlet channel having a width;
- wherein the spacer sheet defines an aperture having a width greater than the width of the outlet channel;
- and
- wherein at least a portion of the first inlet channel overlaps at least a portion of the second inlet channel at the aperture, thus permitting fluid communication between the first inlet channel, the second inlet channel, and the outlet channel.
5 more elements
A microfluidic device comprising:
- a plurality of stacked, substantially planar sheets of material including a first stencil sheet, a second stencil sheet, an upper cover sheet, and a lower cover sheet, each sheet having an upper surface, an opposing lower surface, at least one edge, and a thickness, wherein each sheet of the plurality of sheets is joined to at least one other adjacent sheet such that the plane of the joint is substantially parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of each sheet;
- a first microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a first fluid, the first inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the first stencil sheet;
- a second microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a second fluid, the second inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the second stencil sheet;
- a microfluidic outlet channel disposed downstream of the first inlet channel and the second inlet channel;
- and
- a porous membrane disposed between the first stencil sheet and the second stencil sheet;
- wherein at least a portion of the first inlet channel overlaps at least a portion of the second inlet channel at an overlap region permitting fluid communication between the first inlet channel, the second inlet channel, and the outlet channel;
- and
- wherein a portion of the porous membrane is disposed within a flow path of the first fluid at the overlap region.
6 more elements
A microfluidic device comprising:
- a plurality of stacked, substantially planar sheets of material including a first stencil sheet, a second stencil sheet, an upper cover sheet, and a lower cover sheet, each sheet having an upper surface, an opposing lower surface, at least one edge, and a thickness, wherein each sheet of the plurality of sheets is joined to at least one other adjacent sheet such that the plane of the joint is substantially parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of each sheet;
- a first microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a first fluid, the first inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the first stencil sheet;
- a second microfluidic inlet channel for supplying a second fluid, the second inlet channel being defined through the entire thickness of the second stencil sheet;
- a microfluidic outlet channel disposed downstream of the first inlet channel and the second inlet channel, the outlet channel having a width;
- wherein at least a portion of the first inlet channel overlaps at least a portion of the second inlet channel at an overlap region permitting fluid communication between the first inlet channel, the second inlet channel, and the outlet channel;
- and
- wherein the overlap region comprises an impedance element disposed in the flow path of the first fluid and that hinders flow of the first fluid, the impedance element being adapted to distribute the first fluid across the entire width of the outlet channel.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.