US 7,143,785 B2 · Microfluidic large scale integration

Abstract

High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A microfluidic device comprising:

a microfluidic flow channel formed in a first layer;
a first microfluidic control channel formed in a second layer adjacent to the first layer, the first microfluidic control channel separated from the microfluidic flow channel by a first deflectable membrane integral with the first layer or the second layer;
and
a second microfluidic control channel adjacent to the first microfluidic control channel and separated from the first microfluidic control channel by a second deflectable membrane.

1 more element

A microfluidic device comprising:

a microfluidic flow channel formed in a first layer;
a first microfluidic control channel formed in a second layer adjacent to the first layer, the first microfluidic control channel separated from the microfluidic flow channel by a first deflectable membrane;
a second microfluidic control channel adjacent to the first microfluidic control channel and separated from the first microfluidic control channel by a second deflectable membrane;
and
a third microfluidic control channel adjacent to the second microfluidic control channel and separated from the second microfluidic control channel by a third deflectable membrane.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/670,997Filed 24 Sep 2003 · us provisional application

Priority

25 Sep 2002

Published

US 2004/0112442 A117 Jun 2004

Granted

5 Dec 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification35 codes

C12Q 1/28
Involving oxidoreductase: involving peroxidase
B01L 3/502738
By integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g.…
B81C 1/00119
Without movable or flexible elements: arrangement of basic structures like cavities or channels, e.g. suitable for microfluidic systems
F15C 5/00
Manufacture of fluid circuit elements

Microfluidic large scale integration

Life of this patent

Microfluidic large scale integration

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21