# US 2013/0153797 A1 · Actuation of valves using electroosmotic pump

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- Number: US 2013/0153797 A1
- Document ID: US20130153797A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/357,729
- Filed: 2012-01-25
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Christopher Michael Puleo; Christopher Fred Keimel; Craig Patrick Galligan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153797A1

## CPC

- F04B 19/006: {Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence)}
- B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids}
- B01L 3/502738: {characterised by integrated valves (throttle valves in microfluidic sample containers B01L3/502746)}
- F16K 99/0026: {Valves using channel deformation}
- F16K 99/0042: {Electric operating means therefor}
- F16K 99/0059: {actuated by a pilot fluid}
- B01L 3/502707: {characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components}
- B01L 2200/16: Reagents, handling or storing thereof
- B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
- B01L 2300/0867: Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
- B01L 2400/0418: electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
- B01L 2400/0605: check valves
- Y10T 137/0318: Processes
- Y10T 436/2575: Volumetric liquid transfer
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method of actuating a valve, comprises operatively coupling the valve with an electroosmotic pump; flowing a fluid through the electroosmotic pump; and generating a fluidic pressure of at least 0.75 PSI to actuate the valve, wherein the electroosmotic pump comprises one or more thin, porous, positive electroosmotic membranes and one or more thin porous, negative electroosmotic membranes; a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source; wherein each of the positive and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on the other side of the membrane and wherein at least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive and a negative electroosmotic membrane.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of actuating a valve, comprising:
operatively coupling the valve with an electroosmotic pump;
flowing a fluid through the electroosmotic pump; and
generating a fluidic pressure of at least 0.75 PSI to actuate the valve,
wherein the electroosmotic pump comprises one or more thin, porous, positive electroosmotic membranes and one or more thin porous, negative electroosmotic membranes; a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source; wherein each of the positive and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on other side of the membrane and wherein at least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive and a negative electroosmotic membrane.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic pressure is about 0.75 to 30 PSI to actuate the valve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic pressure is about 30 to 100 PSI to actuate the valve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic pressure is generated by operating the electroosmotic pump by applying less than 25 volts across each of the membranes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the application achieves an electric field greater than 100 V/m across each electroosmotic membrane within the pump.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic pressure is generated by using an electroosmotic pump comprising about 2 to 100 membranes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid flows through the electroosmotic pump comprising nanoporous membranes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid flows through the electroosmotic pump with a flow rate of about 0.1 uL/min to 10 mL/min per cm2 of surface area across the membranes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid flows through the membranes having a thickness of about 10 nm to 10 mm for each individual membrane component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the membranes comprise tungsten oxide, vanadium oxide, silicon dioxide/silica, common glasses/silicates, silicon carbide, tantalum oxide, halfnium oxide, tin oxide, manganese oxide, titanium oxide, silicon nitride, chromium oxide, aluminum oxide/alumina, zinc oxide, nickel oxide, and magnesium oxide; or, polymers with grafted or coated ionizable functionalities to achieve zeta potential similar to said dielectrics, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the positive electroosmotic membranes comprise silica or silicate materials and the negative electroosmotic membranes comprise alumina materials.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the membranes comprise polymers, selected from PDMS, COC, PMMA, PC and combinations thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes comprise a macroporous metal, conductive polymer, redox polymer, redox metal salt, metal oxide and combinations thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid flows through the electroosmotic pump in a transverse direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the electroosmotic pump is further operatively coupled to at least one reservoir comprising the fluid.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a voltage or current controller controls or varies or holds the fluid flow or pressure output from the EOP.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein using the fluid flow or pressure output of the EOP statically or dynamically varies the state of the operatiely coupled valve.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, where the fluid flow or pressure output of the EOP is utilized to control a leak flow across the valve to less than 0.1% of the maximum (forward, open valve) flow.

### Claim 19

A microfluidic device, comprising:
one or more valves; and
one or more electroosmotic pumps, wherein the electroosmotic pumps comprise both positive electroosmotic membranes and negative electroosmotic membranes;
a plurality of electrodes comprising cathodes and anodes, and a power source;
wherein each of the positive electroosmotic membranes and negative electroosmotic membranes are disposed alternatively and wherein at least one of the cathodes is disposed on one side of one of the membranes and at least one of the anodes is disposed on other side of the membrane and wherein at least one of the cathodes or anodes is disposed between a positive electroosmotic membrane and a negative electroosmotic membrane;
wherein one or more of the valves are operatively coupled to one or more of the electroosmotic pumps.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the electroosmotic pumps achieve an electric fields greater than 100 V/m across each electroosmotic membrane within the pump.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein the electroosmotic pumps comprise about 2 to 100 membranes.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the fluid flows through the membranes having a thickness of about 10 nm to 10 mm for each individual membrane component.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the membranes comprise dielectric materials, such as, tungsten oxide, vanadium oxide, silicon dioxide/silica, common glasses/silicates, silicon carbide, tantalum oxide, halfnium oxide, tin oxide, manganese oxide, titanium oxide, silicon nitride, chromium oxide, aluminum oxide/alumina, zinc oxide, nickel oxide, and magnesium oxide; or, polymers with grafted ionizable functionalities to achieve zeta potential similar to said dielectrics, and combinations or derivitizations thereof.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the positive electroosmotic membranes comprise silica, and the negative electroosmotic membranes comprise alumina.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the electrodes are macroporous.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the electrodes comprise a macroporous metal, conductive polymer, redox polymer, redox metal salt, metal oxide and combinations thereof.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein one or more of the electroosmotic pumps are operatively coupled to one or more reservoirs comprising a fluid.

### Claim 28 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, wherein the valve is operatively coupled to one or more reagent compartments comprising dried or liquid buffers or reagents, such that, an operation of the valve enables dissolution of the buffers or reagents.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The device of claim 28, wherein the reagent compartments are placed in series with the pumps.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The device of claim 28, wherein the dried buffer or reagents are configured to be selectively rehydrated and reconstituted by the fluid.