US 2020/0269201 A1 · BIFURCATING MIXERS AND METHODS OF THEIR USE AND MANUFACTURE

Abstract

Disclosed herein are fluidic mixers having bifurcated fluidic flow through toroidal mixing elements. The mixers operate, at least partially, by Dean vortexing. Accordingly, the mixers are referred to as Dean Vortex Bifurcating Mixers (“DVBM”). The DVBM utilize Dean vortexing and asymmetric bifurcation of the fluidic channels that form the mixers to achieve the goal of optimized microfluidic mixing. The disclosed DVBM mixers can be incorporated into any fluidic (e.g., microfluidic) device known to those of skill in the art where mixing two or more fluids is desired. The disclosed mixers can be combined with any fluidic elements known to those of skill in the art, including syringes, pumps, inlets, outlets, non-DVBM mixers, heaters, assays, detectors, and the like.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of mixing a first liquid with a second liquid, comprising:

flowing the first liquid and the second liquid into an inlet channel of a mixer to form a combined flow;
bifurcating the combined flow around a first toroidal mixer of the mixer into a first curved flow and a second curved flow;
recombining the first curved flow and the second curved flow into the combined flow in a neck region downstream of the first toroidal mixer;
bifurcating the combined flow around a second toroidal mixer of the mixer into a third curved flow and a fourth curved flow;
and
recombining the third curved flow and the fourth curved flow into the combined flow downstream of the second toroidal mixer to form a mixed solution;
wherein a first volume ratio of the first curved flow to the second curved flow differs from a second volume ratio of the third curved flow to the fourth curved flow.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/931,901Filed 14 May 2020

Priority

6 Jan 2016

Published

27 Aug 2020

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B01F 25/43231
Using elements provided with a plurality of channels or using a plurality of tubes which can either be placed between common spaces or collectors:…
B01F 25/432
Mixing tubes, e.g. wherein the material is moved in a radial or partly reversed direction: with means for dividing the material flow into separate…
B01F 25/4331
Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly…
B01F 25/4338
Mixing tubes wherein the shape of the tube influences the mixing, e.g. mixing tubes with varying cross-section or provided with inwardly…

Family

Application62/275,630Us provisional application · filed 6 Jan 2016

Application15/522,720Continuation · filed 27 Apr 2017

Application16/102,518Continuation · filed 13 Aug 2018

Application15/931,901Continuation

US 10,076,730 B2Related patent

US 10,688,456 B2Related patent

US 10,835,878 B2Related patent

US 2018/0093232 A1Published application

US 2018/0345232 A1Published application

US 2020/0269201 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Bifurcating mixers and methods of their use and manufacture

Life of this patent

Bifurcating mixers and methods of their use and manufacture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20