# US 2014/0332083 A1 · Microfluidic Device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0332083 A1 - Document ID: US20140332083A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/344,478 - Filed: 2012-09-14 - Published: 2014-11-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-14 - Assignees: Embl - Inventors: Christoph Merten; Ramesh Utharala - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140332083A1 ## CPC - G01N 1/28: Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00}) - B01L 3/502784: {specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics} - G01J 3/46: Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters (measuring colour temperature G01J5/60) - B01L 2200/026: Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details - B01L 2200/061: Counting droplets - B01L 2200/0673: Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid - B01L 2200/0694: Creating chemical gradients in a fluid - B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions - B01L 2400/0481: squeezing of channels or chambers - B01L 2400/0487: fluid pressure, pneumatics - G01J 2003/466: {Coded colour; Recognition of predetermined colour; Determining proximity to predetermined colour} - Y10T 137/0318: Processes - Y10T 137/469: Sequentially filled and emptied [e.g., holding type] - Y10T 137/877: With flow control means for branched passages - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The present disclosure teaches an apparatus and a method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The microfluidic apparatus includes valves for switching the one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network (30). The apparatus can be used to generate a sequence of the one or more substance liquids as individual droplets in an immiscible separation liquid wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between the separation liquid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microfluidic apparatus for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel network, the microfluidic apparatus comprising at least one first substance liquid inlet, at least one first valve and at least one input device for continuously applying a substantially constant pressure or a substantially continuous flow to the at least one first substance liquid at the at least one first substance liquid inlet wherein the at least one first valve, is switchable between a first position in which a liquid connection to the microfluidic channel network is open and a second position in which the liquid connection to the microfluidic channel network is closed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first substance liquid drain fluidly connectable to the first substance inlet (401, 405, 411, 415, 421, 425, 431, 435, 441, 445), wherein the substance liquid drain (409, 419, 429, 439, 449) is closed in a first position and wherein the substance liquid drain is open in a second position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The microfluidic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a separation liquid channel; and a droplet channel; wherein the separation liquid channel is connected to the droplet channel at a droplet generation junction and the droplet generation junction is connected to the microfluidic channel network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a substance liquid combining area which is a section of a microfluidic channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 3, wherein separation liquid channel; and the droplet channel are in use filled with a separation liquid of an immiscible oil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first substance liquid is at least one of an aqueous solution, an organic solvent or a combination thereof comprising a first substance. ### Claim 7 A method for providing a sequence of droplets of one or more substance liquids between a separation liquid, the method comprising: providing a separation liquid to a separation liquid channel; providing at least one of a first substance liquid and at least one second substance liquid to a combination area in the substance liquid channel network to obtain a combined substance liquid; and generating sections of the combined substance liquid separated by the separation liquid in a droplet channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the providing at least one of a first substance liquid and at least one second substance liquid to a mixing area comprises supplying the first substance liquid continuously to a first substance liquid inlet and supplying the at least one second substance liquid continuously to a second substance liquid inlet. ### Claim 9 A microfluidic apparatus for providing a coding sequence of droplets, the microfluidic apparatus comprising: an separation liquid inlet channel; a droplet channel; a substance liquid channel network, wherein the substance liquid channel network and the separation liquid channel are connected to the droplet channel by a droplet generation junction, and wherein the substance liquid channel network comprises at least one first substance liquid inlet, at least one first valve and at least one pressure device for continuously applying a constant pressure or a constant flow to a first substance liquid at the at least one first substance liquid inlet, wherein the at least one first valve is switchable between a first position in which a liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is open and a second position in which the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is closed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a first substance liquid drain, wherein the first substance liquid drain is closed in the first position and wherein the first substance liquid drain is open in the second position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the substance liquid channel network comprises a first substance liquid inlet, at least one second substance liquid inlet and at least one substance liquid combining area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the separation liquid is an immiscible oil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The microfluidic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first substance liquid is at least one of an aqueous solution or an organic solvent comprising a first substance. ### Claim 14 A method for providing a sequence of droplets of one or more substance liquids between a separation liquid, the method comprising: providing a separation liquid to a separation liquid channel; continuously providing at least a first substance liquid to a first substance liquid inlet; and switching at least one first valve directing the first substance liquid to a droplet generation junction, between a first position in which a liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is open and a second position in which the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is closed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the continuously providing the at least one first substance liquid to the first substance liquid inlet comprises applying a continuous pressure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the continuously providing the at least one first substance liquid to the first substance liquid inlet comprises applying at least one of a constant pressure or a constant flow of the at least one first substance liquid to the first substance liquid inlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the switching the at least one first valve comprises switching between the first position in which a substance liquid drain is closed and the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is open and the second position in which the substance liquid drain is open and the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is closed. ### Claim 18 A method for providing a coding sequence of droplets, wherein individual ones of the sequence of droplets are located between a continuous separation liquid, the method comprising: providing a first substance liquid and at least a second substance liquid to a microfluidic channel at a droplet generation junction with the continuous separation liquid, and selectively forming at the droplet generation junction droplets of the first substance liquid and of the at least one second substance liquid to generate a predetermined sequence of droplets; wherein the predetermined sequence of droplets is used as a coding. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first substance liquid and the at least one second substance liquid is dyed and the coding is a color coding. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the first substance liquid is dyed with a first dye and the at least one second substance liquid is dyed with a second dye. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising optically detecting the coding sequence of droplets. ### Claim 22 A method for providing one or more substance liquids to a microfluidic channel, the method comprising: continuously providing at least a first substance liquid to a first substance liquid inlet; and switching at least one first valve directing the first substance liquid to the microfluidic channel, between a first position in which a liquid connection to the microfluidic channel is open and a second position in which the liquid connection to the microfluidic channel is closed. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein a substance liquid drain is closed in the first position and the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is open and wherein the substance liquid drain is open and the liquid connection to the droplet generation junction is closed in the second position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the continuously providing the at least one first substance liquid to the first substance liquid inlet comprises applying a substantially continuous or constant flow of the at least one first substance liquid to the first substance liquid inlet .