Fluidics Interface System
AssigneeLife Technologies Corporation
InventorsJohn Nobile, George Roth, David Marran, William Mileski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A leak resistant electrical connector configured as a fluidic barrier between a fluidics device, which may comprise a chemFET sensor, and other electrical circuitry wherein the fluidics device further comprises one or more electrical contacts conductively coupled to one or more electrical contacts associated with the electrical circuitry through the connector.
Claims20
A fluid-tolerant electrical connector comprising:
- a conformable electrically conductive membrane configured as a fluidic barrier between a fluidics device and other electrical circuitry wherein the fluidics device comprises one or more electrical contacts conductively coupled to one or more electrical contacts associated with the electrical circuitry through the membrane;
- wherein the one or more electrical contacts of the fluidics device are selectively conductively coupled to one or more corresponding contacts associated with the electrical circuitry through conductive pathways formed in the membrane while fluid contained in the fluidics device is substantially prevented from contacting the electrical circuitry by the membrane.
A method for establishing an electrical connection between a fluidics device and other electrical processing circuitry, the method comprising:
- positioning a conformable electrically conductive membrane in proximity to the fluidics device and the other electrical processing circuitry forming a substantially fluid-proof barrier;
- providing electrical conductivity between electrical contacts associated with the fluidics device and electrical contacts associated with the other electrical processing circuitry through the membrane via one or more conductive pathways present in the membrane by urging the fluidics device and the electrical processing circuitry in proximity to one another with the membrane disposed therebetween wherein connectivity is established between the electrical contacts of the fluidics device and electrical contacts associated with the other processing circuitry through the conductive pathways present in the membrane;
- and
- transmitting electrical signals from the fluidics device through the membrane to the other electrical processing circuitry while the membrane prevents fluid from contacting the other electrical processing circuitry.
An electrical connector for a fluidics device comprising:
- a conductive membrane forming a fluidic barrier between the fluidics device and other electrical circuitry wherein the fluidics device comprises one or more contacts to be conductively coupled to one or more contacts associated with the electrical circuitry wherein the one or more contacts associated with the electrical circuitry and the one or more contacts associated with the fluidics device are positioned on opposing sides of the membrane;
- and
- conductive pathways formed through the membrane configured to selectively conductively couple the one or more contacts associated with the fluidics device with one or more corresponding contacts associated with the electrical circuitry thereby providing one or more signal transmission pathways for transmitting signals in response to analytes contained in the fluidic device while the membrane remains substantially impermeable to fluid to protect the electrical circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.