Pattenred film for forming fluid-filled blister, microfluidic blister, and kit and method of forming

A patterned thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) film for fabricating a liquid-filled blister, the film having opposite first and second sides, the first side defining a blister-sized cavity in fluid communication with a microfluidic channel via a gating region, at least the channel and gating region being defined by a relief pattern, wherein the cavity and microfluidic channel are surrounded by a single continuous edge for bonding to a backing substrate to seal around the cavity, and the gating region has at least one of the following:

• a) at least 5 separate compartments defined by respective recesses in the first side, each of the recesses bounded by walls that separate the compartments from each other, the recess, or the channel;
• b) at least 5 walls defined by the patterning of the first side, the walls separating a plurality of compartments from each other, the recess, or the channel, wherein the walls have a mean thickness that is less than a mean height, and each pair of walls has a mean separation greater than twice the mean thickness;
• c) an array of separate compartments bounded by walls defined by the patterning of the first side that collectively define a polygonal regular planar tiling with at least 50% of the surface area of the gating region being open spaces;
• and
• d) a focusing region in fluid communication with the cavity, and a seal region having at least one wall defined by patterning of the film, wherein the at least one wall separates the focusing region from the seal region, and a shape of the at least one wall tapers the focusing region towards the seal region.