Microfluidic system including a bubble valve for regulating fluid flow through a microchannel
AssigneeCytonome, Inc.
InventorsJohn Richard Gilbert, Sebastian Böhm, Manish Deshpande
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microfluidic system includes a bubble valve for regulating fluid flow through a microchannel. The bubble valve includes a fluid meniscus interfacing the microchannel interior and an actuator for deflecting the membrane into the microchannel interior to regulate fluid flow. The actuator generates a gas bubble in a liquid in the microchannel when a sufficient pressure is generated on the membrane.
Claims26
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a microchannel having an interior bounded by a side wall;
- a valve for regulating the flow of fluid through the microchannel, the valve comprising a gas-filled first reservoir, a fluid meniscus interfacing the reservoir and the interior and an actuator for varying the volume of the first reservoir to increase an internal pressure of the first reservoir to vary the flow of fluid through the microchannel;
- and
- a second reservoir for absorbing a pressure variation in the microchannel induced by the actuator.
A microfluidic device comprising:
- a first plate having a groove formed therein defining a microchannel;
- a second plate for enclosing the microchannel bonded to the first plate having a first aperture formed on a first side of the groove sized and dimensioned to form a meniscus when the microchannel is filled with a liquid, the first aperture defining a first reservoir adjacent to the microchannel, wherein the meniscus forms an interface between the microchannel and the reservoir and a second reservoir formed on a second side of the groove opposite the first reservoir for absorbing pressure variations in the groove;
- and
- a flexible membrane bonded to the second plate to seal the first reservoir.
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a microchannel having an interior bounded by a side wall;
- a first bubble valve for creating and injecting a bubble into the microchannel interior to regulate fluid flow through the microchannel;
- a buffer in communication with the microchannel for absorbing a pressure variation in the microchannel caused by the bubble;
- and
- a hydrophobic patch for retaining the bubble in a predetermined position in the microchannel interior.
In a particle sorting device a bubble valve for separating particles having a predetermined characteristic from particles not having a predetermined characteristic, the bubble valve comprising:
- a first gas-filled reservoir;
- a channel in communication with a channel through which a stream of particles in a carrier fluid passes, wherein the carrier fluid forms a meniscus in the side channel adjacent to the gas-filled reservoir;
- an actuator for deflecting the meniscus to create a pressure pulse to selectively deflect a particle having the predetermined characteristic from the stream of particles;
- and
- a second reservoir for absorbing the pressure pulse.
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a channel for conveying a stream of particles in a carrier fluid;
- an actuator for selectively applying a pressure pulse to the stream to deflect a particle in the stream of particles from the stream of particles;
- and
- a buffer for absorbing the pressure pulse.
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a primary channel for conveying a stream of particles in a carrier fluid;
- a first side channel in communication with the primary channel;
- an actuator connected to the first side channel for applying a pressure pulse to the stream of particles to deflect a particle in the stream of particles from the stream of particles;
- a second side channel in communication with the side channel;
- and
- a buffer in communication with the second side channel for absorbing the pressure pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.