Vertical-via rotary valves, microbioreactors and applications of same

A vertical-via rotary valve (VVRV), comprising:

• a valve body having a housing;
• one or more fluidic channels, each fluidic channel having a vertical channel portion defined in the valve body and being adjacent to the housing, wherein a fluid flow through the vertical channel portion is controllable by deforming a sidewall of the vertical channel portion;
• and
• an actuator received in the housing and rotatably engaged with the one or more fluidic channels to operably control the fluid flow through the vertical channel portion of each fluid channel, wherein the actuator comprises:
• one or more actuating pins accommodated in a pin housing and corresponding to the vertical channel portions of the one or more fluidic channels, wherein each actuating pin is movable from a first position in the pin housing to a second position out of the pin housing when pushed, otherwise, said actuating pin returns from the second position to the first position, wherein when said actuating pin is in the first position, it un-pinches a corresponding vertical channel portion so that the fluid flow therethrough is not restricted, and when said actuating pin is in the second position, it pinches the corresponding vertical channel portion so that the fluid flow therethrough is restricted;
• a pin actuator cam having at least one lobe;
• and
• a driving shaft engaged with the pin actuator cam to operably rotate the pin actuator cam, such that when the lobe is aligned with an actuating pin, the lobe pushes said actuating pin to move from the first position to the second positon, thereby restricting the fluid flow through said corresponding vertical channel portion, when the lobe is misaligned with said actuating pin, said actuating pin returns from the second position to the first position, thereby, unrestricting the fluid flow through said corresponding vertical channel portion.