Electrofluidic standard module and custom circuit board assembly

A miniature electrofluidic module for receiving a fluid and an electrical connection, said module comprising:

• a substantially flat first manifold layer having at least one fluidic inlet and an internal fluidic passageway connected to the inlet for receiving fluid;
• a substantially flat electrical layer having an electrical circuit including circuit traces thereon, the electrical layer being positioned between the device layer and the first manifold layer, the electrical layer having fluidic passageways formed therein to allow fluid to flow from the first manifold layer and through the electrical layer;
• a substantially flat micromachined device layer having a plurality of micromachined devices thereon in fluid communication with the fluidic passageway in the first manifold layer via the fluidic passageways in the electrical layer and in electrical communication with the electrical circuit on the electrical layer;
• and
• a second flat manifold layer having fluidic inputs and internal fluidic passageways, said second layer being disposed on a side of the micromachined device layer opposite from the side on which is located the first manifold layer for returning fluid flow to the first manifold layer.

A miniature electrofluidic module for receiving a fluid and an electrical connection, said module comprising:

• a substantially flat first manifold layer having at least one fluidic inlet and an internal fluidic passageway connected to the inlet for receiving fluid;
• a substantially flat electrical layer having an electrical circuit thereon;
• a substantially flat device layer having a plurality of micromachined electrofluidic valves thereon in fluid communication with the fluidic passageway in the first manifold layer and in electrical communication with the electrical circuit on the electrical layer, wherein the device layer is a middle layer, the first manifold layer being disposed on a first side of the middle layer;
• and
• a second manifold layer disposed on an opposite side of the middle layer with fluidic passageways for returning fluid flow to the first manifold layer.

A miniature electrofluidic module for receiving a fluid and an electrical connection, said module comprising:

• a substantially flat manifold layer having at least one fluidic inlet and an internal fluidic passageway connected to the inlet for receiving fluid, wherein the manifold layer comprises a first substrate having standard fluidic passageways arranged in a standard pattern, and a second substrate having fluidic passageways for further fluid distribution and in fluid communication with the standard fluidic passageways in the first substrate;
• a substantially flat electrical layer having an electrical circuit thereon;
• and
• a substantially flat device layer having a plurality of micromachined devices thereon in fluid communication with the fluidic passageways in the manifold layer and in electrical communication with the electrical circuit on the electrical layer.

A miniature electrofluidic module having a fluidic inlet and an electrical connection, comprising:

• a flat-pack, modular, layered body having a face;
• an inlet/outlet manifold layer on the face having at least one inlet for inlet fluid flow in one direction and at least one outlet for return fluid flow in a return direction;
• a plurality of micromachined devices in a middle layer of the body having fluidic passageways therein to modulate fluid flow;
• an electrical layer in the body adjacent the micromachined devices having electrical circuits for operating the micromachined devices;
• and
• a return manifold on the modular body on the other side of the device layer to receive fluid flow from one part of the inlet/outlet manifold layer and to redirect the fluid flow to another part of the inlet/outlet manifold layer.

A modular electrofluidic multiplexer for control of a fluid in response to electrical signals, comprising:

• a substantially flat manifold layer having at least one fluidic inlet, an internal fluidic passageway connected to the inlet for receiving fluid flow therethrough;
• a substantially flat electrical layer having a plurality of electrical layer fluidic passageways extending therethrough and connected to receive fluid from the internal fluidic passageway, the electrical layer having a plurality of individual micromachined actuator electrical circuit paths formed thereon for communication with a source of electrical signals;
• a substantially flat, micromachined device layer having a plurality of micromachined actuators positioned thereon each micromachined actuator being in electrical communication with one of the individual micromachined actuator electrical circuit paths and in fluid communication with the respective electrical layer fluidic passageways to receive fluid therefrom;
• and
• a plurality of fluidic outlets coupled via fluidic outlet passages in fluid communication to the micromachined actuators so that in response to the electrical signals the micromachined actuators can selectively connect and disconnect the inlet from fluid communication with one or more of the outlet fluid paths.

An electrofluidic assembly having separable electrical and fluidic connections, said assembly comprising:

• at least one electrofluidic module having a substantially flat manifold layer having at least one fluidic inlet and an internal fluidic passageway connected to the fluidic inlet for receiving fluid, a substantially flat electrical layer having a plurality of individual micromachined device electrical circuits and a plurality of electrical layer fluidic passageways in communication with the internal fluidic passageway, a substantially flat device layer having a plurality of micromachined devices thereon in fluid communication with the respective of the electrical layer fluidic passageways and in electrical communication with respective ones of the individual micromachined device electrical circuits;
• the substantially flat manifold layer on the electrofluidic module having a fluidic interface located at a predetermined, standard position on one side of the module and having a fluidic passageway in fluid communication with the passageway in the electrofluidic device;
• a first electrical connector on the module connected to the electrical circuit;
• an electrofluidic circuit board having a standard, fluidic interface with a releasable mating connection with the standard fluidic interface of said module;
• and
• a second electrical connector on the electrofluidic circuit board for a releasable connection to the first electrical connector so that the electrofluidic module can be detachably connected to the electrofluidic circuit board.

In an electrofluidic system, the combination comprising:

• a fixture having fluidic passageways therein for the flow of a fluid;
• an electrofluidic member mounted on the fixture over the fixture passageways and having member passageways in fluid communication with the fixture passageways;
• a plurality of micromachined devices mounted on the electrofluidic member and having fluidic passageways connected to the inlets and outlets of the electrofluidic member;
• individual micromachined device electrical circuits on the electrofluidic member ones of which are respectively connected to the individual micromachined devices to operate the same to modulate fluid flow through the member passageways within the electrofluidic member;
• and
• return fluid flow directing means associated with the micromachined devices for directing fluid to return to the electrofluidic member.

In an electrofluidic system, the combination comprising:

• a fixture having fluidic passageways therein for fluid communication with other devices;
• an electrofluidic member mounted on the fixture and having member passageways mounted over the fixture passageways to communicate fluid flow with the other devices;
• an electrofluidic module on the electrofluidic member having a plurality of micromachined valves for modulating fluid flow between the module and the member;
• an electrical layer on the electrofluidic member having individual circuit paths for controlling the respective ones of the micromachined valves to modulate the fluid flow through the electrical layer;
• and
• an electrical connector on the electrofluidic module for connection to an electrical controller for operating the electrofluidic devices.

In an electrofluidic system, the combination comprising:

• a fixture having fluidic passageways therein for fluid communication with other devices;
• a flat layer with fluidic inlets and outlets mounted over the passageways to communicate fluid flow to and from the other devices, the flat layer having circuit paths for controlling the electrofluidic micromachined valves to modulate the fluid flow;
• a plurality of electrofluidic micromachined valves thereon for modulating fluid flow among the inlets and outlets;
• and
• an electrical connector on the flat layer for electrical connection via a plurality of respective individual electrofluidic micromachined valve electrical circuits to the electrofluidic micromachined valves and to an electrical controller for operating the electrofluidic micromachined valves.

In an electrofluidic dialysate handling system, the combination comprising:

• a piston body having a plurality of valve actuators thereon and fluidic passageways in the piston body for fluid communication with the valve actuators;
• an electrofluidic member mounted on the piston body and having member passageways mounted over the body passageways to communicate fluid flow to the valve actuators;
• the electrofluidic member having a plurality of electrofluidic modules thereon for modulating fluid flow between the electrofluidic member and the modules;
• an electrical layer on the electrofluidic member having circuit paths for controlling the respective electrofluidic modules to modulate the fluid flow;
• and
• an electrical connector on each of the electrofluidic modules for connection to an electrical controller for operating the electrofluidic devices.

In an electrofluidic dialysate handling system, the combination comprising:

• a pneumatic cassette interface for supplying selected pneumatic control signals to a disposable cassette of a disposable dialysate delivery set to enable the disposable to deliver dialysate to a patient, the cassette interface having fluidic passageways therein for the flow of air;
• an electrofluidic member mounted on the pneumatic cassette interface over the pneumatic cassette interface passageways and having member passageways in fluid communication with the pneumatic cassette interface passageways;
• a plurality of micromachined valves mounted on the electrofluidic member and having fluidic passageways connected to the member passageways;
• individual electrical circuits on the electrofluidic member connected to respective ones of the micromachined valves to operate the same to modulate air flow through the member passageways;
• and
• return fluid flow directing means associated with the micromachined devices for directing air to return to the electrofluidic member.